View source for WILL-FM

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = WILL-FM
| logo               = WILL IPM Logo FM 2015 crop.png <!-- http://will.illinois.edu/themes/site_themes/will2.1/images/IPM_Logo_FM.png -->
| city               = [[Urbana, Illinois]]
| area               = [[Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area|Champaign-Urbana]]
| branding           = {{ubl |''WILL-FM 90.9'' (main program) |''Illinois Soul'' (90.9 HD2)}}
| frequency          = {{Frequency|90.9|MHz}} {{HD Radio}}
| translator         = {{Radio Relay|106.5|W293AF|[[Danville, Illinois|Danville]]}}<br>{{Radio Relay|101.1|W266AF|Urbana|HD2}}
| airdate            = {{start date and age|1942|11|22}}(as WIUC at 42.9)<ref name="firstFM">[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19421122.2.13&srpos=4&e=-------en-20-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "University F-M Station to Broadcast Monday"], ''Daily Illini'', November 22, 1942, page 1.</ref>
| format             = [[Classical music]], [[NPR]] news
| subchannels        = HD2: [[Jazz]] and [[Rhythm and blues]]<br>HD3: [[WILL (AM)|WILL]] [[simulcast]] ([[News/Talk]])
| language           =
| erp                = 105,000 [[watt]]s
| haat               = {{convert|259|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| class              = [[List of North American broadcast station classes|B]] ([[Noncommercial educational|NCE]])
| facility_id        = 68940
| coordinates        = <!-- {{coord|}} -->
| former_callsigns   = WIUC (1941–1954)
| former_frequencies = 42.9 MHz (1941–1947)<br>91.7 MHz (1947–1954)<ref name="HistoryCardsFM">[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=70414 History Cards for WILL-FM], fcc.gov. Retrieved August 2, 2019.</ref>
| callsign_meaning   = [[Illinois|ILLinois]]
| affiliations       = [[National Public Radio|NPR]]
| owner              = [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]]
| licensee           = The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
| sister_stations    = [[WILL (AM)|WILL]], [[WILL-TV]]
| webcast            = {{listen live|https://will.illinois.edu/fm/willplayer/}}
| website            = {{URL|https://will.illinois.edu}}
}}
[[File:Campbell Hall UIUC.jpg|thumb|275px|Campbell Hall at the University of Illinois, home of the Illinois Public Media, including the WILL-FM studios]]
'''WILL-FM''' ([[90.9 FM|90.9]] [[megahertz|MHz]]) is a [[public broadcasting|public]], listener-supported [[radio station]] owned by the [[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]] and [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Urbana, Illinois]], United States. It is operated by [[Illinois Public Media]], with studios located at Campbell Hall for Public Telecommunication on the university campus. Most of WILL-FM's schedule is [[classical music]] with [[NPR]] news programs heard in weekday morning and afternoon [[drive time]]s. Weekends feature classical and other genres of music, including [[jazz]] and [[opera]].
WILL-FM dates back to the 1940s. It broadcasts with a [[grandfather clause|grandfathered]] [[Effective Radiated Power]] (ERP) of 105,000 [[watt]]s, more than double of what would be permitted today in Illinois.<ref>[http://www.w9wi.com/articles/grand_fm.htm "Superpower FM Stations"] by Doug Smith, January 17, 2001 (W9WI.com)</ref> The [[transmitter]] is on East 1700 North Road in [[Amenia, Illinois]].<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/info/WILL-FM?loc=40.51219%2C-88.98870&locn=Normal%2C%20Illinois Radio-Locator.com/WILL-FM]</ref> The antenna [[height above average terrain]] (HAAT) is {{convert|259|m|sp=us}}.
==Programming==
WILL-FM is a member of National Public Radio ([[NPR]]) and [[network affiliate|affiliated]] with [[Public Radio International]] (PRI) and [[American Public Media]] (APM). The format is [[classical music]] most of the day, but also includes simulcasts along with its AM sister of some of NPR's more popular shows. The primary signal is relayed by [[FM translator]] station '''W293AF''' at 106.5 MHz in [[Danville, Illinois|Danville]]. WILL-FM's HD2 [[digital subchannel]] is a 24-hour music stream with the [[Classical 24|C-24]] classical music service, along with WILL-FM's locally produced classical music shows. This programming is relayed by translator station '''W266AF''' 101.1 MHz in Urbana, but moved exclusively to a webstream on February 1, 2024. At that time, the station and subchannel adopted a format branded as "Illinois Soul", consisting of a hybrid mix of [[smooth jazz]], [[neo soul]], [[R&B]], and [[classic hip-hop]] music, along with African-American hosted NPR programs such as ''[[Code Switch]]'' and ''It's Been a Minute'' and shows hosted by [[Will Downing]] and [[Robert Glasper]].<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/262092/illinois-public-media-to-launch-illinois-soul/ Illinois Public Media to Launch "Illinois Soul]</ref> WILL-FM's HD3 subchannel simulcasts the programming of [[WILL (AM)]], to make up for the reduced coverage that station's nighttime signal.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://will.illinois.edu/about/digitalradio | title = About Digital Radio | publisher= University of Illinois | location = Urbana, Illinois | date = July 30, 2012 | access-date = July 3, 2016 }}</ref>
The Illinois Radio Reader Service, a streaming audio service for the reading impaired, is broadcast over a restricted [[Subsidiary communications authority|Subsidiary Communications Authority]] (SCA) subchannel.
==History==
In May 1940, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) authorized the creation of an FM broadcast band, effective January 1, 1941, operating on 40 channels spanning 42–50&nbsp;MHz, with the first five channels reserved for educational stations.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112059131711&view=1up&seq=767 "FCC Order No. 67"], ''Federal Register'', May 25, 1940, page 2011.</ref>
On July 16, 1941, the university filed an application for a station transmitting with 250 watts on 42.9&nbsp;MHz.<ref name="HistoryCardsFM"/> At this time FM broadcasting was in its infancy and few people had receivers. However, the university's existing AM band station, [[WILL (AM)|WILL]], was restricted to daytime-only operation, so the addition of an FM signal allowed for the expansion of the broadcast service to include nighttime hours. The new FM station was assigned the call letters '''WIUC''', which was said to stand for either "Illinois, Urbana, Champaign"<ref>[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19420716.2.34&srpos=5&e=-------en-100-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "Yourself and Others"] (column) by Bette Nance, ''Daily Illini'', July 16, 1942, page 3.</ref> or "Illinois University, Champaign".<ref>[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19470621.2.11&srpos=13&e=-------en-100-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "WILL Praised By Columnist; FM Station Starts in July"] by Alan Zachary, ''Daily Illini'', June 21, 1947, page 1.</ref> Following a series of test transmissions, WIUC began regular operations on November 22, 1942, initially with a schedule of 4 to 5:30&nbsp;p.m. on Monday afternoons.<ref name="firstFM"/> It was the first FM station in the United States licensed to a university.<ref name="AmericanArchive">"[https://americanarchive.org/participating-orgs/1760 WILL Illinois Public Media]", American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Retrieved July 30, 2019.</ref> In mid-1945, the station's schedule was reported to be 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.<ref>[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19450516.2.23&srpos=9&e=-------en-20-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "University Pioneer Radio Station WIUC Returns to Air"], ''Daily Illini'', May 16, 1945, page 2.</ref>
In 1945 the FCC announced that, due to interference concerns, it was reallocating the current "low band" FM frequencies to other services, and existing FM stations would be relocated to a new "high band" of 88-106&nbsp;MHz (later expanded to 108&nbsp;MHz).<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting291unse#page/n16/mode/1up "FCC Allocates 88-106 mc Band to FM"] by Bill Bailey, ''Broadcasting'', July 2, 1945, pages 13-14.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting291unse#page/n67/mode/1up "FCC Allocations Order Text"], ''Broadcasting'', July 2, 1945, pages 64-68.</ref> In July 1946 the FCC further directed that FM stations currently operating on 42-44&nbsp;MHz would have to move to new frequencies by the end of the year,<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-TV-Digest/40s/TV-Digest-1946-07.pdf#page=17 "Filling in the Spectrum"], ''Television Digest and FM Reports'', July 20, 1946, page 1.</ref> and WIUC was reassigned from 42.9 to 44.7&nbsp;MHz, although the university reported that the station was suspending operations until it was ready to broadcast on its "high band" frequency.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c2564342&view=1up&seq=261 "FCC Orders Cessation of FM Broadcasts in Low Band"], ''Service Bulletin of the FREC'', January 1947, page 3.</ref> WIUC's original "high band" assignment was at 91.7&nbsp;MHz,<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-06-23-BC.pdf#page=39 "New Frequency Assignments for FM Stations in the United States"], ''Broadcasting'', June 23, 1947, page 38.</ref> and it began operation on this frequency in 1947.<ref>[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19470621.2.11&srpos=1&e=--1947---1947--en-100-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "WILL Praised By Columnist; FM Station Starts In July"] by Alan Zachary, ''Daily Illini'', June 21, 1947, page 1.</ref>
The station call sign was changed to '''WILL-FM''' in April 1954.<ref name="HistoryCardsFM"/> In June 1955, power was increased to 60 kilowatts, estimated to provide a service radius of 20–30 miles (32 to 48&nbsp;km). The following December 1, now operating on its current frequency of 90.9&nbsp;MHz, power was increased again, to 300 kilowatts, making the station the country's second highest powered FM broadcaster, and most powerful educational station, with an estimated service radius of 80 to 100 miles (130 to 160&nbsp;km). In mid-1956 WILL-FM's schedule had expanded to 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 to 10 pm. Sunday, simulcasting WILL during daytime hours, and with nighttime programming featuring "classical music, news, sports and feature programs".<ref>[https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DIL19560801.2.96&srpos=2&e=-------en-20-DIL-1-byDA-txt-tx--------- "UI Has Biggest FM Ed Station"], ''Daily Illini'', August 1, 1956, page 21.</ref>
WILL-FM was among the stations that helped to create NPR, and was one of the ninety that carried the premiere broadcast of ''[[All Things Considered]]'' in 1971.
In 1974, WILL-FM began airing a classical music format separate from its AM sister station.<ref name="will-history">{{cite web | url = https://will.illinois.edu/about/history | title = The History of WILL | date = July 30, 2012 | publisher = University of Illinois | location = Urbana, Illinois | access-date = February 14, 2015 }}</ref> In 1978 the Illinois Radio Reader Service, an audio service for the reading impaired, was introduced, broadcast over a WILL-FM subcarrier as a [[Subsidiary communications authority|Subsidiary Communications Authority]] (SCA) transmission that could only be received by persons equipped with a special receiver loaned to qualified individuals. As of 2018 it was estimated that around 300 persons were supplied with the special receivers.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/IllinoisRadioReader/videos/489030964915261/ "Illinois Radio Reader Fortieth Anniversary"] (video), October 4, 2018.</ref>
WILL-FM began an [[HD Radio]] [[multicast]] in July 2008.<ref name="will-history"/>
==See also==
* [[Illini Media]] - university-independent not-for-profit organization that runs radio station [[WPGU]] and the ''[[Daily Illini]]''
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://will.illinois.edu/ Illinois Public Media's WILL AM-FM-TV website]
* [https://archive.org/details/alumninews197778univ/page/24/mode/1up "Division of Broadcasting"], ''Alumni News'' (College of Communications: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), 1977-78: Fiftieth Anniversary (special issue), pages 24–29: historical overview of radio and TV broadcasting at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign up to 1977
*{{FM station data|68940|WILL-FM}}
*[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=70414 FCC History Cards for WILL-FM] (covering 1941-1979 as WIUC / WILL-FM)
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|81534|W266AF}}
*{{FXL|W266AF}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|68287|W293AF}}
*{{FXL|W293AF}}
{{University of Illinois stations}}
{{Illinois college radio}}
{{Champaign Radio}}
{{NPR Illinois}}
[[Category:College radio stations in Illinois|ILL]]
[[Category:University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]]
[[Category:University of Illinois stations|ILL-FM]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Illinois|ILL-FM]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1942]]
[[Category:1942 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:NPR member stations]]
[[Category:Classical music radio stations in the United States]]