WUWU-LPFM 100.1
WUWU 100.1 will be launched by the Elberta Labor Heritage Center (ELHC) this summer. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted ELHC’s low power construction permit on Feb. 9 and approved the requested call sign of WUWU-LP shortly thereafter.
The radio station will be a vital informational resource for the village of Elberta and surrounding areas engaging with the community to understand the past, to gain perspective on the present, and to play an informed role in shaping the future, not to mention playing great music! Programming will be a combination of programs produced locally by community volunteers and syndicated programming.
David Beaton, one of the ELHC Board Members, previously founded WSLR-LP in Sarasota, FL and fell in love with Elberta when he and his partner bought a foreclosed property in the village in 2019.
“We choose WUWU to be the call letters for the station to reflect the history of the railroad and car ferries in Elberta”, says Beaton.
The non-profit will launch a “What’s Up With Us” e-newsletter to help keep people informed of their activities. To sign up to receive updates you can email [email protected] with the subject “Subscribe” in your message.
Based on Beaton’s rough estimate, building out the new station will cost about $5,000. Much of the needed equipment has been donated by other LPFM stations. A travel trailer has also been donated and will serve as the first home for the broadcast studio. If you’d like to help, a donation form is available on the website where people can set up one-time, monthly or annual donations.
“We’re looking for feedback to know what the community wants and how they want to be involved,” said Board Member Paul May.
As a low-power station (100 watts or less), WUWU must be educational, noncommercial, and commit to broadcasting locally produced content.
How far will the station reach? Low power stations normally have a broadcast radius of 5-7 miles – so Beaton says they hope to reach all of Frankfort and Elberta. WUWU also plans to stream online once they are up and running.
If all goes well, ELHC hopes to have WUWU up and running by July 2025. Please complete the interest survey HERE to let us know what you would like to hear on the station and indicate whether you are interested in hosting a program.