U-46 marks 75 years of educational radio

WEPS launches revitalized programming lineup as it continues to provide a unique opportunity for students

As it celebrates its 75th anniversary, Elgin Area School District U-46’s radio station WEPS-88.9 FM is launching a revitalized lineup of programming, including a podcast, student-created content, and an evening storytime designed to help parents ease their children to sleep.

WEPS made history as the first FM radio station to transmit from the Fox River Valley, signing onto the air on Jan. 13, 1950, from what was then Elgin High School, near downtown Elgin.

To this day, it is the oldest continuously-operating school district radio station in Illinois, and one of the oldest in the United States.

As originally envisioned, the station provided technical vocational training for students at Elgin High School, and it was operated jointly by both faculty members and students.

“I learned more than just about broadcasting. It was how to communicate and relate with people. How to create something that can help and/or benefit an entire community,” said Michael “Mickey” Klein, one of the many students who benefited from his WEPS broadcasting experience. “With those basic skills, you can always survive, no matter what the job market or economy can throw at you.”

Klein, a former Streamwood High School student, built a career in broadcasting. He is the founding chairman of North Arkansas Performing Artists Coalition (NAPAC) and owner of KBHQ-FM Radio in Harrison, Arkansas.

Although WEPS has evolved over the decades, most of the original objectives for the station still remain relevant to this day. Once offered as part of the curriculum at high schools, U-46 students can still gain valuable practical experience in broadcasting and communication by participating in a radio club hosted at several of the district’s schools.

In these clubs, under the guidance of radio professionals, students create their own radio programs that are broadcast on WEPS.

Klein said when he signed up for the radio class in the early 1980s, he thought it was like a wood shop class, and he expected to be building radio receivers. Shock set in when he walked into a live broadcasting studio on his first day of class.

Although the thought of public speaking terrified him, Klein stuck with it, producing his own radio show where he took music requests, conducted interviews, and created characters to enhance the show.

Taking on the nickname of “The Gopher,” Klein grew to fully embrace being in front of the microphone. “I would encourage U-46 students to consider creating programming for WEPS because of the benefits that last long after leaving school,” Klein said.

In addition to student radio shows, the district has introduced “Spark/Chispa” an English- and Spanish-language show that includes alumni stories, district updates, upcoming events, and conversations with educators.

There’s also “Books, Blankets, and Bedtime,” in which beloved children's stories are read aloud. Broadcast on evenings, Monday through Thursday, “Books, Blankets, and Bedtime” aims to help parents bolster the bedtime reading routine for their young children. Episodes of these new programs are also available on Spotify by searching “U-46 Spark,” “U-46 Chispa,” or “WEPS Books, Blankets, and Bedtime.”

“We’re proud of our extensive history in U-46, and that includes WEPS,” said Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson. “The station is a unique resource for our community, and the radio clubs provide students an opportunity to create content that excites them while growing their speaking skills, writing skills, and understanding of an important communications medium.”

U-46-created programming can be heard when tuned to 88.9 MHz on the FM dial, from 7 to 8 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m., and 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; and 7 to 9 a.m., 4 to 5 p.m., and 7 to 9 p.m. on Fridays, during the district’s academic year.

A listener may hear music, sports, interviews, dramas, performances, or more throughout the week. For detailed schedules, visit the WEPS page on Facebook at facebook.com/WEPSFM.

WEPS airs Wisconsin Public Radio’s Music Network when U-46’s local programming is not being broadcast.