WKUF-LP

WKUF-LP (94.3 FM) is a student-run low-powered campus radio station located in Flint, Michigan. It broadcasts at 100 watts, and has a range of between 6 and 20 miles, depending on terrain, elevation, and building density between the university and the location of the listener. It is operated by Kettering University, formerly the General Motors Institute (GMI). It is paid for by student activity fees and a special fund created by the university.

History

Early broadcasts

Radio has a long history at Kettering University. In the early 1970s an unlicensed "carrier current" radio station operated with the call letters "KRIB". The station was managed by GMI student Lewis Middaugh and Friday late-evening DJ, the late Johnnie Heiman (Dr. J). "Dr. J" moved from an Indiana nut farm to the "big city" Flint when he attended GMI. KRIB helped start him off on a very successful radio career until his death in a farming accident. KRIB was ahead of its time in the radio world. The Glett-Albanese wind-down hour, a Friday evening regular show, was one of the first "dueling DJ" spots in the nation. The show had a dedicated following and this broadcasting technique caught on across the nation. This continued until in the early 1980s, when the current student media club was formed, calling itself WGMI. The WGMI AM broadcasts were only available in the dorms, which meant that WGMI did not require any government licensing. The station, however, declined as AM broadcasts lost popularity. By 1997 there were no more broadcasts from WGMI AM 530. Despite this, there was still enough student interest to keep the radio media group alive.