WVIK
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Quad Cities |
| Frequency | 90.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Quad Cities NPR |
| Programming | |
| Format | Public radio; news/talk |
| Subchannels | HD2: Classical music |
| Affiliations | NPR |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Augustana College |
| History | |
First air date | August 25, 1980 |
Former frequencies | 90.1 MHz (1980–1991) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 3242 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 31,000 watts |
| HAAT | 334 meters (1,096 ft) |
| Translator(s) | |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | wvik.org |
WVIK (90.3 FM) is the flagship National Public Radio station for the Quad Cities region of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. It is based in Rock Island, Illinois, and licensed to and owned by Augustana College. The studios are located on Augustana's campus in Rock Island. The station also operates two low-powered translators – K240DZ at 95.9 FM in Dubuque, Iowa, relays its main programming, and W252EM at 98.3 in Davenport, Iowa, carries WVIK's second HD Radio channel.
History
The station signed on for the first time on August 25, 1980, on 90.1 FM. The Quad Cities had been one of the last areas of Iowa and Illinois without a city-grade signal from an NPR station. Prior to 1980, the only source of NPR programming in the area had been a low-powered translator of Cedar Falls' KUNI, though much of the area got grade B coverage from Iowa City's WSUI. In 1991, it moved to its current frequency, and activated its Dubuque translator in 1996.
In March 2022, WVIK announced plans to realign its programming streams. The full-power 90.3 FM signal would drop its afternoon classical music block to air NPR news and talk programming full time, while the Davenport translator would air classical music full-time. As part of the realignment, the 105.7 FM frequency would be upgraded to cover more of the Quad Cities.[2][3]
On May 1, 2023, the programming realignment on WVIK took place with WVIK's main signal airing NPR news and talk and the translator airing classical music. The station's HD2 subcarrier became a simulcast of the Davenport translator.[4]
Translators
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K240DZ | 95.9 FM | Dubuque, Iowa | 77016 | 153 | 47.9 m (157 ft) | D | 42°29′47.2″N 90°41′9″W / 42.496444°N 90.68583°W | LMS | — |
| W252EM | 98.3 FM | Davenport, Iowa | 153553 | 250 | 0 m (0 ft) | D | 41°28′29″N 90°26′45″W / 41.47472°N 90.44583°W | LMS | Relays HD2 |
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WVIK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "WVIK To Split Classical & News/Talk Programming". RadioInsight. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Ickes, Barb (March 14, 2022). "Quad-Cities NPR station switching formats, moving classical to low-wattage station". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ^ Public Radio Changes Take Effect May 1 in Quad Cities Northpine.com - April 27, 2023
External links
- WVIK, Quad Cities NPR website
- Facility details for Facility ID 3242 (WVIK) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WVIK in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 77016 (K240DZ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K240DZ at FCCdata.org
- Facility details for Facility ID 153553 (W252EM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W252EM at FCCdata.org