WPRK

WPRK
Winter Park, Florida;
Frequency	91.5 MHz
Branding	"Voice of Rollins College"
Programming
Format	college radio
Ownership
Owner	Rollins College
History
Call sign meaning	Winter PaRK
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	57473
Class	A
ERP	1,300 watts
HAAT	32 meters (105 ft)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Website	wprk.org

WPRK 91.5 FM is a non-commercial college radio station located in Winter Park, Florida, United States. It is owned and operated by Rollins College. Its signal is audible in most of the Orlando metropolitan area. WPRK features programming from nearly every mainstream and non-mainstream music genre.

History

WPRK began broadcasting on December 8, 1952,^[2] with a dedication address from then President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower.^[3] The station originally operated on 88.1 MHz with 10 watts of power but eventually moved to 91.5 MHz and increased to 1,300 watts effective radiated power.

During its first decade of broadcasting WPRK operated for approximately five hours every evening, transmitting a variety of material including classical music, interview programs, quiz shows, and occasional live broadcasts of concerts and speeches occurring on campus.^[4] The hours of operation gradually expanded. By the mid-1970s WPRK was typically on the air from noon to midnight, featuring classical music during the day, a variety of student-selected radio formats at night, and live play-by-play coverage of selected Rollins soccer and basketball games.

In 1989 students were given more authority over the programming and operation of WPRK; by 1991 the station was described as "completely student-run." The amount of time allocated to classical music was reduced and the length of the broadcast day was expanded, with the station operating from 8 am to 2 am daily.^[5] Consistent 24-hour broadcasting began in the mid-1990s.

In the summer of 2000, Community Communications, owner of WMFE-FM 90.7, offered to take over the operations of WPRK in a proposed partnership which greatly interested the college.^[6] Students, listeners and other supporters formed an organization called "SaveWPRK.com" to oppose the merger and find other sources of funding for the station.^[7] On February 1, 2001, the Rollins College administration announced its decision to retain control of WPRK.^[8]

From January 17–21, 2005, the station launched its first WPRK Marathon, also known as the 110-Hour Marathon, a fundraiser in which DJ Dave Plotkin attempted to break the world record for longest consecutive on-air DJ session.^[9]

Following Hurricane Irma on September 10, 2017, WPRK's antenna sustained serious damage that caused for the removal of the antenna. From September 2017 till August 2018, the station continued to offer their programming as a streaming service. In August 2018, WPRK went back on air and once again broadcast on FM. In January 2020 the station was moved to its current studio in the renovated Kathleen W. Rollins Hall.^[10]

Notable alumni DJs

Diplo^[11]
Drew Garabo
Gen from the Genitorturers
Q Burns Abstract Message
Chris "Mad Dog" Russo

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for WPRK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ "Station WPRK Gives First Broadcast" in: Winter Park Herald, December 11, 1952
^ "Reference URL Share Add tags Comment Rate 1 2 3 4 5 Dedication Address by President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower for Rollins College FM Station". Retrieved 13 November 2012.
^ Local press clippings from 1958-1962 displayed in an online brochure retrieved 2008-11-05
^ "Listeners are up for new WPRK" in: Orlando Sentinel, April 18, 1991, page E-5
^ "Not so fast: College radio deal could take months" in: Orlando Business Journal, July 21, 2000 snippet retrieved 2008-11-04
^ "WPRK Fans Declare for Independence" in: Orlando Sentinel, January 12, 2001, Calendar section page 12
^ "WPRK Stays with Rollins" in: Orlando Sentinel, February 2, 2001, page C-2
^ "110 hours on the air" in: USA Today, January 22, 2005 retrieved 2008-11-04
^ "Rollins Hall reopens after $17M renovation". The Sandspur. 2020-01-23. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
^ Young, Jessica Bryce. "Diplo once stole records from WPRK, so a Rollins student ate a picture of him every day until he admitted it". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 2021-02-23.