38 things we love about Illinois: No. 33

From venerable agriculture to the computer revolution, rare books to Round Barns, Homecoming parades to tunnel walks, these are a few of our favorite things about our favorite institution of higher education.

Student Radio Station (Photo courtesy of WPGU)
From venerable agriculture to the computer revolution, rare books to Round Barns, Homecoming parades to tunnel walks, these are a few of our favorite things about our favorite institution of higher education.

33. Student Radio Station

Student-operated radio station WPGU, so named for the “parade ground unit” where it originated, has been on the air since 1953, when engineering students rigged it to “broadcast” into residence halls via carrier AM. The first broadcast carried an hour of jazz, an hour of classical music and an hour of news. Since then, WPGU has adopted a succession of identities, including “Full Service Radio” and “Champaign-Urbana’s Home of Rock and Roll.” Today, known simply as 107.1 FM, the  fully commercial station broadcasts and streams an eclectic mix of punk, pop and oldies, in addition to news and chats with budding musicians.

Come back to uiaa.org each week for more of the 38 Things We Love about Illinois!