WGCS
Broadcast areaElkhart, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana[2]
Frequency91.1 FM MHz
Branding"91-1 The Globe"
Programming
FormatAdult album alternative[3]
AffiliationsPRX[4]
Regional Radio Sports Network[5]
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
October 2, 1958 (1958-10-02)[7]
Call sign meaning
"Goshen College Station"
Technical information
Facility ID24663
ClassA
Power6,000 watts
HAAT89 meters (292 ft)[1]
Transmitter coordinates
41°33′29.20″N 85°51′6.00″W / 41.5581111°N 85.8516667°W / 41.5581111; -85.8516667[1]
Links
WebcastWGCS Webstream
WebsiteWGCS Online

WGCS is an adult album alternative-formatted broadcast radio station.[3] The station is licensed to Goshen, Indiana, and serves Goshen, Elkhart, and South Bend in Indiana.[1][2] WGCS is owned by Goshen College and operated under their Goshen College Broadcasting Corporation licensee.[1]

History

The Union Building at Goshen College housed WGCS at its launch

On January 28, 1957, Goshen College applied for a construction permit to build a new noncommercial radio station in Goshen[8] after the class of 1956 made a gift of nearly $2,000 to establish one on the campus. Goshen College had previously operated a carrier current transmitter on the campus beginning in the 1940s; this ended in 1952 when the low-power broadcast was found to be operating with too much power after being heard as far away as Milford, Indiana.[9] With a transmitter previously used at Western Michigan University,[10] WGCS began broadcasting in 1958. In 1972, the station was transferred to the communications department, allowing Goshen College students to earn credit for working at WGCS.[11] For much of its history, WGCS aired primarily classical music, along with educational and religious programs and specialty music shows.[12]

In the late 1970s, WGCS was approved to increase effective radiated power from 390 watts to more than 7,000; stereo broadcasts also began, with both being made possible by more used equipment from another Michigan station, WAUS in Berrien Springs.[13] As an educational tool, the station occasionally developed its own teaching materials; chief engineer Curt Holsopple wrote a textbook, Skills for Radio Broadcasting, for use in introductory broadcasting courses, in response to the need for a text that was more easily comprehended by Goshen College's international student body.[14]

The longtime classical station made major changes in 2003 when Goshen alumnus Jason Samuel was hired as general manager, including a format change to a mix of Americana and adult album alternative and increased sports coverage.[15] Since the format change, the station has been recognized nationally, being the first college station to repeat as winner of the "Best College Station in the Nation" award from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System[16] and also winning awards from the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters, and Broadcast Education Association.[17][18][19][20][21][22] In 2017, WGCS won the Dr. Marjorie Yambor Signature Station Award from the Broadcast Education Association.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "WGCS Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "WGCS-FM 91.1 MHz - Goshen, IN". Theodric Technologies, LLC. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "PRX >> Station >> 91.1 The Globe - WGCS". PRX. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  5. ^ "About RRSN". Regional Radio Sports Network. 10 December 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "FCCdata.org - powered by REC - WGCS-FM". REC Networks. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  7. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-206. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  8. ^ FCC History Cards for WGCS
  9. ^ "About The Globe". globeradio.org. Retrieved 2021-07-23.
  10. ^ Purvis, Louise (March 31, 1958). "Radio Station to Broadcast From Goshen College". The South Bend Tribune. p. 14. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  11. ^ Purvis, Louise (January 7, 1973). "WGCS Work Earns Credit". The South Bend Tribune. p. 35. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  12. ^ "College's Station Adds News Wire". The South Bend Tribune. March 27, 1974. p. 26. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  13. ^ "Goshen Station Gets Power Boost". The South Bend Tribune. April 8, 1979. p. IN-3. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "Goshen engineer writes new textbook". The South Bend Tribune. June 11, 1982. p. 18. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  15. ^ Redding, Alesia I. (January 4, 2004). "Pursuit of excellence: Radio station at Goshen College revitalized by new general manager". The South Bend Tribune. pp. E1, E2. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  16. ^ "Goshen College radio station wins national award". Anabaptist World. November 8, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  17. ^ "Broadcasting students nab six national Broadcast Educators Association awards". Goshen College. February 19, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  18. ^ "Globe Wins 5 National Awards in NYC". WGCS/Goshen College. March 4, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  19. ^ Sutter, Ben (February 16, 2012). "The Globe seeks repeat title". The Record. Goshen, Indiana: Goshen College. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  20. ^ "91.1 The Globe named best in state". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana: Gannett. April 5, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  21. ^ "Goshen College broadcasters win national awards". The Goshen News. Goshen, Indiana: CNHI. March 25, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  22. ^ "2020 National Student Production Awards". CBI. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  23. ^ "Signature Station Competition - BEA - The Broadcast Education Association". Broadcast Education Association. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

External links

Radio stations in the South Bend, Indiana, metropolitan area
Goshen College
Categories