| Broadcast area | Baton Rouge metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 89.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | WRKF 89.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Public radio - News, Talk, Information |
| Subchannels | HD2: Classical music |
| Affiliations | National Public Radio (NPR) Public Radio Exchange (PRX) BBC World Service |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Public Radio Inc. |
| History | |
First air date | January 18, 1980 |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 53834 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 28,000 watts |
| HAAT | 285 meters (935 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 30°22′22.00″N 91°12′16.00″W / 30.3727778°N 91.2044444°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | WRKF.org |
WRKF (89.3 MHz) is a non-commercial public FM radio station in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is owned and operated by Public Radio, Inc., with studios and offices on Valley Creek Drive in Baton Rouge. WRKF is listener-supported, with periodic on-air fundraisers.
WRKF has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 28,000 watts. The transmitter is off River Road in Baton Rouge, near the Mississippi River.[1] WRKF broadcasts using HD Radio technology. It airs classical music from Classical 24 on its HD-2 digital subchannel.
WRKF is a member of National Public Radio. It carries NPR and other public radio news and information shows around the clock except for a few musical programs on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Weekdays, it produces two local shows, Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster, an interview and call-in show, airing at 9 a.m. and repeated at 9 p.m. weekdays. There's also a half hour news magazine shared with WWNO New Orleans, Louisiana Things Considered heard at noon and 7:30 p.m. Local news updates are scheduled each hour. NPR shows heard on WRKF weekdays include Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, 1A and Marketplace.
Weekends feature one-hour specialty shows including Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!, This American Life, TED Radio Hour, Hidden Brain, On The Media, Milk Street Radio, The Moth Radio Hour, Radio Lab and a local food show, Louisiana Eats! Music shows on weekend evenings include American Routes, Center Stage and a local Cajun and Americana music show, Hootenany Power. Overnight, WRKF carries the BBC World Service.
WRKF signed on the air on January 18, 1980.[2] It initially was a community-based public radio station. The schedule included classical, jazz, folk music, blues, big bands and adult standards, along with some NPR news shows. The studios were in a temporary building at the transmitter site on Frenchtown Road.
In 1986, the station moved to studios on Valley Creek Drive in the city. By the 1990s, most music shows had been eliminated, leaving a largely news and information schedule of programs.