WUMB-FM
Broadcast areaGreater Boston
Frequency91.9 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingWUMB Radio
Programming
FormatAmericana/Roots/Blues/Folk
AffiliationsAmerican Public Media
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
September 19, 1982 (1982-09-19)[1]
Call sign meaning
University of Massachusetts Boston
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID66578
ClassA
ERP160 watts
HAAT189 meters (620 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
42°14′49″N 71°2′56″W / 42.24694°N 71.04889°W / 42.24694; -71.04889 (WUMB-FM)
Translator(s)105.3 MHz W287DE (Orleans) (rebroadcasts WFPB)
Repeater(s)(see table below)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.wumb.org

WUMB-FM (91.9 FM) in Boston, Massachusetts, is the radio station of the University of Massachusetts Boston. It broadcasts an Americana/Blues/Roots/Folk mix hosted by its staff weekdays. On weekends the station concentrates on traditional folk, Celtic, blues, and world music including syndicated programs.[3][4] Overnight programming starting at midnight and usually through 5am is a repeat of a portion of the previous day's programming; an announcement of this fact is made at midnight. The station has received many awards for its folk music programming.[5]

Programming

WUMB's previous logo as "Folk Radio"

WUMB-FM operates as a noncommercial public radio–style station which carries some NPR programming. HD Radio technology allows WUMB to transmit a high-quality digital signal.[6] Due to the crowded state of the noncommercial end of the FM dial in New England, WUMB operates at a modest 160 watts, effectively limiting its coverage area to Boston itself and its innermost suburbs. To widen its signal, it operates a network of eight repeater stations across eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. WUMB-FM can also be heard on the Internet at both low bit rate for those with dial up connection and in stereo for those with broadband service.

Since 1998, WUMB has sponsored a live music festival, called the Boston Folk Festival through 2009, but renamed to WUMB Music Fest in 2010 and 2011. The first festival was held at scattered sites in Boston's Back Bay. Since then, it has taken place on the University of Massachusetts-Boston campus. The event is currently in hiatus, however WUMB does continue to participate in music festivals around New England like the Lowell Summer Music Series and the New Bedford Folk Festival.[7]

Until 2013, WUMB broadcast with 660 watts, with a height above average terrain of 63 meters; after the station lost its then–transmitter site, the station moved to a new site and began broadcasting with its present 160-watt facility.

Original materials from WUMB have been contributed to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.[8]

Repeater stations

In addition to the main station, WUMB is relayed by eight repeaters to widen its broadcast area.

Call sign Frequency City of license First air date Power
(W)		 ERP
(W)		 Height
(m (ft))		 Class Facility ID Coordinates Call Sign Meaning Former Call Signs
WFPB[lower-alpha 1] 1170 kHz Orleans April 10, 1970[1] 670 (daytime only) — — D 8591 41°46′50.0″N 70°0′38.0″W / 41.780556°N 70.010556°W / 41.780556; -70.010556 (WFPB) derived from WFPB-FM (see below) WVLC (1970–1980)
WKZE (1980–1983)
WVLC (1983–1985)
WKPE (1985–1998)
WBPR 91.9 MHz Worcester 1994[1] — 270 213 m (699 ft) A 69163 42°18′11″N 71°53′52″W / 42.30306°N 71.89778°W / 42.30306; -71.89778 (WBPR) "Boston Public Radio"
WFPB-FM 91.9 MHz Falmouth 1995 — 260 (horizontal)
5,200 (vertical)		 76.1 m (250 ft) A 69057 41°36′50″N 70°35′56″W / 41.61389°N 70.59889°W / 41.61389; -70.59889 (WFPB-FM) "Falmouth Public Broadcasting"
WNEF 91.7 MHz Newburyport January 13, 2002[10] — 1 (horizontal)
1,000 (vertical)		 100 m (328 ft) A 93889 42°51′56″N 70°56′17″W / 42.86556°N 70.93806°W / 42.86556; -70.93806 (WNEF) "We're New England's Folk"[10]
WUMG[lower-alpha 2] 91.7 MHz Stow August 10, 2010 — 500 23.5 m (77 ft) A 122279 42°25′17″N 71°27′10″W / 42.42139°N 71.45278°W / 42.42139; -71.45278 (WUMG) disambiguation of WUMB
WUMT 91.7 MHz Marshfield November 2011 — 1,100 25 m (82 ft) A 122278 42°4′38″N 70°42′21″W / 42.07722°N 70.70583°W / 42.07722; -70.70583 (WUMT) disambiguation of WUMB
WUMV 88.7 MHz Milford, New Hampshire July 11, 2012 — 670 12 m (39 ft) A 174551 42°49′58″N 71°43′45″W / 42.83278°N 71.72917°W / 42.83278; -71.72917 (WUMV) disambiguation of WUMB
WUMZ 91.5 MHz Gloucester March 18, 2019[11] — 100 (horizontal) 14 m (46 ft) A 174558 42°36′41″N 70°40′4″W / 42.61139°N 70.66778°W / 42.61139; -70.66778 (WUMZ) disambiguation of WUMB

Notes:

  1. ↑ WFPB operated as a commercial station from 1970 until its donation to UMass Boston by GramCam Communications in 1998.[9]
  2. ↑ WUMG shares time with high school radio station WAVM in Maynard.

In addition to its primary repeaters, starting in 2007 WPNI (1430 AM) in Amherst temporarily repeated WUMB by arrangement with WFCR while Pamal Broadcasting sought a buyer for the station;[12] this ended when Pamal shut WPNI down on November 30, 2013.[13] WHRB (95.3 FM) in Cambridge[14] and WLYN (1360 AM) in Lynn[15] have also offered temporary WUMB simulcasts in the past during transitions to either new studios or new ownership.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. pp. D–208–14. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WUMB-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ WUMB website history and overview page
  4. ↑ WUMB website program description page
  5. ↑ Contact Us
  6. ↑ HD radio page. wumb.org.
  7. ↑ WUMB Music Fest
  8. ↑ "WUMB in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting". americanarchive.org. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  9. ↑ Fybush, Scott (September 25, 1998). "WNFT, WNTN Sold". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  10. 1 2 Fybush, Scott (January 7, 2002). "Is WKNJ Gone For Good?". North East RadioWatch. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  11. ↑ "The Eastern Massachusetts Radio Timeline: the 2010s". The Archives @ BostonRadio.org. March 18, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  12. ↑ "WUMB's folk programs to be broadcast on WPNI". In the Loop. University of Massachusetts Amherst. April 5, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  14. ↑ Fybush, Scott D (August 17, 1994). "New England Radio Watcher: Etc". rec.radio.broadcasting. Google Groups. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  15. ↑ Fybush, Scott (October 8, 2002). "North East RadioWatch". Retrieved January 16, 2012.
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