The Best Classical Music Radio Stations in Atlanta
The Best Classical Music Radio Stations in Atlanta – WABE 90.1 FM
WABE 90.1
WABE 90.1 is a listener-supported public radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, broadcasting at 90.1 MHz. WABE is owned by the Atlanta Public Schools and operated by the Atlanta Board of Education. The station’s transmitter is located on Stone Mountain.
Programming
WABE 90.1 offers a wide variety of classical music programming, from well-known opera and symphony performances to lesser-known works by contemporary composers. You can find something to suit your taste no matter what your level of classical music knowledge.
Classical music fans will appreciate WABE’s commitment to quality programming, and new listeners will find that there’s something for everyone on WABE 90.1.
History
WABE 90.1 first hit the airwaves in the Atlanta area on October 1, 1947. It was originally known as WQAN and was licensed to the Georgia Institute of Technology. The call letters were later changed to WGKA, and the station was purchased by Emory University in 1963. The station’s call letters were once again changed, this time to WREK, which stands for “radio engineers’ kingdom.” In 1988, Emory University sold the station to the Atlanta Board of Education, and the station’s call letters were changed to WABE.
WCLK 91.9
WCLK 91.9 is one of the best classical music radio stations in Atlanta. It is a non-commercial, public radio station that is listener supported. WCLK 91.9 features a wide variety of classical music, from Baroque to contemporary, and is committed to playing music that is not heard on other radio stations.
Programming
WCLK 91.9 is one of Atlanta’s best classical music radio stations. The station’s programming includes a mix of nationally syndicated and locally produced programs, including “The Boston Symphony Orchestra,” “The Metropolitan Opera,” “The New York Philharmonic,” and “St. Paul Sunday.”
History
In September of 1971, UPI Atlanta Radio began broadcasting classical music on 91.9 FM. WCLK originally served as an “educational outlet” for Clark Atlanta University, and was known as “The Voice of the Negro College”. The station first went on the air with 10 watts of power, but in 1974 increased its signal to 1,000 watts. WCLK became a full-time jazz station in 1979.
In the late 1980s, The Clark Atlanta University Board of Trustees voted to sell the station. A group of community leaders and radio professionals rallied together to create “Friends of 91.9 WCLK, Inc.”, a non-profit organization which would purchase and operate the station. With support from the community, local businesses and foundations, WCLK was purchased for $1.2 million in October 1989 and became a non-commercial station with a focus on Jazz and Arts/Talk programming..
WRAS 88.5
WRAS 88.5 is Atlanta’s only full-time classical music station, and has been since it first signed on the air in 1971. WRAS is committed to providing classical music that is accessible to everyone, and offers a wide variety of programs and services that are educational, entertaining, and enriching.
Programming
WRAS 88.5 (“Album 88”) is a student-run radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, broadcasting at 5,000 watts ERP from a transmitter atop Stone Mountain. Album 88 is the flagship station of Georgia State University’s student media organization, GSU Radio. Album 88 can be heard throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area on a standard FM radio as well as online via streaming audio.
The station’s programming consists primarily of independent and alternative rock music, with some specialty shows featuring other genres such as jazz, hip hop, and electronica. WRAS is one of the few remaining terrestrial radio stations that broadcasts an all-digital music format. All music on Album 88 is broadcast in MP3 format and is identified by title, artist, and album name using the Radio RDS system.
History
WRAS 88.5 FM is a student-run radio station of Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. The station is one of the oldest FM radio stations in the world, and has been on the air since March 10, 1946. It originally broadcast at 98.5 MHz, but moved to 88.5 MHz in 1948. The station has been broadcasting at its current frequency since 1963.
The station is a non-commercial, public radio station with an eclectic format that includes various genres of music, talk radio, and student-produced programming. The station is staffed entirely by students and is operated by the university’s Student Media organization.
WRAS is one of the few college radio stations in the United States that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
