WKAR-FM
public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan, United States
WKAR-FM (90.5 MHz) is a non-commercial public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Michigan State University, along with sister stations WKAR (870 AM) and WKAR-TV (channel 23). They are owned by Michigan State University, with studios in the Communication Arts and Sciences Building, at Wilson and Red Cedar Roads on the MSU campus.
WKAR-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 85,000 watts, grandfathered as a "Superpower" FM station. It can be heard as far east as Flint and the Detroit suburbs, and as far west as Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. The transmitter tower is off Dobie Road in Okemos, near the Red Cedar River.
Programming
On weekdays, WKAR-FM airs classical music in middays and evenings, with news and talk shows heard at other times, including National Public Radio programs Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Fresh Air. On weekends, classical music is heard in middays and overnight, with folk music in the evening. Weekend NPR shows include This Old House Radio Hour, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, This American Life, Code Switch and Hidden Brain.
The public source identifies “WKAR-FM” as public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around WKAR-FM, public and radio.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “WKAR-FM”, the useful work is to connect “public radio station in East Lansing, Michigan, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7951507. Authority coordinates are 42.702, -84.413. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow WKAR-FM primary sources, WKAR-FM archive and WKAR-FM research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “WKAR-FM” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.