Indiana legislature honors WBAA

State Rep. Sheila Klinker and Mike Savage, general manager of WBAA, on Monday at the Indiana Statehouse. (Photo provided) Download image

WBAA, public radio from Purdue, is celebrating its 95th anniversary this week, and the Indiana legislature kicked off the celebration Monday (April 3) by recognizing WBAA with a state resolution.

House Concurrent Resolution 69 recognized WBAA for its many contributions and "its 95 years of service to the community, its outstanding programming and services, and the indispensable role and position the station has in Indiana." The resolution was authored by Rep. Sheila Klinker and Rep. Sally Siegrist and sponsored by Sen. Ron Alting.

The station is the oldest in Indiana and began as an educational experiment by Purdue electrical engineering students and professors in the early 1900s. WBAA was officially licensed April 4, 1922, by the U.S. Department of Commerce under Secretary Herbert Hoover. 

Some WBAA milestones include: 

* 1919 -- Temporary government license to operate wireless station awarded.

* Jan. 25, 1930 -- Resumed broadcasting after transmitter fire.

* 1937 -- Proposal to move station to Indianapolis vetoed by board of trustees.

* 1941 -- Moved to current location, basement of Elliott Hall of Music.

* 1971 -- Charter member of National Public Radio.

* Feb. 10, 1971 -- WBAA's first talk show, "Rap Session," aired.

* Feb. 1, 1993 -- WBAA 101.3 FM went on the air to focus primarily on fine arts programming.

* Mar. 1, 2000 – WBAA begins streaming broadcast on wbaa.org.

* 2001 -- WBAA studios remodeled and updated.

* Aug. 6, 2011 – The WBAA mobile App is launched.

* July 2014 – WBAA’s general manager Mike Savage is elected to the NPR board.

* Oct. 21, 2016 – WBAA adds 105.9 FM to simulcast AM920 News and Information.

More details on WBAA history is available online.