WAPS (91.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a

non-commercial educational A non-commercial educational station (NCE station) is a radio station or television station that does not accept on-air advertisements (television advertisement, TV ads or radio advertisement, radio ads), as defined in the United States by the Fed ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

. Owned and operated by Akron Public Schools, the station airs an

Adult Album Alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, ...

(AAA) format as “91.3 the Summit”. WAPS has a standard

analog transmission Analog transmission is a transmission method of conveying information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that information. It could be the transfer of an analog signal, using an an ...

and broadcasts to over three

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

channels and is available online. WAPS primarily serves the Akron metro area but also

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

s over a single full power

repeater In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Some ...

: WKTL (90.7 FM), licensed to Struthers, and operated by

Struthers High School Struthers High School is a public high school in Struthers, Ohio, United States. It is the only secondary school in the Struthers City School District. Athletic teams compete as the Struthers Wildcats in the Ohio High School Athletic Association ...

, which broadcasts the WAPS signal to the Youngstown metro area, as well as translator W211BT, licensed to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Funding

Non-commercial A non-commercial (also spelled noncommercial) activity is an activity that is not carried out in the interest of Profit (economics), profit. The opposite is Commerce, commercial, something that primarily serves profit interests and is focused on bu ...

WAPS relies on listener membership

subscriptions The subscription business model is a business model in which a customer must pay a recurring price at regular intervals for access to a product or service. The model was pioneered by publishers of books and periodicals in the 17th century. It i ...

and

donation A donation is a gift for Charity (practice), charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, Service (economics), services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donati ...

s for much of its annual revenue. Additional funding is provided by local and regional

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or Trade, buying and selling Product (business), products (such as goods and Service (economics), services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for ...

es and

organization An organization or organisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences) is an legal entity, entity—such as ...

s, which underwrite station programming, and grant funds from local and regional

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

organizations. The station receives a Community Service Grant from the

Corporation For Public Broadcasting The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB; stylized as cpb) is an American publicly funded non-profit corporation, created in 1967 to promote and help support public broadcasting. The corporation's mission is to ensure universal access to ...

. As of 2009, it receives no direct financial support from owner Akron Public Schools.

Signal

Founded in September 1955, WAPS originally broadcast on 89.1 until moving to 91.3 in August 1994 to increase signal coverage. The station moved the transmitter site in December 2002 from the original antenna on top of the studio building at 70 North Broadway Street to the WVPX television tower to increase signal coverage to points west and south of Akron. In October 2008, WAPS installed a digital transmitter and panel antenna system to maximize the 2,000-watt signal and to begin broadcasting on

. As part of the HD radio initiative, it launched a HD2 audio channel originally named "Summit Flashbacks," offering a commercial-free mix of " new wave" inspired music from the years 1976 through 1994. This channel was rebranded as "The 330", with music produced by artists from northeast Ohio. In June 2010, WAPS launched a HD3 station for children called Kidjam! Radio. Kidjam! Radio aimed "to embrace technology by combining high-quality entertainment with a solid foundation for strengthening self-esteem, providing simple steps to good nutrition and developing a positive attitude." The station hac its own website, which included a live online audio stream: www.kidjamradio.com. Kidjam! Radio appears to have quietly gone defunct sometime in early 2025. In September 2011, Rock & Recovery launched a multimedia subscription-free service for those in addiction recovery, their families, and health care professionals. The inaugural broadcast took place on September 15 from Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens.

Recognition

WAPS was nominated by ''

Radio and Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

'' Magazine's Industry Achievement Awards as "Triple A Radio Station of the Year: Markets 50+ Noncommercial" in 2006 and 2008. Readers of the local publication ''Akron Life and Leisure Magazine'' voted WAPS as "Best Radio Station" in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. WAPS was listed as one of the "40 Best Little Radio Stations in the U.S." by ''Paste Magazine'' in 2010. The station was also recognized as the "Volunteer of the Year" by Akron Public Schools in 2010 for their Music Alive instrument donation program.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control APS Adult album alternative radio stations in the United States NPR member stations Radio stations established in 1955 1955 establishments in Ohio