WDET FM 101.9

A noncommercial FM radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, and owned by Wayne State University. The station's studios occupy the first floor of the University Towers on the WSU campus on Cass Avenue, with its transmitter near the intersection of Cass Avenue and Canfield Street in the Cass Corridor neighborhood. WDET broadcasts programming from NPR, PRX, and APM, with a signal covering much of Southeast Michigan and portions of Southwestern Ontario. The station is licensed for HD Radio transmission. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters named WDET Public Radio Station of the Year for both 2021 and 2022. WDET-FM was dedicated on December 18, 1948, by Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams and UAW president Walter Reuther, who stated it would serve as a station for the people of Detroit broadly, not only for the United Auto Workers. First air date was February 13, 1949, with studios on Capital Street near Rouge Park. Financial difficulties prompted the UAW-CIO to seek a buyer. Wayne University—which joined the state university system as Wayne State University in 1956—purchased the station for one dollar in 1952 and converted it to non-commercial status. Early programming consisted mainly of classical music and faculty lectures. Under general manager John Buckstaff, who served from 1968 to 1981, the format expanded to include jazz, modern music, and volunteer-produced programming. In the early 1970s, WDET added NPR programs including All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Volunteer-produced audience-specific talk programs were developed during this period. The station has continued to serve as a leading public radio outlet in the Detroit metropolitan market.