WZIP FM 88.1

A non-commercial educational FM station broadcasting at 88.1 MHz, licensed and operated by the University of Akron in northeastern Ohio. The station carries a college radio-programmed rhythmic contemporary hit radio format branded as "Z88", serving the greater Akron metropolitan area. Studios are located in Kolbe Hall on the university campus, while the transmitter is sited in Copley Township. The signal is also available via online streaming. The station traces its origins to December 1962, when it launched under the call sign WAUP (Akron University Programs), following an FCC construction permit application filed in late 1961. The original license specified 91.5 MHz, later amended to 88.1 MHz after WKSU at Kent State University vacated the frequency. Initial programming ran four hours daily and featured campus news, taped educational discussions, and fine arts content. Broadcast hours expanded significantly through the 1960s and 1970s, reaching 50 hours per week by 1969. During the mid-1970s through mid-1980s, the station aired a jazz format before transitioning toward its current hit radio orientation. An early predecessor of campus radio activity dates to 1927, when the university's Radio Workshop broadcast over station WADC, and a carrier current station known as WUOA was established on campus in December 1952. Throughout its history, the station has functioned as a training resource for students in the University of Akron's School of Communication. The call letters were later changed from WAUP to WZIP, reflecting a rebranding consistent with its contemporary format identity.