WKDU 91.7 FM

A non-commercial educational FM radio station owned by Drexel University and operated by Drexel students, with alumni also participating in on-air programming. It holds the distinction of being the only free-format non-commercial FM station in its city. The transmitter is located atop Van Rensselaer Hall, a dormitory on the Drexel campus in the University City section of Philadelphia, while studios are housed in the basement of the Creese Student Center. The station began as a carrier current operation under the call sign WMAX in 1958, later known as WXDT, before transitioning to FM broadcasting on July 17, 1971. Power was increased from 10 watts to 110 watts in 1981, and again to 800 watts in 1996. The station originally shared its frequency with WPWT, established by the Philadelphia Wireless Technical Institute in the 1950s; after WPWT ceased operations in the late 1980s, WKDU expanded to 24-hour broadcasting on February 26, 1990. Programming follows a free-form model in which playlists are determined entirely by individual DJs. Since 1984, a progressive music requirement has been in place, mandating that at least one-third of each DJ's selections be new releases. A notable historical chapter was "The Black Experience in Music," a program launched in 1971 by Black students who identified as communicators rather than DJs, educating Philadelphia's Black communities about cultural events and music; the program continues weekly as of 2025. The station was named CMJ Station of the Year in both 2010 and 2011. Annual events include an Electronic Music Marathon that raises funds for local charities.