WREK

WREK
Broadcast areaAtlanta metropolitan area
Frequency91.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Channel 17 (GTCN)
BrandingWREK Atlanta
Programming
FormatCollege radio
Ownership
OwnerGeorgia Tech Radio Communications Board
History
First air date
March 25, 1968
Call sign meaning
Ramblin' WREcK
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID54536
ClassC1
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT102 metres (335 feet)
Transmitter coordinates
33°46′41″N 84°24′22″W / 33.77806°N 84.40611°W / 33.77806; -84.40611
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitewww.wrek.org

WREK (91.1 FM "Wreck", from the Ramblin' Wreck) is the radio station staffed by the students of the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is also located on channel 17 on the Georgia Tech cable TV network, GTCN. Starting as a 10-watt class D, WREK currently broadcasts a 100,000-watt ERP signal throughout metropolitan Atlanta, making it among the ten highest-powered college radio stations in the United States.

In 2007, WREK applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its effective radiated power to the maximum power of 100,000 watts (from its former 40,000 watts) with a directional antenna pattern designed to avoid interference with specific distant stations (as required). This coverage increase was designed to greatly improve the radio station's coverage to encompass more of the Atlanta metropolitan area. That application was subsequently approved, and the station built out the improved coverage by replacing its antenna system in the fall of 2011.

In March 2008, WREK replaced its then 20-year-old transmitter with a brand new unit capable of three times the signal power and providing HD Radio capability. The addition of an HD Radio broadcast has made WREK among the first student-run, student-funded stations in the nation to add digital broadcasting capability.[2]

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WREK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "Engineering". WREK. July 25, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2016.