NPR's Steve Inskeep

This past Monday (12/8), Eastern Michigan University's WEMU-FM (Ypsilanti) officially celebrated its 60th Anniversary of Broadcasting.  WEMU signed on the air on December 8, 1965 as a 10-watt station on 88.1 MHz to broadcast EMU sports to students.  Since then the station has evolved into a community resource, serving well over 50,000 weekly listeners and available all over the globe via the WEMU mobile app.  And, it still carries EMU sports.

The station is best known for its jazz music format that it began in 1977.  The station has one of the largest jazz broadcast libraries in the United States, with nearly 100,000 records and CDs in its collection.

In a January interview with EMU Today TV, General Manager Molly Motherwell described the station’s history starting with its humble beginnings. “When WEMU signed on as a 10 watt in-dorm service to broadcast EMU sports on December 8, 1965, no one had any idea that 60 years later, the station would be a community mainstay with thousands of listeners and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.”

Over the years the station evolved into the powerhouse professional station it is today, with a 24/7 broadcast schedule with National Public Radio news, local news, and a jazz and blues music focus. The station is widely regarded with a strong statewide and national reputation for excellence. The station has won the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Station of the Year honors four times, including the last two years.

According to Motherwell, WEMU evolved thanks to visionary leadership and a passionate team of broadcasters that has succeeded against all odds. It now serves 50,000 weekly listeners and has forged partnerships with major arts organizations across SE Michigan including the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs, and the Michigan Jazz Festival.

In late November, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell paid tribute to WEMU, recognizing the station's legacy in the Congressional Record.

This past Monday Night, the station held its 60th Anniversary Gala at the EMU Student Center Ballroom.  Keynote speaker at the event was NPR's Steve Inskeep, host of the network's Morning Edition.  Master of Ceremonies was EMU VP of Communications Walter Kraft.