1972:
WUOG is on air! With a 3,200 watt signal, the transmitter atop Brumby Hall, and the station located on the fifth floor of Memorial Hall, the General Manager Ed Dunbar made the station’s first broadcast at 2:00 pm on October 16.
1973:
On March 31, Athens was hit with a deadly, devastating tornado, knocking off all major radio stations in the area. As the last local station still broadcasting, WUOG sent out staffers to cover the event, providing crucial weather and safety updates to the community.
1977:
Our first big upgrade: the station’s wattage was increased to 10,000 watts.
1980:
WUOG spun REM on air—the band’s first ever appearance on the airwaves. During the summer, the station played REM’s live cover of “Hippy Hippy Shake,” and the station would play a vital role in supporting the band’s early career. REM remained in close contact with the station: guitarist Peter Buck would drop off releases at the station and REM members made a 1988 appearance on “Sound of the City.”
1981:
From February 18 to April 6, WUOG was pulled off air by UGA admin due to allegations of non-compliance with FCC and university guidelines. Faced by protest from University students and WUOG alumni, the station was finally allowed on air again under a new executive board. Led by the new General Manager Mike Henry, the station’s operations and programming became more efficiently organized.
1986:
WUOG was featured in a Rolling Stone article on college radio. The station’s influence in the Athens music scene and beyond was nationally recognized.
1992:
WUOG began its weekly “Live in the Lobby” concert, broadcasting live performances from local musicians in the station lobby. As the lobby was still located on the fifth floor of Memorial Hall, this event posed some difficulties—instruments and equipment needed to be lugged up five flights of stairs. Somehow, dedicated staffers made it work, and WUOG continues this weekly tradition today in Tate Student Center.
1994:
The station’s wattage was again increased, this time to the 26,000 watts we sit at today.
2005:
Uh-oh! The station forgot to renew its license! WUOG was shut down for the second time in late March, this time dead air only lasting two weeks. The station was back on air on April 5.
2009:
WUOG moved out of Memorial Hall and into Tate Student Center, where it is located today. The move took place at the beginning of the year during winter break, and the new location provided greater visibility and more space. To commemorate their time in Memorial Hall, the last song broadcasted from the fifth floor was Chicago’s “Only the Beginning”—the first song aired by the station in 1972. The station’s lobby in Tate is named after Wilbur Herrington, commemorating the station’s engineer who served from its founding until his retirement in 2011. He would pass the following year on March 29th, 2012.
2017:
On September 15, 2017, WUOG’s most dedicated listener, Richard Worley, passed. Think you like college radio? Think you really like college radio? Think again. Richard Worley, a native of Highlands, North Carolina, was always listening. Disliking commercial radio, Worley found just the right stuff at WUOG, listening with dedication for decades. In his own words, “If it’s not WUOG, it’s bullsh*t.” Calling in for requests and comments, Worley was just about as involved as any staffer, becoming an integral part of the station’s history.
2022:
WUOG celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 16, 2022! The WUOG Alumni Association went all out, celebrating with cake, karaoke, and a show from Pylon Reenactment Society at Sister Louisa’s Church. Students at the station took to Legion Field for their annual Birth-o-Ween celebration, featuring performances from Monsoon and Nordista Freeze for the 50th.
2023:
WUOG was honored with a star on the Athens Music Walk of Fame.
2024:
WUOG was featured in 35,000 Watts: The Story of College Radio, a documentary chronicling the legacy of college radio.
2026:
Joe Arelt retired in the Spring Semester. Having taken the role of station engineer following Wilbur Herrington’s retirement, Mr. Joe served with the station for 15 years.
For further reading, see WUOG’s page on Friends of Georgia Radio.
Work in Progress!
Photos, newspaper clippings, and other citations are coming soon!
Have any suggestions? Corrections? Additions? Would you like to submit photos or stories? If you’d like to reach out about station history, feel free to contact us:
| Internal Affairs Director | Claire Finch | wuoginternal@gmail.com |
