History

WVUM has always been a noncommercial and fully student-run radio station. The station was founded in 1965 as a pirate radio station hidden in a dormitory room on campus…with Peter Berlin serving as the first unofficial General Manager.

Shortly after being discovered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the pirate station was ordered shut down. However, the University of Miami decided to obtain a license and made an application to the FCC. The initial application was for the call letters WVOH (Voice of the Hurricanes) and then WIBS (for Sebastian the Ibis). The FCC finally approved WVUM (Voice of the University of Miami).

In February of 1968, WVUM received its license to broadcast a 10-watt non-commercial, at 90.5 on the FM dial, which was barely enough power to be heard throughout the UM campus, let alone out into the community. The station was located on the second floor of the Student Union.

In 1972, WVUM went stereo, and in 1978, updated the equipment and studios.

In 1981, the FCC required all 10-watt stations to increase to at least 100 watts. WVUM, through the fundraising efforts of the student executive board, raised the monies needed to acquire the equipment needed to satisfy the FCC mandate, and increased to 365 watts by 1982 under the guidance and leadership of GM Ray Vaughan. Today, the station is at 1,500 watts. And thanks to live streaming, the station can now be heard all over the world.

In 1996, with the renovation of the Student Union, WVUM, under the direction of GM Glenn Rickard, was relocated to a larger space downstairs on the far section of the building, where it remains today.

In 2007 and then again in 2009, Miami New Times recognized WVUM as the Choice Best FM Radio Station.

In 2011, under the leadership of GM Amber Robertson, WVUM was awarded mtvU’ Woodie Award “Best College Radio Station.”

WVUM has maintained its presence on the UM campus, in Coral Gables, and the surrounding communities for the place to find a wide variety of relevant music programming, and as the home of UM athletics. Most importantly, while WVUM has a corporate and advisory board consisting of UM staff advisors, the station remains student-run and those students are at the forefront of the day-to-day decisions of WVUM.