WDGC-FM

WDGC-FM is a community radio station located in Downers Grove, Illinois.

The station runs commercial-free 24-hours a day and is shared between 3 studios, with the transmitter residing at the North building. It primarily consists of regular scheduled programming. The station also features newscasts, school news, live local band performances, live sporting events and community interest programming. When student DJs are not on the air, a computer program that plays songs on shuffle, station identifications, and public service announcements can be turned on until the next scheduled DJ takes over.

History

WDGC was founded by Fred Moore in 1965, with its first station having been a janitor's closet and the first transmitter having been built in a shoebox. It was created from a drama club experiment and funded by parental donations.

In 1966, it was on the airwaves, but just barely. It was then known as WDGN (most likely for its Downers Grove North roots) and ran on only one watt of power. The WDGN transmission used the PA system to broadcast. The signal was so weak it could only be heard on 600 AM and if a listener placed their radio by a PA speaker. After numerous phone calls to Washington, D.C. and two rejected applications to contact the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), WDGC was granted a construction permit which in turn allowed the station to be broadcast to Downers Grove and other surrounding communities. In 1968, the station was finally approved and was broadcasting with 10 watts of power on 88.3 FM. From 1968 until 1972, the station occupied an unused classroom on the west end of the third floor. That space was divided into three rooms; the main studio (control room which included the transmitter), a news and announcers booth, and an engineers area (including the record library and UPI teletype machine). During the same time frame, the South Campus of DG High School had its own studio facilities, which shared broadcast time with the North studios.