KSUI (91.7 FM) is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station licensed to Iowa City, Iowa. It is the flagship station of Iowa Public Radio's classical music network. [2] The main studios and offices are on Grand Avenue in Des Moines. News updates are supplied from National Public Radio (NPR).
KSUI is a Class C FM station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most FM stations. The transmitter is on Baker Avenue near 250th Street in West Branch, Iowa, about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Cedar Rapids and about 50 miles (80 km) west of the Quad Cities. Programming is also heard on 218-watt FM translator K268EK at 101.7 MHz in Dubuque. KSUI broadcasts using HD Radio technology. [3] The HD2 digital subchannel carries Iowa Public Radio's news and talk format from WOI-FM Ames.
The station signed on the air in September 1947 . [4] It served as the FM sister station to WSUI 910 AM, among the oldest radio stations in America. The call letters represent "State University of Iowa," the formal name of the University of Iowa, the owner of both stations.
At first, both stations largely simulcast the same programming. But as FM radio became more popular, the AM station developed a news and information format, while the FM station became an outlet for classical music.