Where it all started

Initially known as WXGC “88 Rock”, Georgia College’s own student-run station first hit the airwaves on January 10, 1975. The vision for WXGC began two years earlier the same way all good ideas start, with a simple conversation. 

Student Government Member and sophomore Sociology major, Frank Howell, wanted to create a way to increase student involvement on campus. He dreamed of having a student-run radio station. He spoke with his roommate and fraternity brother, Gregg Duckworth, about the idea. The two set to work on making this dream a reality. They spent the next year traveling to other campus stations and applying for grants. By 1974, the station had received more than $5,000 from student activities funding. Within the same year, the third floor of Mayfair hall was chosen as the site for the new station. Duckworth served as the first Operational manager for WXGC.

Within two years WXGC became fully-licensed by the FCC as a non-commercial radio station with broadcasting power of just 10 watts. At the time of launch, about 17 students worked on-staff for the station and aired GC sports special events, campus news and music that appealed to a majority of students.

​By 1979, the WXGC staff had grown to 25 students who worked as disk jockeys, news and sports announcers, producers, office staff and public affairs programmers. 

Eventually, the station outgrew their Mayfair location and made their way to the top floor of Atkinson before finally moving to their current home in Lanier Hall. On March 30, 2012, WGUR vacated the 88.9 FM frequency and moved up the dial to 95.3 FM, and eventually took on the tagline, “The Noise.”

Today, more than 40 students make WGUR 95.3 possible. Students are given free rein to play a range of music, sports and news. The station now has an audio power of 100 watts and also streams live online. WGUR hopes to move into a renovated Terrell Hall within the next few years.

WGUR believes in the power and voice of Georgia College students, the station itself is a testament to that. One student had an idea and that idea turned into a movement, a thriving organism, an outlet for freedom and creativity for generations of students that would come after him.