Frequently Asked Questions

How can I contact WKMS?

What are the phone numbers for the call-in shows?

What is the NPR number for comments, questions, tapes or transcripts?

NPR Listener Services (202) 513-3232, Hours: 10am to 5 pm ET, Monday through Friday or 1-877-NPR-TEXT

What is WKMS’ news line?

270-809-6793

How do I support WKMS?

Call us at our local or toll free number, or visit our Pledge Now page here on the website and it will direct you to our secure Pledge Now form. You can also contact WKMS Membership Coordinator, Jenni Todd, at jtodd14@murraystate.edu.

How can I underwrite on WKMS?

Contact our Promotion/Development Director, Ronda Gibson via email at ronda.gibson@murraystate.edu or at 800-599-4737.

Who can I speak to about programming?

Contact our Program Director, Tracy Ross via email at tracy.ross@murraystate.edu or at 800-599-6590.  

What are you doing about making HD radios more available?

The Murray State University Bookstore has agreed to stock several desktop models in their Curris Center location. We’re encouraging listeners like you to ask retailers to carry HD receivers in your community. A great deal of information about HD radio models is at www.hdradios.com. Google HD radios for online shopping options.  

Why does WKMS fundraise twice a year?

The support WKMS receives from individual contributors shows that our community believes that this public radio station is a cultural institution worthy of support. Our listener’s financial contributions to the station leverage support from other funding sources, including Murray State University, business underwriters, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Listeners primarily from the station’s signal reach in western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and northwestern Tennessee contribute one third of the operating revenues and a fifth of all total revenues for WKMS. These revenues enable the station to produce regional and subscribe to national programming content, to acquire and activate new broadcast technologies (including the recent addition of HD broadcasting capability), signal expansion, employment and training of Murray State University students, as well as, to offset normal operating expenses.

How does WKMS receive pledges of support?

WKMS receives pledges in four different ways.

The station maintains a secure web pledge site at wkms.org where contributions are welcome. The station also accepts donations by mail. Checks should be made payable to WKMS/MSU Foundation and mailed to WKMS, 2018 University Station, Murray, KY 42071.

For further information, call 800-599-4737 or e-mail wkms@murraystate.edu.

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Jenni Todd by sending an email to jtodd14@murraystate.edu or by giving her a call at 800-599-4737.

Does WKMS exchange member names? How do I prevent this?

WKMS respects your privacy and personal information. We never exchange names, addresses or email addresses with other organizations or businesses. If you have any questions, please contact our membership department at 270-809-4748 or send an email to jtodd14@murraystate.edu. 

What are thank you gifts and giveaways?

During on-air membership drives, WKMS offers thank-you gifts to everyone who gives at one of the membership levels. Thank you gifts will often include t-shirts, coffee mugs, emergency crank radios, etc. It’s our way of saying Thank you! We hope you’ll spread the word that you enjoy and support programming on WKMS. 

Giveaways are items offered during an on-air membership drive as a thank you for supporting WKMS. We periodically do giveaways that are not tied to a fund drive. Giveaways are often offered for a short-period of time, during specific shows or online and can include gift certificates to restaurants, custom musical instruments, or tickets to a concert. For example, you might hear, Those who call in during Music from the Front Porch will be entered into the drawing for two tickets to An Evening with Garrison Keillor. You don’t need to make a pledge to be eligible to win, but supporting WKMS with a pledge is always appreciated!

How do I get my gifts/giveaways? When will I get them?

We are delighted to send you the thank you gift for which you qualify. When you make a pledge by phone, be sure to verify the gift you want with the phone volunteer. We ask that you allow us four to six weeks once your pledge is made get your gift to you.

If you’ve won a giveaway item, we will send it to you by mail as soon as possible. If you prefer to pick up your item at the station, please contact us in advance to set up a time for pick up. You are welcome to come up to the station on weekdays between 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Where can I learn about employment opportunities at WKMS?

WKMS is licensed to Murray State University and follows the University's personnel procedures available at www.murraystate.edu. When full time positions become available at the University they are published at that website. WKMS also publishes its professional job openings on its employment page.

How can I find out about volunteer opportunities?

There are many volunteer opportunities at WKMS. Community volunteers play a very important role at the station. Some of these opportunities include helping the station at WKMS community events, aiding with clerical duties, answering telephones during membership drives and more! For more information, please contact WKMS Membership Coordinator, Jenni Todd, at 809-270-4748 or send an email to jtodd14@murraystate.edu. Also, check out our volunteer page.


Where can I get a copy of the WKMS financial statement for the last fiscal year?

Please visit our Audit-EEO Page. Or you can call our Station Manager, Kate Lochte, at 809-270-4745 or send an email to msu.wkms@murraystate.edu.   

How can I learn about WKMS station events and community events?

Our Events Calendar, of course! Access the events calendar at one of the links on the top, left, or via the events feed on the right side of the page. Also, listen to Datebook, which highlights events in the region. Datebook can be heard every morning in the second hour of Performance Today and in the afternoons during The World. WKMS holds many different events each year as well as participates in events around the Four Rivers Region. For even more information, subscribe or our e-blasts the seasonal program guide we send in the mail.


Does WKMS air Public Service Announcements?

WKMS is a public broadcasting station and as such, our programming and community outreach activities are a public service to Western Kentucky, Northwestern Tennessee, Southern Illinois, and parts of Southeastern Missouri. WKMS does form partnerships/sponsorships with business and other organizations that share similar values and missions, and as part of these underwriting agreements, these partners do receive airtime. In addition to WKMS' partnership/sponsorship opportunities, there are a few other ways to deliver your message to WKMS’ listeners, viewers and members:

WKMS Datebook:
If you have something you’d like to appear on Datebook, a brief events bulletin broadcast on WKMS every weekday morning just after 10 am and in the afternoons around 3:30 pm, send an email to msu.wkms@murraystate.edu with the subject: Datebook for (specific date or date range).

WKMS Web Event Calendar:
To submit something on the WKMS Web Event Calendar, just visit the page by following the links in the above menu. You’ll see an area where you can submit an event. Go through the form and fill out as much as you can and click submit. It will then come to us for final approval and we'll make it live on the site as soon as possible.

WKMS News and Public Affairs Programs:
If you think your business, organization or event would make an interesting news story, you can contact the WKMS News Room and it may appear on our weekly regional news show, The Front Page. To contact the WKMS News Room, call News Director Chad Lampe at 270-809-4666, or send an email to msu.wkmsnews@murraystate.edu. Please keep in mind we typically angle news reports to inform not promote.

Where can I find WKMS' program schedule as well as contact and website information for NPR and PRI programs?

Visit our Program Guide to see a schedule of the programs we air on WKMS along with links to their websites and contact information. Or you can visit our Program Details page to see a list of our locally produced shows and links to their pages as well as links to the nationally produced shows we broadcast.

How can I get a copy of a news story I heard on WKMS?

All of our new stories are archived on our website, most with their accompanying script and mp3. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, send an email to msu.wkmsnews@murraystate.edu and tell us which story you want, we’ll help you out as best we can.

What are WKMS Streams? How can I hear those?

WKMS streams its HD 1 and HD 2 channels online using iTunes, Real Player, Windows Media Player, etc. Visit our Listen Now page and download one of the services if you need to. Click on the one you like and the stream should open. We currently broadcast the streams at 56 kbps via Live 365, which is a lower bit-rate so anyone can enjoy them. Sign in to Live365.com to get the stream at a higher bit rate.

The HD-1 Channel is our main frequency, the equivalent to what you'd hear tuning in to 91.3 WKMS on your radio and the HD-2 Channel streams Classical 24, a PRI program broadcasting uninterrupted classical music 24 hours and seven days a week. Find out more about that program on our Classical 24 page.

What is Podcasting and where can I find WKMS podcasts?

WKMS offers podcasts for all of the regional news (including The Front Page), Datebook and the Afternoon Stock Report. We also list podcasts for the national shows we air available on the Podcast page. Apple's Podcast FAQ at http://www.apple.com/itunes/whatson/podcasts/fanfaq.html will tell you everything there is to know about podcasting, what it is and how to get it.