KWMU Now Calling Itself "St. Louis Public Radio"

By Chad Garrison Thu., Sep. 10 2009 at 4:01 PM

Categories: Media

The local National Public Radio affiliate, KWMU (90.7 FM), has re-branded itself. The station, which broadcast out of the University of Missouri - St. Louis, is now calling itself St. Louis Public Radio / 90.7 KWMU or just "St. Louis Public Radio" for short.

Why the need for the change, and hasn't KWMU always been St. Louis' public radio station?

As KWMU marketing and outreach manager Phil Donato tells Daily RFT, the new name more accurately reflects what the station does and its place in the community.

"A lot of times when you'd tell people about KWMU, the name wouldn't really register with them until you added that we're the St. Louis public radio station," says Donato. "Then people would be like, 'Oh, yeah. Of course.'"

Donato adds that the name change will not alter the current content or news on the station. Rather, the re-branding follows a trend established at other NPR affiliates -- such as Chicago, Nashville and Vermont -- that have begun referring to themselves by their cities and states as opposed to their call letters.

Now, if you still can't wrap your mind around this stunning announcement, follow the jump to watch a video of KWMU general manager Tim Eby explaining the name change ... and also understand why the deer-in-headlights Eby works in radio and not television.