Listening to the radio, once a family relationship around a huge radio receiver in pride of place in the living room, has been replaced by television and now the Internet. But it has a special kind of magic, whether it’s in the car, while falling asleep, or waking up to a radio alarm. Or late at night, just you and the radio and your favorite announcer. It feels intimate and personal. The Raleigh-Durham area has a wide variety of radio stations, from classic talk and sports to jazz and R&B.
The area has a large number of colleges and universities, and they contribute to the diverse fabric of FM radio in Raleigh-Durham. Find the stations that suit your taste and style in this list from the Triangle’s FM line.
FM radio stations in the Raleigh-Dunham area
- North Carolina State University student-run radio station WKNC 88.1 FM, based in Raleigh, plays genres of underground indie rock, metal, electronic and hip-hop.
- Duke University’s Durham-based, student-run college radio station WXDU 88.7 FM says its focus is progressive alternative programming that includes “an alternative point of view untainted by commercial interests.”
- Raleigh-based WSHA 88.9 FM Shaw University is the station to tune in for jazz, blues, funk, reggae, African and gospel.
- WXYC 89.3 FM The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill radio station is run by students. WXYC plays all genres of music with a focus on local artists.
- WCPE 89.7 FM The classic listener-supported Raleigh-Durham area radio station based in Wake Forest, North Carolina, plays everything from Bach and Beethoven to Holst and Copland.
- WDCC Station 90.5 FM Central Carolina Community College. This Sanford, North Carolina-based station plays the best of pop, rock, country and R&B hits. Durham-based North Carolina Central University WNCU 90.7 FM is a great place to tune in if you’re into jazz and blues.
- WUNC 91.5 FM This is the Raleigh-Durham NPR (public radio) station based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has a news and talk format as part of NPR. It calls itself a place for music discovery and plays a variety of North Carolina artists, indie rock, and emerging artists outside of talk radio programming.
- WPAW 93.1 FM This Winston-Salem-based country radio station, also known as “93.1 The Wolf,” can be heard throughout the Triangle and plays all your country favorites, including Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Lauren Alaina, and Tim McGraw.
- WQDR 94.7 FM This station calls itself “Today’s Best Country” in Raleigh. Direct country, all the time, with characters like Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
- WBBB 96.1 FM This rock station plays everything from the Foo Fighters and 3 Doors Down to Van Halen and Tom Petty.
- WCMC 99.9 FM Raleigh-based ESPN sports radio station known as “The Fan.”
- WRDU 100.7 FM Raleigh’s classic rock station plays your memories, such as Journey, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Def Leppard, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and all the greats.
- WYMY 101.1 FM La Ley is a Spanish-language music, news and sports radio station based in Burlington, North Carolina.
- WRAL 101.5 FM Mix 101.5 is a contemporary Raleigh-based adult station that plays hits from “the 80s, 90s and today.” The Black-Eyed Peas, Alicia Keys, Pink, and Peter Gabriel are just a few of the artists you’ll hear on this station, which prides itself on variety on its playlist.
- WLHC 103.1 FM “Life” 103.1 is a standard / easy listening station for adults based in Robbins, North Carolina. It calls itself the home of “timeless favorites.”
