University of Michigan Media History

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The University of Michigan, aka Michigan Wolverines, has been a prominent name in college sports for many decades, in many areas of college athletics. From their gridiron glory to their up and coming prowess in basketball, the University of Michigan is steep in tradition and continues to get some of the best talent to come to their university to compete in college athletics. U of M has also been at the fore front of media and technology. Michigan was one of the first schools to start using radio and television to broadcast their games and is now at the top with social media and tracking trends of the population during their athletic competition.
The University of Michigan was created by the Land Grant Act in 1817. Back then it was known as the Catholepistmiad, or the University of Michigania. The school was located in the city of Detroit and was a one building school there. It was not until 1821 that the school would change its name to “The University of Michigan” and the school also began to recognize and formed a board of 21 members, including the Governor of Michigan at the time. In 1837 Michigan finally made the move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, the current home to the main campus of the university. Three years later the school built four identical houses for the professors of the school, one of which would eventually become the president of the universities house. The first incoming class to the university was in 1841, the school opened its Ann Arbor doors to six freshmen and one sophomore that year. The school recognized two professors that taught the seven students.
In 1845, the University of Michigan held its first commencement at the First Presbyterian Church. The graduating class consisted of 11 students, all of them were ...

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...58, due to the budget cuts of the university, WFUM was cut from the program, and WUOM celebrated its tenth year anniversary. The radio station was also given a grant to produce the documentary series about the growth of nationalism during the 20th century called “One Nation Indivisible.” The radio station began expanding its scope in 1974 with the addition of their first on-air membership marathon. In 1989 WUOM changed its name to Michigan Radio, to better represent the area that the radio station covered in Michigan. Michigan Radio moved their headquarters in 2003 to the historic Argus Building, located on West William Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the last decade Michigan Radio has begun to broadcast in high definition and, in 2008, introduced Michigan Mobile Radio. People could access Michigan Radio and NPR news on their cell phones and other mobile devices.

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