Timeline
1914 - The Man Who Gave Us 9XM
Electrical Engineering Professor Edward Bennett applied for WPR’s first broadcast license from the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was granted “9XM” in 1914: “9” for the north central region of the country, “X” for experimental, and “M” for Madison. The station was the predecessor to WPR’s WHA-AM, which still broadcasts today.
Following the death of Earle Terry in 1929, Bennett became WHA’s manager. He was a strong advocate for the concept of public radio in the 1930s and for social conscience in the sciences and media generally.