Sense of Place: Athens wouldn't be the same without this college radio station

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WUOG music directors Mal Holmes (left) and Elizabeth Kim. / Courtesy of the artist

The University of Georgia dominates the city of Athens, Ga. Before you even get to the campus, you're greeted by the bright red of the UGA Bulldogs everywhere you turn, and fresh-faced, bright-eyed students roam the streets.

It's clear Athens is a college town and a sports town, but Athens is also a music town. Inside the imposing Tate Student Center on UGA's campus, tucked behind a long Starbucks line, is a radio station with a long legacy of getting the music made in Athens out to the wider world. WUOG 90.5, UGA's student-run radio station, first signed on in 1972, and in 1980, they were the first radio station to ever broadcast what would become Athens' biggest band, R.E.M.

Today, the World Cafe team is kicking off our brand new Sense of Place: Athens series with a visit to WUOG, where current music directors Elizabeth Kim and Mal Holmes share some of the music that makes Athens special.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Kimberly Junod. The web story was created by Miguel Perez. Our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.