This fall, WUGA 91.7 and 94.5 FM, the NPR affiliate operated by the University of Georgia, is celebrating 30 years of being on the air. The station first went live on the morning of Aug. 28, 1987, and has been serving the Athens community ever since, offering both national and local programming.

"There is no other radio station in this area that provides the kind of content that this station does," said Jimmy Sanders, WUGA's general manager. "The community values this radio station and recognizes how unique it is."

Several events are planned to commemorate the radio station's 30th anniversary.

There will be an open house on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the radio station, which is located in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Visitors will be invited to tour the facility and meet station staff. Light refreshments will be served. Several musicians who have been involved with the station over the years will provide entertainment, including:

• Marti Winkler

• Caroline Aiken

• Solstice Sisters (Maggie Hunter and Susan Staley)

• Tiny Jazz Arkestra

On Aug. 28, the day the station first went live, there will be an anniversary evening gala featuring Steve Inskeep, the host of "Morning Edition" on NPR. The reception and dinner will include comments from former staff members, looking back at the start of WUGA and its history, and will be held at 6 p.m. at Athens Cotton Press. Tickets are $50 and are available until Aug. 14. Tickets can be ordered through the station's website, wuga.org.

On Aug. 29, GPB's "On Second Thought" featuring Celeste Headlee will produce a program focused on public media. This show, produced at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, will be recorded for later broadcast. The event is for select students in the Grady College.

Later that morning, at 11 a.m., Inskeep will address Grady College students. Keith Herndon of the Cox Institute is coordinating the event for Grady College.