KWMU is operated by St. Louis Public Radio, with its license held by the Curators of the University of Missouri System.

The transmitter is on Trianon Parkway Drive in Shrewsbury, sharing a tower with other local FM and TV stations.

On weekdays, KWMU carries news and information programs from NPR and other public radio networks, including Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, 1A, Here and Now, Marketplace and The World.

The station produces a weekday one-hour show focusing on local news and interviews, St. Louis on the Air hosted by Elaine Cha.

St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR) also broadcasts on 88.5 KMST in Rolla, Missouri, and 90.3 WQUB in Quincy, Illinois.

In 1995, the station eliminated the remaining weekday music programs and moved to an all-news and talk format, except for a few specialty shows on weekend nights.

On June 18, 2012, STLPR moved from its longtime home on the first floor of Lucas Hall on the UMSL North campus in Bellerive, to the new facility.

Beginning July 1, 2017, UMSL also began broadcasting on 88.5 KMST in Rolla as a satellite of KWMU for south-central Missouri.

The station receives its funding from private donations, corporate sponsors, local, regional and national grants, as well as the University of Missouri-St. Louis.