PORTLAND — WMPG Community Radio, southern Maine’s one-of-a-kind, volunteer run, noncommercial radio station, is celebrating its 40th birthday.

Forty years ago in a dorm room on the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (known then as the University of Maine, Portland Gorham), a student set up a pirate radio station using parts from a Mister Microphone toy he found in the bargain bin at Radio Shack.

After broadcasting to the campus for some time, the pirate station came to the attention of campus officials, who then did an amazing thing. Instead of shutting down this little radio station of dubious origin, they encouraged and assisted the student DJ and his friends in applying for a legitimate broadcast license. Thus began WMPG, which went on the air live and legally in the fall of 1973.

WMPG broadcasts at 90.9 and 104.1 on the FM dial, and streams its programming online at www.wmpg.org.

WMPG has grown to a broad-reaching, eclectic radio station offering music, public affairs, talk and news programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. WMPG’s fourfold power increase in 2011 brought its signal beyond Portland proper — from York to Augusta and west to central New Hampshire.

Twice a year, WMPG raises a good portion of its operating funds by asking listeners to support the radio station. “WMPG is the radio voice of the under-served, the unheard and the oft-forgotten,” explains station manager Jim Rand, “which makes for radio that speaks to the heart and mind, not necessarily the pocketbook. So a couple of times per year, we ask our listeners to help us raise the funds required to keep this jewel of a radio station strong and healthy.”

Begathon, WMPG’s weeklong radio fundraiser, runs Sept. 24 through 30, and organizers hope to raise $50,000 for WMPG’s operating budget.

“Every Begathon, we throw ourselves an on-air party,” explains Dale Robin Goodman, development director. “This birthday means that we are celebrating 40 years of real people producing creative radio programming made especially for our local communities. That’s a rarity in today’s big business communications landscape.”

During the drive, pledges can be made by calling 874- 3000. Donations may be made online at www.wmpg.org any time.