PITTSBURGH — A joint venture between a public FM station and a nonprofit dedicated to public media will buy Pittsburgh’s first public radio station, WDUQ-FM, for $6 million.

Duquesne University has owned the 90.5 FM frequency since 1949 and approved the sale Friday to Essential Public Media. EPM is a joint venture between WYEP, an independent public radio station started 37 years ago, and Public Media Company, a nonprofit created by Public Radio Capital.

The private, Catholic university has been trying to sell WDUQ which the school subsidized for about $500,000 annually.

WDUQ carries programming from National Public Radio and other public media outlets and has been a public radio station since the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was created in 1967.