The Columbia University Radio Club (CURC) started in the early 20th century as an organization related to the technology of radio communications. Thanks to an association with Edwin H. Armstrong, a university alumnus and professor who developed FM radio transmission on campus in the 1930s, the club soon turned to broadcasting and transformed a single dorm room into a makeshift studio, using the somewhat accurate phrase “The Original FM.” Their first official broadcast was on February 24, 1941, and the FCC gave the station its license on October 10, 1941. The station adopted the call letters WKCR (King’s Crown Radio) following World War II, and until the 1970s, broadcast both an AM station and FM station.
WKCR: "The Original FM": The Columbia University Radio Club
November 2, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast. To celebrate this special anniversary, we’re shining a spotlight on 100 key moments in radio's history.
We hope you’ll join us in celebrating your favorite radio memories throughout 2020. Use the hashtag #Radio100 across social media to share these moments with the world. Here’s to 100 wonderful years of radio, and to at least 100 more!
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