Station History

  • 1986 – David Letterman funds construction of original AM “carrier current” WCRD operation. 
  • 1988 – WCRD begins “carrier current” AM operation on 540 AM.  The signal was not “broadcast.”  Rather it was distributed over electric power lines on campus.
  • 1995 – Under the terms of an agreement between WCRD and Muncie Community Schools (“MCS”), much of WCRD’s programming began airing on 91.3 MHz over the FM broadcast station WWHI, then licensed to MCS, from a broadcast antenna located at Southside High School.
  • 2004 – Ball State acquires the FCC license for WWHI-FM (91.3 FM).
  • 2005 – New transmitter and improved antenna installed at Muncie Southside site.
  • Fall 2006 – WCRD changes music format to “College Radio on Demand,” with audience increases.
  • August 17, 2007 – WCRD begins broadcasting from the new David Letterman Communication and Media Building.
  • Fall 2008 – WCRD begins operation from new antenna mounted at the top of a “heating plan” smokestack near the West Quadrangle Building on the Ball State campus.
  • October 10, 2010 (10/10/10) – WCRD makes the “big switch,” changing from a Variety and Requests format to focus on Top 40 Pop and college rock (initially focusing on former “College Music Journal” listed songs).
  • February 29, 2015 – after obtaining FCC permission to do so, WCRD begins transmitting from a new broadcast antenna on the top of the Teacher’s College on the Ball State campus.
    • Around the same time, WCRD was awarded #1 College Radio Station by Indiana Association of School Broadcasters. This achievement attracted the attention of David Letterman rewarding students with a personal congratulations on Letterman’s Late Night show.
  • Summer 2017 – WCRD station logo and slogan changes now reflect the new WCRD slogan “Always Better Radio.”
  • Spring 2020 – The Coronavirus Pandemic begins, however this gives way to WCRD utilizing technology for remote access to broadcasting software
  • Spring 2022 – Ball State acquires the FCC license for WCRD-FM (91.3 FM).

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