History

Radio first began at Kenyon College as “WKCG” in October of 1946, when the Speech department began broadcasting from the basement of the Speech Annex of the Hill Theater (since demolished).  The equipment was mainly constructed by returning war veterans attending the college. The station originally broadcasted on 15-watt carrier current, meaning the station’s signal was transmitted through the campus’ electrical wiring.

Work began on the previous Farr Hall facilities in 1969 on student initiative, and WKCO received its charter from the FCC in 1972 to broadcast in mono at 10 watts FM.  The Farr Hall facilities were primarily designed by then-General Managers Greg Widin and Marc Speiser. Broadcasts from Farr Hall commenced in the fall of 1973, and the studio expanded again in 1975.

In 1980, the FCC terminated the licenses of 10-watt ultra low power FM stations, forcing WKCO to upgrade to a 100-watt transmitter and stereo transmission in order to retain its license.  Community fundraising and a significant grant from the George B. Storer Foundation allowed WKCO to successfully make the transition, and the station started broadcasting in stereo at 100 watts from the top of the Chase Tower of Peirce Hall ever since.

Technical problems wreaked havoc on the station throughout the 1990’s, from periodic and destructive flooding of the studios to a lightning strike on the tower in 1995.  In 1998, the FCC terminated the station’s license after WKCO’s student management failed to file for a renewal in a timely manner. A new administration cleaned up the station’s act and broadcasts recommenced in the fall of 1999.

WKCO began streaming broadcasts on the campus-only network in 2001.  In the spring of 2009, LBIS generously allowed WKCO to begin streaming globally over the internet.  

As of Fall 2018 the school tore down the Olin Library along with the previous WKCO studio forcing the organization to broadcast from 3rd floor pierce and store the studio equipment in Colburn.

Upon the Spring of 2019 though, the school had finished the construction of the new Farr Hall spaces and provided WKCO with the new broadcasting and recording space we currently inhabit. Additionally, that same same spring, the organization split apart into WKCO Studio and WKCO Radio which now operate as separate entities.

Today, WKCO is Kenyon’s largest student organization.

Mission

WKCO is Kenyon College’s entirely student-run and fully-functional radio station, broadcasting in the greater Gambier area at 91.9 FM and online at wkco.kenyon.edu (https://www.wkco919.org/).  WKCO understands its mission as comprising two main functions.

First, the organization looks to serve the Kenyon College student body, the greater Kenyon community, as well as the surrounding area, with quality content, from musical and educational outreach programs to community announcements.  WKCO provides a unique and distinct voice otherwise absent from the airwaves in the area and also provides the most direct and viable connection between Kenyon students and the residents of the surrounding area.  As such, we continue to see both FM and online streaming broadcasts as essential to our function. Additionally, since global online broadcasts began, WKCO has attracted a growing alumni audience and now provides the possibility of a vital connection between past and present Kenyon students.  We serve both the on-campus community, the greater Kenyon community (alumni, parents, friends, and students abroad), and the residents of Knox County. We therefore seek to produce enriching and entertaining programming that will appeal to and be appropriate for those audiences, and will seek to maintain and expand our ability to reach them.

Second, WKCO seeks to provide students both a creative outlet and hands-on experience with broadcasting.  Though we are not a pre-professional organization, we do seek to allow students interested in pursuing careers in broadcast journalism, radio, or technical fields to gain knowledge and experience.  We also hope to connect Kenyon students aspiring to careers in radio with alumni or other members of the Kenyon community in the field. We are dedicated to allowing students who are not committed to professional careers an outlet and form of expression, whether as a talk show host, program producer, DJ, or musician.

Get Involved

If you are interested in getting involved with WKCO in any fashion, as a DJ or studio engineer, or would like to join the exec staff, please send us an email at wkco@kenyon.edu

Want your own radio show? Download our Intern Application and deliver it to the station, located in the basement of Farr Hall and we’ll get you on your way to the airwaves.

Interested in submitting something to the blog? Email us your submission at wkco@kenyon.edu!

Office Hours are held in the basement of Farr Hall every Tuesday from 1-2 PM.