History of KCSU

This is KCSU FM, 90.9 megacycles, in Fort Collins, Colorado, the voice of Colorado State University", was the ID heard for the first time over the airwaves on September 21, 1964. KCSU was owned, operated and financed by the students. The power output of KCSU was 800 watts from a transmitter located at the corner of Prospect Road and Shields Street. The estimated operating cost for the first year was $8,000, and was expected to decrease the year after. KCSU was broadcast daily Monday through Friday from 4pm to midnight. Programs heard on KCSU included jazz and classical music, news, interviews, and feature material.

In 1970, KCSU's student staff decided to take the programming format in a different direction when it introduced its new progressive rock format. KCSU's student manager decided to drop the new progressive rock format and focus on educational programming aspects . The format would continue to change through KCSU history.

September 1977 marked KCSU's change from a student-operated station to a professional station. The station was on the air 18 hours a day, 365 days a year. The change in management occurred after dissent regarding the format of the station and compiled with financial difficulties.

KCSU's format took a different turn again on March 1, 1981. The station adopted a classical format with a strong commitment to news and information.

In September of 1983 KCSU boosted its signal from 2,400 watts to 10,000 watts. KCSU also changed from 90.9 to the present day 90.5fm.

Another format change was decided upon in 1992 when KCSU's staff made the decision to go from classical programming to an Adult Album Alternative (AAA) format. Due to overwhelming pressure to make KCSU more accountable to the student body, the Campus Radio Committee was formed in the fall of 1994 to make a recommendation to CSU's Vice President of Student Affairs. The Campus Radio Committee recommended that KCSU change from a professionally run, public radio station to a student run, campus radio station. On July 1, 1995 KCSU became a student run station for the second time.

Student run, student managed, this is KCSU 90.5fm. With the change in management came a change to a college music format and the lowering of the demographic age (18-43), to better serve the CSU students. Diversity in the form of block programming was kept to provide listeners with a variety of listening choices. The college format would remain the hallmark of KCSU.

On July 27, 1997, the city of Fort Collins was struck by flooding. The Colorado State University campus was not immune to the wall of water that washed through town.

Hardest hit by the flood was the Morgan Library, the west lawn, and the Lory Student Center. KCSU's studios, along with all of student media (CTV and the Collegian) were located in the basement of the Lory Student Center. DJ Megan Anderson was on the air as the storm dumped water on Ft. Collins. She abandoned the station after water started to fill the studio.

The studio, office equipment, music collections, broadcast equipment, and other station items, were either damaged or a total loss. The 'Great Flood' also destroyed most of Student Media and caused an estimated $10million damage campus, including wiping out the basement of the Lory Student Center, and turning the Morgan Library into a book aquarium. Houses, cars, businesses and lives were damaged or destroyed in the Ft. Collins flood. As a result of the damage KCSU was off the air till, a new location and equipment could be located.

KCSU resumed broadcast on August 20th, in the temporary studio located at the Old Ft. Collins High School Annex, CTV and the Collegian also joined KCSU at the 'shack'. Donated and salvaged equipment were setup to make sure that KCSU would be broadcasting by the time the new academic semester started. Besides having to broadcast from an old garage, affectionately called the 'bus room', management and staff had to deal with the challenges of being off campus, security, DJ and listener dissent, and a hurt public image caused by lower broadcast quality as a result of the flood damaged equipment. Despite these setbacks KCSU wins several awards and the title of #1 station in Ft. Collins, besting 93.3fm KTCL, and KALC 'ALICE' 106.

Due to construction setbacks at the Lory Student Center, KCSU would remain in the bus room for a year and a half. January 5th, 1999, KCSU returns on campus in the Lory Student center. KCSU resumes broadcast in its brand new, state-of-the-art radio studio, one of the best equipped in all of Colorado. Broadcast quality jumps through the roof thanks to new digital signal processors, better production equipment, and a new broadcast board. New production facilities, and a performance studio are added to KCSU, as well as new office space. For the first time in KCSU history the station in on equal or better footing than most commercial stations. KCSU storms back on the scene with a host of new specialty programming, a new commitment to music, and the mission to serve the CSU and Ft. Collins community and uphold the title of #1 station in Ft. Collins.