[4][5][6] WKSU-FM supplanted an unlicensed carrier current station at 560 kHz bearing the "WKSU-AM" name, which launched in 1949[7] airing rebroadcasts of the Radio Workshop's WAKR programs along with campus news.

[8] Due to a lack of FM receivers on campus, the carrier current "WKSU-AM" was reactivated in 1953 as a simulcast of the licensed radio station,[9] but was discontinued at an unknown date.

[10] Carrier current radio was revived in 1964 with a third iteration of "WKSU-AM" at 730 kHz again direct simulcasting WKSU-FM,[11] but by January 18, 1965, took on a distinct program schedule.

[18] WKSU-FM's controversial cancellation of the late-night progressive rock/freeform program Fresh Air on December 30, 1981, removed the last student-produced show from the station entirely.

[18] Due to issues that affected the closed-circuit on-campus transmissions, WKSR frequently suffered signal outages throughout the 1980s and early 1990s and was often referred to as "roommate radio".