KKSU (AM)
After KKSU ceased broadcasting, former staff continued to operate the network service, while also starting the construction of a satellite uplink for distribution to member stations.
Following a limited amount of radio—then commonly known as "wireless telegraphy"—research that started in 1901, the Physics Department obtained a "Technical and Training School" license for station 9YV.
[3] The department installed an aerial that stretched from a tower atop Denison Hall to one erected about 100 yards (90 m) northward, and began daily broadcasts of the weather forecasts.
[4] With the entry of the United States into World War I, most civilian stations, including 9YV, were ordered dismantled, although laboratory work and army signal corps training at the college continued.
In March 1920, multiple Kansas newspapers printed instructions for receiving the daily (except Sunday) weather reports by 9YV on a wavelength of 375 meters (800 kHz), which were sent beginning at 9:55 a.m., then repeated at decreasing speeds of Morse code.
Prior to the January 1923 establishment of the Mississippi River as the boundary, call letters beginning with "W" were generally assigned to stations east of an irregular line formed by the western state borders from North Dakota south to Texas, with calls beginning with "K" going only to stations in states west of that line.
Therefore, in 1924 Professor Lyon made arrangements for college programs to be carried by telephone line from Manhattan, for broadcast by a 500-watt station at Milford, KFKB.
In response to the success, President Jardine and Dean Umberger convinced the State Board of Administration to provide an appropriation of $20,000 for the erection of an up-to-date broadcasting station at the college, which was announced by Hon.
[13] Although government regulators generally treated WTG and KSAC as separate stations,[14] when the Federal Radio Commission prepared individual History Card[citation needed] files in 1927, which were taken over by the Federal Communications Commission in 1934, the "Date First Licensed" for KSAC was entered as "4-6-[19]22",[15] which is the date when WTG received its initial license.
[4] in January 1926, KSAC's daily broadcast schedule was reported as "beginning at 9 a.m., for the rural schools; 9:55 for the housewives' half-hour; 12:35 for the noonday program and question box; 4:30 in the afternoon, for the matinee; 6:30, the regular 'college of the air', conducted by professors in the various departments, with musical features in the connection with the lectures".
Because 580 kHz is one of the lowest frequencies on the AM band, the station had an expansive groundwave signal, which provided daytime coverage of most of the state.
WIBW unsuccessfully tried several times to expand to unlimited hours on 580 kHz, especially after 1957, when Oscar Stauffer bought the Daily Capital (and later merged it into the Topeka Capital-Journal) Despite tremendous political pressure, KSAC/KKSU stayed on the air.
In December 2001, Kansas State moved its sports broadcasts to the Mid-America Ag Network (MAAN) after airing them on WIBW continuously since 1969 and off-and-on since the 1950s.
