| 1970
KCUR
is awarded a grant of $7,500 from the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting for Community Service.
By this time, KCUR is broadcasting twelve hours a day, seven
days a week.
|
1971
KCUR becomes a charter member of National Public Radio and
begins broadcasting NPR’s All Things Considered. |
1976
KCUR moves to 5327 Holmes. The signal is expanded to 100,000
watts stereo. A new transmitter antenna is located on a tower
at 820 feet above average terrain. The staff expands to ten
full-time employees. Each semester, fifteen UMKC students
intern at the station. |
1978
Local rock-n-roll program, Cyprus Avenue, premiers
on KCUR. The popular program is hosted by KCUR volunteer and
Kansas City attorney, Bill Shapiro. |
1979
KCUR begins broadcasting what will soon become the leading
program in all of public radio, NPR’s Morning Edition. |
1980
KCUR is selected as one of fifteen stations to be an uplink
satellite facility, giving KCUR the ability to broadcast –
from their studios or by remote facilities – directly
to the entire public radio network. |
1981
UMKC Chancellor George Russell asks the Board of Curators
if it is necessary to run a radio station, and KCUR’s
financial future remains uncertain. Cutbacks are made in
university funding for the station, and KCUR begins the
practice of on-air fund raising.
|
1982
The Walt Bodine Show debuts on KCUR, hosted by Kansas
City’s veteran journalist. |
1984
Station manager
Sam Scott resigns as chairman of the Speech Department, and
students are no longer trained on the air. |
1985
KCUR moves to UMKC’s Student Services Building (now
called the 4825 Troost Building).
Local music program, The Fish Fry, begins broadcasts
on KCUR. The popular program highlights the musical genres
of blues, soul, jazz and zydeco. |
1986
Sam Scott retires, leaving the station without a general manager
for a year. UMKC Associate Vice Chancellor, Jim Costin, oversees
the station while a search is conducted for a new station
manager. |
1987
Patricia Cahill, a former KCUR reporter and manager
for Wichita State University public radio, is hired as KCUR’s
general manager.
KCUR celebrates its 30th anniversary; broadcasts a live
concert from Volker Park; hosts a roast for Walt Bodine.
|
1988
A dozen half-hour on-air programs are eliminated from KCUR’s
schedule strengthening KCUR’s programming consistency.
Most of the on-air volunteer positions are eliminated; some
volunteers become employees of KCUR.
KCUR receives a $100,000 grant from the Parker B. Francis
Foundation. The money is placed in the station’s general
fund. KCUR is still recovering from debt incurred in 1985
when the station moved to 4825 Troost. The grant helps to
alleviate most of this debt. |
1989
Additional money is raised; some personnel and expenditures
are eliminated; KCUR’s budget operates again “in
the black.”
1990s
- present |
