“If the person wishes to hear new things, to hear a station that operates for the benefit of the college student and not for a group of people who tend to be rather narrow-minded, then that person is invited to tune to WKNC.”
Feb. 27, 1963 Technician
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WVWP-AM changed to WKNC-AM in 1958. Page from 1959 Agromeck.
In 1958 came yet another change in call letters, this time to WKNC 580 AM. The station also expanded its hours of operation to 10 hours per day seven days a week and “facilities include three studios, four turntables and 8,000 records.”18 The following year, WKNC became the first college radio station in the southeast to cover two independent campuses when a satellite transmitter was installed at Peace College.19 This partnership continued until 1965.
Another innovation was the February 1960 development of an intercollegiate network with WSBS at Duke University to broadcast coverage of the Republication State Convention in Raleigh.20 Later that year, WKNC-AM engineers developed the “WKNC Tape Control System,” which allowed “the complete automatic use of the studio tape recorders. Up to five hours of programming can be run with the tape control system without an engineer or announcer on duty. This automatic programmer is believed to be the only one of its kind in operation at any college station in the South.”21
18. “College radio expands service.” (1958, Oct. 2). Technician.
19. “WKNC begins broadcasting to Peace College tomorrow.” (1959, Dec. 14). Technician.
20. “WKNC to broadcast GOP state convention.” (1960, Feb. 25). Technician.
21. “Automatic programming developing at WKNC.” (1960, Dec. 5). Technician.