WKNC-FM HD-1/HD-2 (2016-present)

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“Anyone who works here is just obsessed and in love with WKNC. That is something that has not changed. That is our tradition — an undying, unwavering love for college radio.”
– General Manager Emily Ehling, as published in the Nov. 3, 2016 Technician

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Student Media IT Manager Doug Flowers shows General Manager Emily Ehling pieces of the WKNC antenna on the roof of D.H. Hill Library. WKNC reconfigured its antenna pattern in June 2016 to reach further southeast toward Goldsboro and Wilmington. Photo by Jamie Lynn Gilbert.
Ashley Darrisaw and Kaanchee Gandhi DJ at the Fish Market Gallery for First Friday in October 2016. In 2013, WKNC received a $2,000 grant from the Division of Academic and Student Affairs Parents' Fund to purchase two portable public address systems to provide DJ services for on-campus and community events.
Raleigh rapper ZenSoFly debuts a new single on the program "Oak City Move" in 2017. Founded in February 2017 by Phian Tran and Sara Darwish, "Oak City Move" focuses on those who make positive change in the Triangle. The program won Wolfpack Leadership Challenge awards in the Challenge the Process category in 2017 and 2018. Photo by Jamie Lynn Gilbert.
Jacob DeCicco hosts the first regular DJ shift in WKNC’s “Studio H.” Named for NC State student radio’s first general manager Harrison Wroton, the studio splits its time between a production studio and HD-2 air studio. Photo by Jamie Lynn Gilbert
Leeann Diaz, host of the "Get Psyched" podcast, was one of several students who learned to create content away from the WKNC studios after Witherspoon Student Center closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
DJ Ethan Myers, right, shows trainee Curtis Cheung how to log songs on Spinitron. WKNC continued to train new DJs in person during the pandemic, but used Zoom for class lectures. Photo by Jamie Lynn Gilbert

In 2016, WKNC reconfigured its antenna pattern to increase its signal coverage further south and east to include another 24,000 potential listeners. WKNC also expanded its non-indie rock programming, giving more hours to Underground and Afterhours to better balance the radio’s primary formats.³⁸ To celebrate its 50th anniversary as an FM radio station, WKNC launched its HD-1 channel on Oct. 9, 2016. The station continued to upgrade its equipment, converting one of its production studios to a second on-air studio and launching WKNC HD-2 on January 9, 2019. WKNC’s HD-3 signal, leased to Wolfbytes Radio, went on air on May 3, 2019.

By the end of 2019, WKNC had completed a seven-year, $288,000 upgrade that also included creating a climate-controlled space to house WKNC’s transmitter and renovation of the station’s three studio spaces.

In March 2020, like many other college students across the country, WKNC DJs went home for spring break and didn’t come back. The global COVID-19 pandemic closed Witherspoon Student Center to non-essential personnel for months. A handful of DJs continue to produce pre-recorded programming remotely, while others pivoted to sharing Spotify playlists in lieu of air shifts. Staff worked from home reviewing new music, creating podcasts and writing blogs. DJs returned to the station in early July with strict safety guidelines³⁹. Fall 2020 and spring 2021 training classes took place on Zoom, with in-studio training components.

^{38. Crabtree, Kelly. (2016, Nov. 3). “WKNC celebrates 50th anniversary, switches to HD.” Technician.}
^{39. Dunlow, Austin. (2020, July 8). “WKNC to begin reopening with emphasis on staff safety.” Technician.}