KCOU

For the airport in Columbia, Missouri assigned the ICAO code KCOU, see Columbia Regional Airport.

KCOU

File:KCOU logo.png
Columbia, Missouri
Frequency	88.1 MHz
Programming
Format	College
Ownership
Owner	Missouri Students Association (The Curators of the University of Missouri)
History
First air date	1973-10-31 on 88.3 MHz, 16 watts, monaural
Former call signs	KEJJ (1993-1994)
Technical information
Facility ID	28513
Class	A
ERP	430 watts
HAAT	34.0 meters
Transmitter coordinates	38°56′23.00″N 92°19′20.00″W
Links
Website	kcou.missouri.edu

KCOU (88.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting the College radio format. Licensed to Columbia, Missouri, USA, the station is currently owned by the Missouri Students Association at the University of Missouri.

History

Originally known as KCCS (the Kampus Carrier Current Station), the station was founded in a dorm broom closet in 1963 as a carrier current AM station at 580 kHz. In 1973, the Independent Residence Halls Association was granted a broadcast license by the FCC to operate in monaural at 88.3 MHz FM with 16 Watts. Historically, this was the first license ever issued to a student group within a university, instead of to a university's administration. Operation began Halloween evening, playing the oddball tune "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!".

In the mid-1990s, the Missouri Students Association bought the station from the Residence Halls Association, who deemed it a financial burden for the organization.

The student-run station gained notoriety during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s by promoting alternative music/college rock and providing a platform for new artists and new trends.

In 1993, the station reunited the cult favorite Big Star as part of its annual Springfest concert. That show featured original bandmembers Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens, along with Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies. A recording of that reunion show was released as Columbia: Live at Missouri University 4/25/93.

The 2008-2009 staff includes General Manager John Dobson and Program Director/Chief Engineer Jonathan Hutcheson.

New innovations at KCOU as of fall 2008 include a new Web site, kcou.fm. The site features live audio streaming worldwide. In February 2009, KCOU launched a news department, which provides on-the-hour news updates every weekday.

In January 2009, power to KCOU's FM signal was shut off when Hudson Hall, the MU residence hall where the station's broadcasting tower and transmitter sit, went offline for renovation. Through the Missouri Students Association, the station has secured funding to construct a new transmitter atop Schurz Hall on the MU campus. KCOU will be off the airwaves for most of the Spring 2009 semester, but still broadcasts 24/7 on its Web site.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID KCOU ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database