KTCU FM 88.7 The Choice has been giving Horned Frogs a voice for generations.
From its simple beginnings as a campus radio club in the 1920s to becoming an FCC-licensed FM station in 1964, KTCU has served as a hands-on learning lab for aspiring broadcasters while connecting the TCU community through music, sports and storytelling. Today, the station continues that tradition on the air, online and through podcasts.
We recently caught up with KTCU co-managers Geoff Craig and Janice McCall to hear what makes the station special and how it continues to evolve.
What do you think makes KTCU such a special part of the TCU experience, both for students and the campus community?
Craig: KTCU is a place that students of any major take part in, so we attract students from all over campus, because who doesn’t love music? KTCU is the ultimate social and cultural melting pot, because music brings everyone together. The students love the fact that they can be on the air, and not just their peers are listening, but another 20,000+ people throughout DFW are as well. The campus community knows that their voices are heard, because the station is staffed by them, and they have so much influence on the playlists.
How has KTCU evolved over the years, and what do you think has remained at the heart of the station’s mission?
McCall: KTCU has evolved from a more traditional terrestrial campus radio station into a fully digital, broader-reaching student organization. We teach audio-minded students different ways to share music and subjects they are passionate about through the local airwaves and now, with people beyond the TCU and DFW communities. KTCU remains on the FM dial for regional broadcasting, but it has also evolved into a multimedia entity that streams to listeners around the world.
Students now explore the latest technologies, discover new ways to find and curate music, and learn how to share their individuality with audiences across multiple social media platforms. We still offer them an environment to gain experience with the traditions of radio but now present many modern tools that are quickly shaping its future.
At the heart of KTCU’s mission, I think, is giving students a genuine voice. The radio station creates a space where students can develop their broadcasting and communication skills, gain confidence, share their unique audio content with listeners, and form bonds with other students interested in exploring the world of radio. The ways people consume radio have changed, but that sense of discovery and community is what makes the station special and what keeps students so fascinated with being a part of it.
Explore KTCU’s rich history and the students who helped shape it.