Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 22/9/5
KURE (Radio station : Ames, Iowa)
Records, 1949-[ongoing]

Descriptive summary

creator:	KURE (Radio station : Ames, Iowa)
title:	Records
dates:	1949-[ongoing]
extent:	4.83 linear feet (11 document boxes and 1 half-document box)
collection number:	RS 22/9/5
repository:	University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

Administrative information

access:	Open for research
publication rights:	Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:	KURE Records, RS 22/9/5, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

Historical note

The first student-run radio station at Iowa State University was KMRA, which began broadcasting out of a dorm room in Friley Hall in 1949. KMRA was founded by Cedric Currin, Chuck Hawley, and Maurice Voland and operated out of Currin's room, 5526 Friley Hall, Niles House. The original equipment was two turntables, a small transmitter, and a public address system. The men worked with the residence hall directors and WOI radio to make their dream a possibility by starting broadcast at 5pm, after WOI went off the air, and used a thermo-stabilized crystal to broadcast at a frequency of 640. Originally, sound was transmitted through Friley Hall's water pipes.

KMRA later moved to a broom closet in Bennett House, but was only there for a short while because of the inadequate space and the constant ringing of the hall telephone that was located near the closet. From there, KMRA moved to a basement room in Stange House, then to the kitchenette across from the Main Lounge in North Friley. In 1950, KMRA became KMRI. The KMRI staff worked to improve their programming and equipment, with the result that their signal became stronger – so strong, in fact, that people several miles from Friley tuned in and heard a basketball game, prompting the FCC to shut KMRI down until KMRI's equipment was able to contain their broadcasts. This shut-down was short, as KMRI was becoming more and more popular and plans were made to include a KMRI annex in the plans of the 1951 Friley Hall addition.

In 1961, KMRI became KISU. At the time, the station had 35 DJs and 15 newscasters. KISU was warned in 1962 that they were broadcasting above legal level, just one of many times the FCC would warn Iowa State's student run radio station. In 1969, KISU submitted an application to the FCC for an FM construction permit; it was denied due to the fact it was not an identifiable non-profit organization. KISU took steps to remedy the problem, and in fall of 1969, KISU received its 10-watt FCC transmitter. Soon after, renovation was begun that included a newsroom, broadcasting studio, production studio, and general reception room. These facilities are the still in use.

Around this time, several Iowa State administrators voiced their opinion that KISU would be mistaken for the university's official press agency and that would confuse the public. KISU applied for new call letters and in 1970 was given them – KPGY.

KPGY ran both FM and AM radio broadcasts throughout the week. The AM station was kept so that KPGY could run commercial announcements that the FM station could not. KPGY quickly grew and became a leading campus news source. It was during this time that KPGY had its first female co-manager. During this time, KPGY moved its transmitter and antenna to the top of Physics extension, in an effort to reach a broader audience.

By 1982, dorm radio was becoming obsolete and KPGY changed its name to KUSR and operated only on an FM frequency of 91.5 megahertz. As time went on, tapes and CDs came to exist side by side with turntables as new music technology developed.

In 1995, however, the FCC came back to haunt KUSR. Another station in the vicinity had applied for a permit to broadcast at a frequency of 91.5 FM. At the same time, KUSR's General Manager contacted the FCC with a question about license renewal. The FCC discovered at this time that KUSR's license had, in fact, not been renewed several years earlier and gave the permit to the other station. KUSR was forced to shut down for a semester, while a group of students scrambled to get the station back on the air.

KUSR returned as KURE in 1996, broadcasting at a frequency of 88.5 MHz. It began employing 250 watts of effective radiated power soon after. KURE is still in operation, with its license renewed in January 2005. KURE has plans to drop it's frequency to 88.3 FM in order to reach a broader listening area. In addition, KURE broadcasts on the Internet at www.kure885.org.

Over the past years, KURE has been returning to its roots by re-establishing a news department and having many events that bring it closer to the Ames and Iowa State communities, such as KUREfest, Battle of the Bands, and Live at KURE. KURE also sponsors Kaleidoquiz, an Iowa State tradition for well over forty years. Kaleidoquiz is a twenty-six hour trivia challenge with music montages, traveling questions, and scavenger hunts.

Collection description

The collection (1949-[ongoing]) contains information related to the history of student-run radio at Iowa State University, incorporating documents from radio stations KMRA, KMRI, KISU, KPGY, KUSR and KURE. The collection consists of correspondence, program schedules, FCC paperwork, program logs, news clippings, and staff lists. Also in the collection are records relating to the radio stations' Board of Directors, including meeting agendas and correspondence. In addition, the records include policies, handbooks, and information regarding Kaleidoquiz.

Organization

The collection is organized into five series:

Series 1, KMRA-KMRI, 1949-1961, n.d. (chronological)
Series 2, KISU, 1960-1969, n.d. (chronological)
Series 3, KPGY, 1969-1983, n.d. (chronological)
Series 4, KUSR, 1983-1996, n.d. (chronological)
Series 5, KURE, 1996-[ongoing] (chronological)

Description of series

Series 1	KMRA and KMRI Records	1949-1961, n.d.
extent:	0.21 linear ft. (17 folders)
description:	This series contains information from KMRA and KMRI including correspondence, staff lists, program logs, Board of Directors information, financial information, and engineering correspondence.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
1	1	KMRA-KMRI-KISU-KPGY-KUSR-KURE History	1949-
1	2	KMRA – KMRI Expenses	1949-1951
1	3	KMRA – KMRI News Clippings	1949-1961
1	4	KMRA – KMRI Program Logs	1949-1950
1	5	KMRI – Inter-Residence Hall Association Authorization	1950-1952
1	6	KMRI Engineering Correspondence	1951-1956
1	7	KMRI Engineering Department	1951-1960
1	8	KMRI Letterhead	1951-1955
1	9	KMRI Programming	1951-1960
1	10	KMRI Studio Construction Correspondence	1951
1	11	KRMI General Information – Correspondence, Memos	1952-1960
1	12	KRMI Men's Residence Association – Correspondence, meeting minutes	1952-1959, n.d.
1	13	KMRI Financial Ledger	1953-1954
1	14	KMRI Advisors	1954-1960
1	15	KMRI Correspondence (Received)	1955
1	16	KMRI Board of Directors Resignations	1956
1	17	KMRI Flyers	n.d.

Description of series

Series 2	KISU	1960-1969, n.d.
extent:	0.84 linear ft. (2 document boxes)
description:	This series contains document from KISU, including correspondence, staff lists, program logs, Board of Directors information, financial information, and correspondence.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Date
1	18	KISU Board of Directors Applications	1960-1967
1	19	KISU General Information	1960-1969
1	20	KISU Letterhead	1961-1970
1	21	KISU Letters to the Iowa State Daily Editor	1962
1	22	KISU Programming	1962-1968
1	23	KISU Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1963
1	24	KISU Board of Directors Resignations	1963-1969
2	1	KISU Correspondence	1963-1965
2	2	KISU Engineering Department	1963
2	3	KISU Income Statements	1963-1969
2	4	KISU-Inter-Residence Hall Association	1963-1967, n.d.
2	5	KISU and Men's Residence Hall Association	1963-1964
2	6	KISU News Clippings	1963-1969
2	7	KISU Policies	1963-1968
2	8	KISU Awards	1964
2	9	KISU – Intercollegiate Broadcast Service Correspondence	1964
2	10	KISU News Department	1964-1969
2	11	KISU-KPGY Northwestern Bell Correspondence	1964-1979
2	12	KISU Personnel Department	1964-1968
2	13	KISU Production Department	1964-1967
2	14	KISU – Inter-Residence Hall Association Proposed Budget	1965-1969
2	15	KISU Program Logs	1966-197
2	16	KISU-KPGY Board of Directors Applications	1968-1972
2	17	KISU Program Logs	1968-1969
2	18	KISU-KPGY Federal Communications Commission Construction Permit for Upgrade to GM	1968-1971
2	19	KISU – Advisor Correspondence	1969
3	1	KISU - KPGY – INTER-RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION Budgets	1967-1985
3	2	KISU – KPGY Call Letter Change	1969
3	3	KISU Correspondence about move to FM	1969
3	4	KISU Flyers	n.d.

Description of series

Series 3	KPGY	1969-1983, n.d.
extent:	2.31 linear ft. (5.5 document boxes)
description:	This series includes records from KPGY such as correspondence, staff lists, program logs, Board of Directors information, correspondence, and policies. The series also contains information about the change of call letters from KPGY to KUSR.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
12	2	KPGY – Residence Association Broadcasting Service (RABS) Non Profit Documentation	1969-1985
3	5	KPGY Advertising Department	1969-1977
3	6	KPGY Awards	1970-1983
3	7	KPGY Board of Directors Resignations	1970-1983
3	8	KPGY-INTER-RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION Proposed Budget	1970-1983
3	9	KPGY Commercial (AM) Logs	1970-1975
3	10	KPGY Editorials	1970-1983
3	11	KPGY Engineering Correspondence	1970-1980
3	12	KGPY Engineering Department	1970-1983
3	13	KPGY Income Statements	1970-1982
3	14	KPGY Letterheads	1970-1983
4	1	KPGY News clippings	1970-1981
4	2	KGPY News Department	1970-1981
4	3	KPGY Policies	1970-1983
4	4	KPGY Programming Department	1970-1983, n.d.
4	5	KPGY Program Logs (1 of 2)	1970-1971
4	6	KPGY Program Logs (2 of 2)	1970-1971
4	7	KPGY – KUSR Staff Lists	1970-1985
4	8	KPGY Station Reports	1970-1977
4	9	KPGY Correspondence	1971-1982
4	10	KPGY – KUSR Equipment, Miscellaneous	1971-1984
4	11	KPGY Federal Communications Commission Licenses, Applications, Renewals	1971-1982
5	1	KPGY Federal Communications Commission Paperwork	1971-1983
5	2	KPGY Inter-Residence Hall Association Authorization	1971-1979
5	3	KPGY Letters to the (Daily) Editor	1971-1983
5	4	KPGY-KUSR Music Department	1971-1984, n.d.
5	5	KPGY Music Lists	1971-1980, n.d.
5	6	KPGY Commercial Grants	1972-1983, n.d.
12	4	KPGY Flyers	1972-1977
5	7	KPGY Operations Department	1972-1981
5	8	KPGY Residence Association Broadcasting Services Inc. (RABS) Authorization	1972-1982
5	9	KPGY Station Maps	1972, n.d.
5	10	KPGY Board of Directors Applications	1973-1980
5	11	KPGY-KUSR Federal Communications Commission Employment Reports (Annual)	1973-1985
5	12	KPGY-KUSR Federal Communications Commission Ownership Report	1973-1984, n.d.
12	1	KPGY Kaleidoquiz	1973-1974, n.d.
5	13	KPGY-KUSR Newsletter "The Rag"	1973-1984
5	14	KPGY-KUSR Public Affairs Department	1973-1985
5	15	KPGY Program Guides	1973-1980
6	1	KPGY-KUSR Board of Directors Resignations	1974-1984
6	2	KPGY Government of the Student Body Meeting Agendas	1974-1982
6	3	KPGY Intercollegiate Broadcasting System	1974-1975
6	4	KPGY Residence Hall Correspondence	1974-1983
6	5	KPGY Sports Department	1974-1980, n.d.
6	6	KPGY Twenty-fifth Anniversary	1974
6	7	KPGY VEISHEA	1974-1982
6	8	KPGY – Alumni Association Correspondence	1975, 1982
6	9	KPGY Board of Directors Meeting Agendas	1975-1981
6	10	KPGY Business Department	1975-1984
6	11	KPGY Government of the Student Body Finance Committee	1975-1982
6	12	KPGY Muscular Dystrophy Association Dance Marathon	1975-1982, n.d.
6	13	KPGY Program Logs	1975-1977
6	14	KPGY Residence Halls Week	1976-1983
6	15	KPGY Correspondence About Transmitter Move to Physics Addition	1977-1982
6	16	KPGY Federal Aviation Administration Correspondence	1977-1979
6	17	KPGY Federal Communications Commission Permit for Antenna Move & Upgrade to 200 Watts	1977-1982
7	1	KPGY – Inter-Residence Hall Association Correspondence	1977-1983
7	2	KPGY Public Relations Department	1961-1983
7	3	KPGY Surveys	1977-1983
7	4	KPGY Music Licensing	1978-1983, n.d.
7	5	KPGY Federal Grant Application (1 of 2)	1979
7	6	KGPY Federal Grant Application (2 of 2)	1979
7	7	KGPY National Telecommunications and Information Administration Grant Application	1979
7	8	KPGY-KUSR Quarterly Reports for Inter-Residence Hall Association	1980-1985
7	9	KPGY Program Logs	1980-1981
7	10	KPGY Personnel Department	1981-1983
8	1	KPGY Authorization	1982
8	2	KPGY to KUSR Call Letter Change	1982
8	3	KPGY Finding Committee – Memorandum	1982
8	4	KPGY Report & Recommendation of Funding Committee	1982
8	5	KPGY Program Logs	1982
8	6	KPGY Program/Transmitter Logs	n.d.
8	7	KPGY-KUSR Station Handbook	1983-1984
8	8	KPGY Staff Tests	n.d.
12	3	KPGY Logo Designs	n.d.

Description of series

Series 4	KUSR	1983-1996, n.d.
extent:	0.84 linear ft. (2 document boxes)
description:	The series consists of materials relating to KUSR. These documents include correspondence, staff lists, program logs, Board of Directors information, transmitter information, and Kaleidoquiz materials.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
8	9	KUSR Advisor	1983-1984
8	10	KUSR Awards	1983-1984
8	11	KUSR Engineering Department	1983-1985
8	12	KURE Government of the Student Body Funding Committee	1983-1985
8	13	KUSR Government of the Student Body Senate Meeting Minutes	1983-1985
8	14	KUSR Income Statements	1983-1984
8	15	KUSR Letterheads	1983-1986
8	16	KUSR Kaleidoquiz	1983-1985
12	5	KUSR News clippings	1983-1995
8	17	KUSR Policies, Rules and Guidelines	1983-1984
8	18	KUSR Program Logs	1983-1984
8	19	KUSR Sports Department	1983-1985
8	20	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1984-1985
8	21	KUSR Board of Directors Applications	1984-1985
9	1	KPGY-KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Agendas	1982-1985
9	2	KUSR Applications	1983-1985
9	3	KUSR Business Department	1984
9	4	KUSR Commercial Grants	1984-1985
9	5	KUSR Correspondence	1984
9	6	KUSR Equipment Inventory	1984-1985
9	7	KUSR Engineering Correspondence	1984
9	8	KUSR General Information	1984-1996
9	9	KUSR Flyers	1984-1985
9	10	KUSR Original Lyrics & Copyright	1984-1985
9	11	KUSR News clippings	1984-1997, n.d.
9	12	KUSR News Department	1984-1985, n.d.
9	13	KUSR Production Department	1984-1985, n.d.
9	14	KUSR Authorizations	1985-1996
9	15	KUSR-Inter-Residence Hall Association Correspondence and Meeting Minutes	1985
9	16	KUSR Letter to the Editor	1985
12	6	KUSR Logo Designs	1985
9	17	KUSR Surveys	1985
9	18	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1985-1986
9	19	KUSR Board of Directors	1986-1996
9	20	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1986-1987
9	21	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1988
9	22	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1988-1989
9	23	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1989-1990
9	24	KUSR Transmitter Information	1989
10	1	KUSR Board of Directors Resignations	1988-1994
10	2	KUSR Kaleidoquiz	1990-1995
10	3	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1990-1991
10	4	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1991-1992
10	5	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1991-1992
10	6	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1993-1994
10	7	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1994-1995
10	8	KUSR United Press International Agreement	1995
10	9	KUSR Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1996

Description of series

Series 5	KURE	1996-[ongoing]
extent:	0.63 linear ft. (1.5 document boxes)
description:	This consists of the records of KURE and includes correspondence, staff lists, program logs, Board of Directors information, news clippings, financial information, and Kaleidoquiz materials.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
10	12	KUSR-KURE DJ Handbook	1996
10	10	KURE General Information	1996-2003
10	13	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1997
11	1	KURE Federal Communications Commission Paperwork	1997-
10	15	KURE Budgets	1997, undated
11	3	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Agendas	1997-1998
10	14	KURE Board of Directors Resignations	1997-1999
11	2	KURE Kaleidoquiz	1997-2002
11	24	KURE DJ Handbook	1998
11	6	KURE Correspondence	1998, undated
11	4	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	1998-1999
11	7	KURE DJ Training Information	1998-2000
11	5	KURE-Inter-Residence Hall Association Paper	1998-2002
11	8	KURE Program Schedule	1998-2005
11	11	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Agendas	1999-2000
11	12	KURE General Manager Handbook: Gordon Ferguson	1999-2000
12	7	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	1999-2001
11	10	KURE Board of Directors Applications	1999-2005
11	9	KURE Board of Directors Lists	1999-2005
11	13	KURE Meeting Agendas	2000-2001
11	14	KURE Board Meeting Minutes	2001
11	15	Correspondence: General Managers and station announcements	2001-2005
11	17	KURE Sports Director Handbook	2002
11	16	KURE News clippings	2002-2004
11	19	KURE Kaleidoquiz	2003
12	8	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	2003-2004
11	18	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Agendas	2003-2004
11	20	KURE Automation and Remote Broadcast Design Report	2004
12	9	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	2005
11	21	KURE Authorization	2005
11	22	KURE Board of Directors Meeting Minutes	2005
11	25	KURE News Clippings	2005
11	23	KURE Press Releases	2005
12	10	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	2006
12	11-12	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	2007
12	13	Kaleidoquiz (KQ)	2008
12	14	KURE fliers	2008-2012
10	11	KURE Grants	undated