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Part 2: Let's Start at the Very Beginning
From a document in the WUNC scrapbook:
"On May 26, 1940 WUNC, as a student station, made its first AM broadcast. Then on November 3, 1952 WUNC began broadcasting as an FM station. Then a few months later, in March 1953, WUNC held its dedication ceremony with Earl Wynn, Director of the Communications Center presiding."
As far as we know, there are no tapes or transcriptions from the 1940s. However, we do have a 1953 broadcast featuring two famous WUNC voices. This aired statewide on the new WUNC and a small network of other stations.
Below, you can hear the 1953 Sign On Audio with UNC students Carl Kasell and Charles Kuralt (and others): Unedited, full 30 min. broadcast. (Left, photo of Kasell and Kuralt in 1954 presenting a newscast.)
Listen Now!
At first WUNC was on a few hours a day and then eventually for most of the daylight hours. It was staffed entirely by UNC Students and community volunteers. The station continued in this form until an equipment failure ended the second broadcast era in 1970. (The station came back on-air for a few months in 1971, but the repairs put in place the year before did not take.) The airwaves were silent for nearly six years.
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| Tim Warner in a 1977 fund raising photo |
In the mid 70s a small group began a push to return WUNC to the arwaves. The new WUNC would sign on on April 3, 1976. Tim Warner, WUNC's first engineer and later the Program Director, recalls in a 1999 interview (audio below) the first day of WUNC - a day that almost didn't happen because of a cranky transmitter.
In addition to Tim's recollection of that day, the audio below has a slightly abridged version of the first program heard on WUNC in 1976. The broadcast begins with "Hark the Sound of Tarheel Voices" (a song that happens to be UNC-CH's alma mater).
Listen Now!
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| Bill Little, early WUNC supporter |
One of WUNC's earliest volunteer classical announcers was Connie Moses, who played classical recordings on WUNC daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. She's pictured in WUNC's studios in early summer 1976.
Pledge drives have always been a part of WUNC's history. Below is one of the earliest preserved WUNC pledge drives, recorded around 8 or 9 p.m. on a Saturday evening in 1978. Voices include those of Gary Shivers, Barbara Schutz (then WUNC's Development Director), Professor Bill Little, and Mark Klugman (the guy who wants his own fan club!)
1978 Fund Drive
Listen Now!
Did you notice the phone number?
Seen left, an early "special premium" homebrewed by one of WUNC's announcers. Yes, you could pledge for it.
On to Part 3: The 80s>
