The history of public radio in ŷֳ germinated in a student club at ŷֳ in the early 1930s, and in 1936 PC added broadcast radio to its curriculum. In 1951, a new radio station hit the ŷֳ airwaves, operating at just 10 watts. KFCA’s signal reached a radius of just a few miles around ŷֳ near 15th Avenue and Thomas Road, where the station was based in PC’s physics department.
KFCA was 88.5 on the FM dial. An Arizona Republic news clipping boasted KFCA as ŷֳ’s new frequency modulation radio station, with two hours of programming between 4 and 6 pm weekdays.
For a few years, the student-run broadcasts ran for an hour or two a day, up to four or five hours daily. In 1958, the station aimed at expanding its programming from private record collections to college news, sports and creative writing, although it was still only broadcasting a few hours a week.
In the mid-1960s, KFCA began shaping its future as a public radio station. Programming throughout the decade saw music, news, interviews, sports and specialty programs focusing on agriculture and more. In 1967, the station’s frequency was increased to 50 watts, and it moved to 91.5 FM. By late 1968, KFCA was broadcasting from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Friday and for 10 hours on Saturdays.