History of WOI
The origins of WOI Radio.

WOI Radio 80 + Years

The history of broadcasting at Iowa State University dates back to 1911. That is when physics professor Dad Hoffman rigged a transmission line from the campus water tower to Engineering Hall and asked for money to establish a wireless telegraph station. In 1914 the electrical engineering department of Iowa State College installed and began operation of a small transmitter under the call letters 9YI. Newspaper reports from 1913 indicate station 9YI was regularly sending and receiving weather reports by Morse code. In 1915 the engineers took the show on the road and took the amazing technology to the Iowa State Fair.

On April 28, 1922, with new call letters assigned by the Radio Division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, WOI-AM went on the air with its first regular feature market news. Announcers read commodity prices gathered by ticker tape and Morse code. At that time it was one of 21 colleges and universities holding broadcasting licenses. In the fall the station broadcast its first Iowa State Football game. Andy Woolfries introduced the Music Shop, one of the longest running programs in radio history, in 1925. The Book Club began in 1927 and ended it's run in 2006. 

In the 1930s and 40s the scope of the WOI program service broadened to encompass and extend to Iowans the entire range of the colleges activities. Agricultural programs and programs for homemakers continued along with forums, lectures and classical music. All reflected the diversity of the colleges teaching, research, and enrichment activities. This was reflected in the broad philosophy of extending resources of the University to the people of the State of Iowa.

WOI-FM, the first FM station in Iowa, aired on July 1, 1949 with stereo broadcasting coming in 1955. The WOI-FM program schedule would run on the air from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Programs offered would include: Classical Concerts, Dinner Hour News, Articles of Interest with Norman Cleary and Starlight Concerts. WOI-AM was on the air from 6:00 AM until 7:45 PM in July with such programs as: Down on the Farm, Homemakers, Georgetown Forums, Sixty PlusFor Elder Citizens and A Look at Australia. WOI-AM also broadcast the Iowa State University Cyclones football thrillers on Saturday afternoons in the Fall of 1952.

National Public Radio, the news and information organization that brings Morning Edition, Car Talk, Fresh Air and many more programs to the airwaves was formed in 1970. On May 31, 1971 WOI was one of 90 public radio stations to air NPR's first program, All Things Considered.

Today the WOI Radio Group includes WOI AM-640, KTPR FM-91.1 from Ft. Dodge IA, WOI-FM 90.1 KWOI FM-90.7 in Carroll, KOWI FM-97.9 Lamoni and worldwide via streaming on the web at www.woi.org.

Supposedly, WOI received its call letters randomly. However legend has it that two faculty members in the Iowa State College Treasurers Office were wondering what call letters would be suitable for the new station for which the application was being made. Happening to note Iowa State College in reverse through a frosted glass window in the office door, they came up with WOI, the last three letters in IOWA in reverse. This isn't a fact that can be confirmed or denied but who cares? It's a good story.