About Us

Station History

KCWU, also known as "88.1 The Burg’," is a student-run radio station located at Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg, Washington.

The station has a long history, dating back to 1958 when it began transmitting on 880 AM as a carrier current station called KCAT. In 1962, the FCC granted the Central Washington College of Education a non-commercial, educational FM broadcast license to operate KCWS, a 10-watt FM station that signed on the air on April 29th.

In 1980, KCAT switched from an AM carrier current station to an FM cable station, transmitting its signal through King Video Cable in Ellensburg. In 1995, KCAT became an officially recognized department under the CWU Division of Student Affairs and obtained a construction permit to build a 500-watt, non-commercial educational FM station at 88.1 MHz. The call letters were changed to KCWU by the FCC, as "KCAT" was already in use in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

On September 19, 1998, KCWU-FM began 24/7 live operation and has since evolved to include a mix of music, talk shows, and sports programming. The station is run entirely by students and managed by three professional staff members, providing a valuable learning opportunity for students while also ensuring the station is professionally managed. In addition to serving as a valuable learning opportunity for students, KCWU also serves as a valuable resource for the community, providing information about local events and issues.

KCWU has a long history of community involvement and has won numerous awards for its programming and service to the community. In 2006, the station moved to a new state-of-the-art facility in the SUB/Recreation Facility, and in 2015, it was named the Best College Radio Station (with enrollment of 10,000 students or more) by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System at their 75th annual College Media Conference. In 2022, KCWU won this award for a second time. The station continues to be a vital part of the CWU campus and the surrounding community.

Professional Affiliations​

Washington State Association of Broadcasters (WSAB); Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS); College Broadcasters System (CBI); National Association of Broadcasters (NAB); College Radio Day (CRD)

Public File​

The public is welcome to view KCWU's Public Inspection File during regular office hours, Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, at our main office located in the Central Washington University Student Union and Recreation Center Building, Room 120. If you have any questions about the Public Inspection File, you can contact the station's General Manager, Tommy Skaggs, at Tommy.Skaggs@cwu.edu. For more information about Public Inspection File guidelines for FM broadcast stations, visit the FCC's website at www.fcc.gov.