WWHI was licensed on October 15, 1950 as the radio station of Wilson Junior High School. It broadcast on 91.5 MHz with 10 watts. The power was increased in 1968 beyond the original 10 watts. In 1971, the station, including its transmitter tower, was transferred to Muncie Southside High School. Five years later, an allocation change affecting various FM stations in the Muncie area resulted in a move to 91.3. "WCRD" began its operations as a carrier current AM radio station on the Ball State campus in 1986. On March 13, 1995, WCRD programs began being broadcast on WWHI outside of school hours. In 2005, WCRD obtained the license for WWHI for one dollar from Muncie Community Schools, allowing the station to broadcast beyond their carrier circuit. In the fall of 2008, a new broadcasting antenna was installed atop the West Quad building smokestack on the Ball State campus, allowing a greater broadcasting range. In 2015, with the antenna failing and plans to dismantle the unused smokestack, this antenna was replaced with a new one on top of the Teacher's College building. The new antenna was installed in late 2015 and powered up on February 29, 2016, one hour after the previous site was powered down. A live stream of the station is also available on WCRD's website as well as periodically on Cardinal Vision, Channel 57, on Ball State's campus. A live web camera in the WCRD studio was added Fall 2008. This allows online listeners to view the DJ and guests in the studio. The camera was turned off following website updates in 2012. In 2012, WCRD introduced a mascot, the Wild Crazy Radio Dude. The Radio Dude could be found at WCRD events as well as out and about campus multiple days of the week. This mascot was discontinued in 2014.
Programs
WCRD broadcasts a variety of music programs, as well as all 18 of Ball State's collegiate sports, making it the only school in the Mid-American Conference to broadcast all sports. WCRD Radio has a half-hour live news show every weekday, WCRD News Live @ 5, from 5 to 5:30 p.m. WCRD also broadcasts its morning show, "The Morning Chirp," from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Awards
Since 2003, WCRD has won several awards, including more than 20 Communicator Awards from the International Academy of the Visual Arts, awards from the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters' College Competition, the Society of Professional Journalists, Indiana Broadcasters Association, and an ADDY Award from the American Advertising Federation. In the fall of 2015, and again in 2017, WCRD was named the IASB College Radio Station of the Year. In addition, WCRD was nominated for a 2009 mtvUWoodie Award. The station was voted the Best in the Midwest and placed among the Top Five in the country. WCRD was again nominated for a college radio Woodie in 2014 and placed in the top 5 of all college radio stations in the country.
