90.3 FM, Lincoln

Through the Years

• 1970

  February 23, 1970-  KRNU signs on with 10 wats at 166 feet.  Replaces “worn out” closed-circuit station no longer useful in training.   Programming:  “General.”   Includes many genres of music, but mostly indie rock and experimental music.  Some of the other genres that are played include Jazz, Folk, Rap and A Cappella.  There are also sports talk programs and play-by-play programs of the Nebraska Cornhuskers home sporting events.   Main Studio: 901 N. 17th Street in Lincoln.  Transmitter:  880 N. 17th Street (adjacent to studio).

• 1971

  Main studio and transmitter moved to 601 N. 12th Street.  Antenna height is increased to 180 feet.

• 1974

  Adds ABC Contemporary and MBS networks.

• 1986

  KRNU upgrades power to 100 watts.

• 1988

  Studios are moved to 206 Avery Hall.  Transmitter remains at Oldfather Hall, 600 North 12th Street.

• 2001

  Studios moved to 147 Anderson Hall.

• 2019

  September, 2019- Transmission line and tower problems result in temporary authority to operate with power reduction at 30%.  Only occasionally returns to full power as problems persist in the coming months.

• 2020

  Launches as “The New 90.3 KRNU” featuring a tighter rotation of independent and local artists and bands, along with less specialty show programming.  The old format continues online as “KRNU 2” with all of the specialty shows no longer in the new format.  After a period of time, branding is changed to “New Music for Lincoln.”

• 2022

  April, 2022- KRNU is granted a fifth extension of special temporary authority as work to replace its tower continues.  The station’s latest filing says the university has approved specifications for the project and is now out for bids.  It has been operating at 30% of its licensed 100 watts at times since 2019, when the discovery of water and ice in the transmission line led to the finding that the entire tower needed to be replaced.