90 years ago, on April 1st, 1929, the first radio broadcast originating from the

University of Kentucky campus was heard statewide.  Using phone lines leased

between Lexington and Louisville, WHAS radio in Louisville, carried the broadcast.  The

University of Kentucky became then one of the few American educational institutions

operating a radio station.  That first broadcast in 1929, involved the University of

Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and the UK College of Agriculture, concerning

“programs for farmers and housewives throughout Kentucky.”  The program became a

staple on WHAS for many years to come, and may have marked the beginning of an

important relationship between agriculture programs and information broadcast on

the radio.  In this special report, Jeff Franklin of UK Ag Communications, takes a closer look at the

unique relationship between agriculture in the news and radio.