KOBB Radio
Concordia continued to air programs from campus; however, government regulations slowed the progress of creating a student-run radio station. Many Concordia broadcasts were aired on Fargo-Moorhead stations such as KGFK, WDAY, and KFGO. The dream of a student radio station localized to campus was first realized in March 1956 with the creation of the KOBB radio station. According to Erling Rolfsrud’s Cobber Chronicle, the programs aired on KOBB included variety shows of music and drama, news, interviews with notable campus guests, and student organization reports and discussions. When the station first began, it suffered from signal problems as the broadcasts could be heard through television sets of homes surrounding campus but not in some of the dormitories on campus. This problem was quickly remedied. The radio station further improved after a vote of the student senate and the administration to levy a $1 fee from students living in the dormitories to help fund the radio program.
The next ten years were a bit tumultuous for KOBB. Articles in the Concordian discuss negative student feedback about the station. Student senate members felt that student interest in the station was low and spending money on a program with little interest was not viable. Other articles state that KOBB suffered from lack of funding to secure proper equipment needed for a high-caliber student radio station. These sentiments continued into the mid-1960s when the station manager approached student senate to secure funding. The station manager’s report cited a number of problems the station faced including poor space, lack of equipment, and not enough funding. The proposed budget of $676.86 included monies to fix these ailments. A January 14, 1966 Concordian article states that the station was indeed remodeled and continued to operate. Despite this attempt to improve KOBB, student senate voted in the fall of 1966 to suspend funding.