STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Glasgow’s original 1490 AM radio signal is preparing to mark a major broadcasting milestone, as the station’s 80th anniversary arrives on Sept. 25, 2026.
On Friday, at 2 p.m. there will be an anniversary broadcast and community gathering at Commonwealth Broadcasting’s studios at Commerce Plaza, 113 W. Public Square, Suite 400, in downtown Glasgow.
The program will include a recreation of portions of WKAY’s original 1946 sign-on broadcast. The station, now known as WCLU 1490 AM, first went on the air in September 1946 under the call letters WKAY.
The call letters were changed in 1988 when Henry Royse bought the station and chose the call letters as they were also the his children’s initials.
A ribbon cutting with Barren Inc will precede the anniversary broadcast.
History of Radio
Clovis Sadler wrote about the history of radio in Glasgow. His recount was published in “Barren County Heritage: A Pictorial History of Barren County.” Cecil E. Goode and Woodford L. Gardner compiled the book, which was published in 1980.
What follows is a synopsis of what Sadler wrote.
1490 AM first signed on in 1946 under the call letters WKAY and became the city’s first radio station.
The push to bring radio to Glasgow took shape shortly after World War II, when several civic-minded residents decided the community needed its own station.
They formed a corporation and applied to the Federal Communications Commission, which approved their plans to build a local outlet.
On Sept. 25, 1946, Glasgow’s new station came on the air as WKAY, providing a dedicated radio voice for the city and surrounding area.
Station records indicate the original board of directors and financial backers focused heavily on public service rather than profit.
The board believed WKAY would likely not be profitable and voted that any profits from the first five years would go to Glasgow Community Hospital.
That emphasis on service helped shape the station’s early identity and mission in the community.
WKAY went on to pioneer several innovations in Kentucky radio, including a live “radio auction” launched in 1947 in partnership with the Glasgow Lions Club.
Profits from that auction were given to the National Polio Foundation, and the effort drew national recognition for both the station and the Lions Club.
The people involved with WKAY in its early days were described as reading like a “Who’s Who in Glasgow,” reflecting the level of local engagement.
The station also helped bring mobile broadcasting to Kentucky by building what was described as the state’s first mobile studio.
That mobile unit was showcased during Glasgow’s first “Sidewalk Days,” which WKAY promoted and supervised.
The 80th anniversary of 1490 AM’s debut offers an opportunity to look back at Glasgow’s pioneering role in Kentucky broadcasting and the station’s long-running commitment to community service.
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Key Facts
– 1490 AM in Glasgow was the city’s first radio station, signing on Sept. 25, 1946 as WKAY
– Civic leaders formed a corporation after World War II to build the station
– Early profits were pledged to Glasgow Community Hospital for the first five years
– WKAY pioneered a radio auction with the Glasgow Lions Club starting in 1947
– The auction’s proceeds supported the National Polio Foundation and gained national attention
– The 80th anniversary of 1490 AM comes on Sept. 25, 2026
