The radio, since its invention in the late 1800s, served as perhaps the most important invention throughout the twentieth century. For decades, listeners across the U.S. listen to the radio for news, music, information, and entertainment. The radio has also helped shape an increasingly connected world as it can be accessed through automobiles, mobile devices, and the internet. When Louisiana’s first radio station aired in 1922, a new chapter in the state’s history began that connected people on an unprecedented level.

To identify radio stations in the U.S., stations are assigned call signs by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The letter “K” in a radio call sign is for radio stations west of the Mississippi River, which includes Southwest Louisiana, the area also known as Acadiana. Historically, radio stations have played a large part in the daily lives of people in Acadiana in times of war and peace, for promoting and preserving culture, and in providing resources for local communities.

This tour will tell the stories of six radio stations throughout Acadiana whose histories can still be heard today.