WJCU began as WABU on May 13, 1969 via a 10 watt signal at 88.9 MHz. That same year, the station adopted the callsign WUJC. In 1977, the station began broadcasting at 88.7 MHz. For less than one day, on September 24, 1982, the station carried the callsign WUJC-FM; that same day, the station re-adopted the WUJC callsign. On January 12, 1998, the station adopted the callsign WJCU. In the spring of 2006 the power was increased to 1,000 watts and by summer was up to its current output of 2,500 watts.
Current programming
WJCU features a weekday daytime format with eclectic and diversified block programming each evening and weekend. While many of the shows feature music, there are also a number of talk/spoken word programs, most of which are locally produced by community broadcasters. Sundays are the special province of ethnic/community shows with locally produced tastes of Jewish, Lithuanian, Italian, Hungarian, Armenian, Chinese, and Latina culture. Students dominate the Heights, a weekday 6 am - 6 pm format mix of adult alternative music, with a little world & local news and community affairs in the mix. The station also carries some JCU Blue Streak varsity football and basketball broadcasts, with more extensive sports coverage provided on the WJCU Two web-only special event stream. While some of the block-programmed weekly specialty shows are programmed by student show hosts, a number of community broadcasters host weekly shows, many of which have been long-running and have a considerable audience. Among these broadcasters is Bill Peters, whose show Metal on Metal has supported the Cleveland heavy metal scene along with WJCU and Cleveland college radio with regular benefit concerts since its first weekly broadcast in 1982. The station has a number of long-running programs. Retro Radio is a tribute to Cleveland's legendary Top 40 station "WIXY-1260", Caribbean Groove occupies the longest contiguous time block on Saturday nights and features island beats, and author and poet George Bilgere hosts Wordplay, an aptly named take on the spoken word. Most of the specialty programming at the station enjoys both a national and international audience via the station's multi-format web streams. WJCU is also home to the nationally distributed talk showThe Outspoken Cyclist. In addition, the station is the official home of John Carroll University football, basketball, and baseball. Well known past programs include Kick Out the Jams, Music to Break Things By, Left of Center, -/syntax radio transmission, Lo-Fi, The Butters, and Atmospheres.
