Jacob Jordan, a Physics professor, developed the first KOAC radio transmitter in 1922 in Apperson Hall at Oregon Agriculture College, currently known as Oregon State University. The first test program was an O.A.C Football game.

A year later on January 23, 1923 the KOAC transmitter hits the airway with the call sign KDFJ-AM.

As radio took hold across America and the listening audience increasesd dramatically, the possibility of reaching out by radio to the public became a reality. In 1930 the percentage of rural households with radio sets, was approximately 23 percent, and about double that percentage in urban areas, about 40 percent of American homes owned a radio. By 1940 that ownership had doubled to an amazing eighty three percent. [1]

OSU's KOAC radio was among the leaders in offering educatoional programming when it began offering its "School of the Air" programming beginning in 1930. [2] But even earlier KOAC programming was focused on teaching, and learning, using this new technology, radio.

In the Radio Programs of 1925-26 of station K-OAC brochure ontaining the radio programming schedule for that year, Monday night programing was devoted entirely to agricultural topics. The 78 talks that year were given by 28 faculty members and with a focus on the "interests and problems of the homemaker."  The Freiday night programming that year featured 105 lectures by 45 faculty members from colleges across the university covering a wide variety of topics with application to daily life.

Dr. Paul Maris, then Director of the Extension Service in the Program's Introduction, invites all radio listerners to become learners,

"By means of the radio you may become affiliated with this
institution and the recipient of its benefits. You are cordially
invited to enroll as a member of the radio student body. We solicit
your help, your constructive criticism and your cooperation,
to the end that Radio Station KOAC of the Oregon State Agricultural
College may attain to the fullest measure of usefulness
and value to the people of the state."

References:

1. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, June 2004

2. http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/extension/koac/...

1922
Historical