KROC-AM was founded on September 30, 1935, by Stanley E. Hubbard, President and part owner of the Southern Minnesota Broadcasting Company, and Gregory Gentling, who served as the first station manager. The idea behind KROC-AM was to create a radio station that would provide news, entertainment, and community service to the Rochester area and southeastern Minnesota. In 1937, Gregory Gentling purchased the station outright. Today, KROC-AM is owned by Townsquare Media, a major media company that acquired the station in 2013 as part of a larger deal with Cumulus Media. KROC-AM, based in Rochester, Minnesota, covers a wide range of news including local and national stories, politics, sports, and community events. As an affiliate of ABC Radio Network since 1990, it broadcasts popular network programs while also producing original content such as local news shows and investigative reports. The station serves the Greater Rochester area and beyond through various broadcast frequencies and online streaming. **One interesting fact**: KROC-AM has a unique history of being the first radio station in the world to broadcast swimming lessons on air. In July 1936, the station's Sports Editor Einar "Butch" Morgenson and Rochester swimming instructor Vane Baatz put on a program three days a week, teaching listeners how to swim through radio broadcasts.