Local campus radio station CKDU is celebrating its 30th year on air this week in Halifax.

On Feb. 1, 1985 the station launched its first Canadian Radio and Television Commission-listed FM broadcast onto the airwaves.

This past week, CKDU has been throwing events to commemorate the celebration with past and current on-air personalities, like Walter Kemp. Kemp is the host of the Saturday Morning Musical Box, a show which has been on air since Feb. 2, 1985.

Over the past three decades Kemp has seen how the station has adapted to new media technologies.

"We've gone along with the development of technology. Believe it or not, we weren't playing CDs back then," he said.

"We started broadcasting with very small coverage and now we've moved on up to reach out past the airport and even Lunenburg"

​Kemp said technology has extended CKDU's reach even further.

"Of course a major advance has been going online. I got a call one morning from Hong Kong where someone was listening," he said.

'Most famous export' is Rich Terfry

Gianna Lauren is the station coordinator for for CKDU. She said the personalities on air have changed, but the character of the building has stayed in tact.

"The folks who are coming to visit us to celebrate our 30th are walking the same halls that they walked in 1985 and in some ways, CKDU holds on to things that other radio stations are probably getting rid of," she said.

"We’ve adapted to the changing times but in other ways it’s like a time capsule."

The station has also worked as a springboard for personalities to launch their careers — most notably, the host of CBC’s Radio 2 Drive, Rich Terfry.

"Our most famous export would be Rich Terfry who was hosting a late night music and DJ program at CKDU as Stinkin' Rich," said Lauren.

Lauren believes that, in the future, CKDU will see growth in its move towards digital. She also believes through outreach, the station can include more universities in its broadcast.

"Hopefully CKDU, in 30 years, will still be broadcasting from the fourth floor of the Dalhousie Student Union building. I hope we can grow to include some more campuses. It would be great to get more universities involved and I’m sure there will be lots of conversations towards digital libraries," said Laruen.

"I hope that in 30 years we’re still programming 24 hours a day with mostly local and independent content."

At the end of February, CKDU plans on releasing a retrospective book on the station as well as an audio documentary.