KCBS All News Radio 740 AM and 106.9 FM will celebrate its 100th anniversary on Thursday where it all began on the corner of First and San Fernando streets in San Jose.

That’s where Charles David “Doc” Herrold (left) operated Herrold’s College of Wireless and Engineering (right). Herrold and his students started what is widely believed to be the first station to have regularly scheduled broadcasts. Initially the station was only identified as “San Jose Calling” and then KQW. CBS bought the station in 1949, moved it to San Francisco and changed the call letters to KCBS.

In 1968, KCBS and other CBS-owned AM stations switched to an all-news format.

In May 2006, KCBS and KPIX-TV moved their San Jose news bureau to the former Knight Ridder building at First and San Fernando streets where Herrold’s school had been located. A plaque commemorating the founding of KCBS is located outside the San Fernando Street entrance to the building.

On Thursday, Stan Bunger and Rebecca Corral will anchor the news at noon from First and San Fernando streets. San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed will be on hand to commemorate the KCBS centennial.

Prize giveaways include 100 tickets to see the Doc Herrold/KCBS exhibit at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose; 100 commemorative KCBS centennial t-shirts and 100 free pizzas from Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria.

For more about the history of KCBS, here’s a link to homepage the station has created with photos and facts about its past. (Photo credits: KCBS)