In the early 1950s, the Telecommunicative Arts Program, which was then known as Radio and Television Education, was created for students interested in studying radio, television, and film production. The program was offered as an option within the Department of English and Speech. The program was designed to help students achieve the following objectives: acquisition of broadcasting skills, development of a background in broadcasting, assessment of current problems facing the industry, development of management skills, and the development of effective and professional production habits. Courses were offered to include the following topics: programming, production, performance, writing, and management. The mission of the Telecommunicative Arts Program sought to support teaching, research, creative pursuits, and service functions of radio, television, and film.

Studies in the Telecommunicative Arts Program integrated the WOI radio and television stations, college-owned and operated until 1994, as well as Iowa State’s Film Production Unit and a closed-circuit educational television system to ensure modern techniques and instruction. Students worked in apprenticeships and internships at WOI to gain real world experience before graduation. In the 1980s, a Telecommunicative Arts major was formalized under the Department of Speech Communication. In 1989, the Journalism and Mass Communication Program was combined with the Telecommunicative Arts Program to integrate the traditional journalism program into a more broad-based program covering all media.