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KGRG goes silent

valvashon

valvashon

Here is the STA filed for KGRG-FM, 89.9, Auburn (and translator K207AP):

KGRG-FM 210A Auburn, WA
K207AP Sumner & Lake Tapps, WA
Silent STA Request
June 2024
KGRG-FM has lost the use of its licensed transmitter site. The station discontinued operation on
June 20th, and the antenna has been removed from the tower. Operation of associated FM
translator K207AP was discontinued on June 18th, in anticipation of loss of its input
programming feed.
The licensee will now be seeking a new transmitter site for KGRG-FM, and requests Silent STA
for a full six-month period to facilitate that search. The translator will remain silent while the
KGRG-FM remains silent, and a six-month Silent STA is therefore requested for the translator,
as well.
(Please note that this request is unrelated to the concurrently-filed Silent STA request for
KGRG(AM).)
And the one filed for KGRG-AM 1330, Enumclaw:

KGRG(AM) 1330 kHz Enumclaw, WA
Silent STA Request
June 2024
On June 24, 2024, KGRG(AM) experienced an equipment failure at the transmitter site, and the
station is currently off the air. Station engineering staff are actively diagnosing the problem and
will be working to make repairs. Our goal is to have the station back on the air by August 1st, but
a full six-month Silent STA is requested out of an abundance of caution.
(Please note that this request is unrelated to the concurrently-filed Silent STA request for KGRG-
FM and its FM translator K207AP.)

KGRG-FM's transmitter site appears to be, according to MapGoogle, a mobile phone tower in south Auburn, the same site they have had for decades. While they may well have lost the use of this site, it does seem suspicious that this occured at the end of the school year, considering that the station changed formats during this last school year from locally focused altenative to something similar to KNHC. Also the Journalism 115 "Radio Lab" link now returns a 404 page.

My suspicion is the lack of interest and enrollment caused the format switch to something easy and inoffensive and that it was automated for the rest of the school year as they were figuring out what to do. Schools often set their fall schedule in the spring of the previous year and the radio program may have been cut for lack of interest. They probably lost their access to the tower and removed their equipment due to no longer wanting to pay the rent. And if it's all getting shut down a silent STA for the AM has to be filed too.

While I do have some real problems with KEXP (DJ's: shut up, play some music and stop with the "shout outs") this signal at 89.9 would be a good coverage extension in the South Sound for their programming. The license for the largely overlapping K207AP could be returned as well as the one for KGRG-AM. This would be better than handing it off to a religious outfit to be yet another satellite station.

I used to work at KGHP-FM (also 89.9) and on the very crowded spot of 89.9 on the dial I never thought that KGHP would outlast KGRG, although it will probalby only be by a few months. Also, I was listening to KGRG-AM on the Monday that they shut down. Their programming was still running even though the FM was silent and in the afternoon, the AM was on with a dead carrier. The "failue" at the AM site was the fact that the program feed to it was shut off.

Val
 
Compared to KNHC, Bates, KVTI (Clover Park) and to an extent, KEXP, KGRG has always been kind of a joke when it comes to NCE's in the Northwest. I'm kind of surprised it hasn't kicked the bucket sooner.
 
The format change wasn't a great move. I'm not saying the previous format was a raging success, but it at least had heritage and its own niche. They could have gone full time Triple A and probably gotten some donors out of it in the wake of the KPNW flip, if they programmed to the upper demos KEXP isn't concerned with - a little more Brandi Carlile and the like, more traditional rock and Americana product instead of the electronica and other stuff KEXP mixes in. KMIH has moments of this but then throws in some truly odd mainstream pop or random classic rock that doesn't fit the vibe. KBCS in afternoon drive is decent for that sort of stuff, usually.

I like much of what KEXP does and respect their DJs, but some of them go way overboard with the listener shout outs. I get that it's a community, listener powered, but I'd like to hear more about the music and a little less about what so and so is doing with their day.

I know a lot of you don't see much value in these stations, but NCEs have some value if you can deliver niche but consistent professional programming - KNHC is an example, they have a lane, they super serve it. KEXP as well. There's a few other stations that could at least get some donors and underwriters by doing the same, and it would teach their remaining media students something about branding and serving their "customers."
 
Andy Travis said:
I know a lot of you don't see much value in these stations, but NCEs have some value if you can deliver niche but consistent professional programming - KNHC is an example, they have a lane, they super serve it. KEXP as well. There's a few other stations that could at least get some donors and underwriters by doing the same, and it would teach their remaining media students something about branding and serving their "customers."
Click to expand...
And both KNHC and KEXP get a large batch of fundraising dollars from streaming. If you don't stream the unique programming, you're leaving a ton of money on the table.
 
That's sad news, because it's one less opportunity for young people to learn about radio and broadcasting. With that being said, I absolutely believe that many student radio stations are a waste of time, money, and effort. If you really want to build a career in broadcasting (and have the basic skillset to make it happen), you're far better off finding a small radio station to work for than to waste tuition money on this kind of thing. I think student radio is great if serves as a "club" or extracurricular activity a student can join, but I'd hate to see anyone spend their tuition money on a broadcasting program (which they could learn for free if they played their cards right).

As for KGRG specifically, I think the writing has been on the wall for a while. I don't think it makes a ton of sense to have another CHR oriented station on the air, much less one that has an incredibly small contour. At least with the rock format, it served a niche purpose (and could likely attract some listeners with the power of streaming).

If I were KGRG, I'd bail on AM and FM. Perhaps keep the equipment and continue to offer a small extra curricular program for students who want to explore what it's like to operate a radio station. Allow this program to be something supplementary to their education (as to not become another broadcasting program, which are entirely irrelevant in 2024). If nothing else, don't waste unnecessary funding on two physical radio stations that receive few listeners.
 
fordranger797 said:
That's sad news, because it's one less opportunity for young people to learn about radio and broadcasting. With that being said, I absolutely believe that many student radio stations are a waste of time, money, and effort. If you really want to build a career in broadcasting (and have the basic skillset to make it happen), you're far better off finding a small radio station to work for than to waste tuition money on this kind of thing. I think student radio is great if serves as a "club" or extracurricular activity a student can join, but I'd hate to see anyone spend their tuition money on a broadcasting program (which they could learn for free if they played their cards right).
Click to expand...
I agree totally.

In a sense, I was fortunate to have dropped out of High School in my junior year. I then interned with a radio group / cluster operator of 5 stations, and then went on from there. I got my GED and went to college about a decade later and took nearly no broadcasting courses; I did business and sociology.

In my senior year of college, I got a "dispensation" to take one broadcast course: Broadcast Management. I wrote a term paper about using gender-favoring formats to deliver advertiser targets and got a rather poor grade. Then I went to manage a dead AM & FM in Market 14 where I used the same process I wrote about... and went to #2 overall, #1 in 18-49 women and highest market billing.

So I agree: hang out at a station, get an internship, get part time work. But study real world subjects that work in fields like advertising, media, "new" media and all kinds of other areas. Heck, with some media experience one might end up as ad manager of a larger business and not a jock wondering why there were no 7 to Midnight shift openings any more.
 
DavidEduardo said:
I agree totally.

In a sense, I was fortunate to have dropped out of High School in my junior year. I then interned with a radio group / cluster operator of 5 stations, and then went on from there. I got my GED and went to college about a decade later and took nearly no broadcasting courses; I did business and sociology.

In my senior year of college, I got a "dispensation" to take one broadcast course: Broadcast Management. I wrote a term paper about using gender-favoring formats to deliver advertiser targets and got a rather poor grade. Then I went to manage a dead AM & FM in Market 14 where I used the same process I wrote about... and went to #2 overall, #1 in 18-49 women and highest market billing.

So I agree: hang out at a station, get an internship, get part time work. But study real world subjects that work in fields like advertising, media, "new" media and all kinds of other areas. Heck, with some media experience one might end up as ad manager of a larger business and not a jock wondering why there were no 7 to Midnight shift openings any more.
Click to expand...
The only reason I got started in radio is because I found a station that was willing to show me how to do it (after getting to meet me and see that I at least had some sort of quality that could translate to broadcasting and media), and I was attending a school that offered an internship program. I learned everything I needed to know without paying any extra money to do it. And frankly, I think I learned a lot more from that experience.

I genuinely like the idea of student operated radio stations, but I hate the idea of blocking them off behind a special “program” that you have to enroll in (and pay extra for). In practice, I’ve seen a lot of new grads from broadcast programs over the years who seemed to lack the natural ability to broadcast well. I’m sure they learned how to press the buttons correctly and use the computer, but that doesn’t mean you’re Howard Stern. Why not just volunteer your time for free, and let the pros decide if you should continue or not?
 
speer360 said:
The only thing SPS funds is 2 teachers and supplying the school. Rest is donations funded.
Click to expand...
I agree, but the donated funds all go into the SSD1 general budget. None if it is accessible by the radio program without permission by the Superintendent and Board. Knowing that school district and KNHC as I do, its highly unlikely the station would be allowed to work a deal to add coverage via leasing or buying another radio station when they already pay for a transmitter site lease on Cougar Mt. Besides, isn't there a derelict AM station involved with KGRG too? That's a disqualifying factor right there.
 
Kelly A said:
I agree, but the donated funds all go into the SSD1 general budget. None if it is accessible by the radio program without permission by the Superintendent and Board. Knowing that school district and KNHC as I do, its highly unlikely the station would be allowed to work a deal to add coverage via leasing or buying another radio station when they already pay for a transmitter site lease on Cougar Mt. Besides, isn't there a derelict AM station involved with KGRG too? That's a disqualifying factor right there.
Click to expand...
I don’t see why they would want to either. KNHC already has a very good contour (for what it is). I don’t think KGRG adds anything to what they already have. It just doesn’t seem like it would be a sound decision.
 
fordranger797 said:
I don’t see why they would want to either. KNHC already has a very good contour (for what it is). I don’t think KGRG adds anything to what they already have. It just doesn’t seem like it would be a sound decision.
Click to expand...
You're right. KNHC has more of a full market signal, even with their directional pattern, than some of the rimshots from Gold Mt.
 
Sad to see them go, really. Never heard the FM, because of terrain shadows and distance, but the AM came in well during the day with the Classic, grunge-heavy Alternative. Then they changed format to regular alternative, which wasn't bad, but the grunge-heavy Classic Alternative seemed to have more personality to it. Not many local stations at the time were playing early Mudhoney singles or Pearl Jam deep cuts.
 
speer360 said:
Throwing it out, KNHC 89.5 and KGRG 89.9 together?

KGRG FM Signal would fill in some holes in the sound end for KNHC.
Click to expand...
The likely scenario if KNHC is involved in some way is that the KGRG/K207AP license gets turned in and KNHC files for a non directional pattern and or an increase in power. In the meantime, Green River has turned in the license for the AM and sold the land for a housing development. There's not much out there but new houses have to go somewhere.
 
boombox4 said:
Sad to see them go, really. Never heard the FM, because of terrain shadows and distance, but the AM came in well during the day with the Classic, grunge-heavy Alternative. Then they changed format to regular alternative, which wasn't bad, but the grunge-heavy Classic Alternative seemed to have more personality to it. Not many local stations at the time were playing early Mudhoney singles or Pearl Jam deep cuts.
Click to expand...
Interestingly enough, the AM signal was intended to be the entry level teaching tool. Students would first learn how to do some basic voice tracking in a rudimentary studio. If they wanted to continue with the program (and take other classes focused on broadcasting), the FM station was the next stop.
 
Someone should buy 1330 and resurrect KENU and make it Country Gold! But if it's already a foregone conclusion well.... nevermind then. Could you imagine, though a fun little roadside studio with a large window into the booth and live DJ's during daytime hours in downtown Enumscratch??
 


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