Peninsula School District considering their options:
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Future of KGHP/Gig Harbor in doubt
- Thread starter DN14224
- Start date
I find it kind of ironic that they talk about podcasting as a rationale for keeping the radio station around. Many successful podcaster's started with a mic, mixer and laptop in their basement. One doesn't need to be on a radio station to learn how to run a podcast. If anything, they made a case to get rid of the station.
It will be a shame to see this local station go off the air, but it doesn’t seem likely that the circumstances will change anytime in the future. Who would buy a facility like this? EMF?
I didn't read it that way. I read that Mr. Abersold thinks the end of media classes in general was the mistake, not a rationale for keeping the station around. I think as mentioned in the article, the error would be in leaving underserved communities without any means of getting information. It seems to me that stations big and small tend to think all their listeners have internet access, so in a situation where the internet still works but information needs to get out, they just push people to their website rather than putting that information on the air. The best example, and one I've cited here before, is school closures during snowstorms. It wasn't that long ago that most stations would run a list twice an hour of school closures and delays. Now, maybe it's the news stations that do so, the rest simply say that there are delays, but push people to the website in order to get the actual list.
There will be an issue with getting local content out in the very near future. Once 105.7 fires up from South Mountain, KGHP will have to vacate the signal that they are using in Gig Harbor proper.
105.7 is one of KGHP's FM translators, with an ERP of 60 watts. Hardly a blowtorch. Not too many years ago the translator was on 93.7, until we launched 93.7 in Grays Harbor (93.7 is now owned by CFC). I think that at one time the translator might have been on 104.5, but not sure. The 105.7 move to North Mountain will of course require the translator to find yet another home. That of course is the problem with FM translators... I still don't understand how KGHP can be licensed to Gig Harbor when the contour misses all of Gig Harbor...
With the Peninsula School District being unwilling to invest in KGHP as it is, I doubt they are going to be much help in securing a new frequency once 105.7 can no longer be used. There was no doubt that they were going to have to vacate 105.7 at some point anyway.
That translator was on 104.5 at one time. There is a cart in my basement with me giving a legal ID of all our calls and frequencies.
I recently realized KGHP even exists, and sad to read they're struggling. I live close to adjacent 89.7 KWFJ in Roy, so I didn't notice KGHP at 89.9 until I upgraded my ’80s tuner to an HD tuner. I've been enjoying the "variety" mix, and also appreciate that they're still doing real remote broadcasts.
It's easy in tech-heavy Puget Sound to forget that not everyone has broadband Internet access, though I'd think this would be a particular problem on Fox Island and the Peninsula. I'm in the limited bandwidth camp, and very much appreciate having local, unique radio options. Hopefully the school district considers this before pulling the plug on KGHP.
The News-Tribune article makes it sound like there would be no possible buyer for KGHP, is this really true? In my daydreams, KEXP would start stepping up with their $7M annual trough of donations and expand their broadcast coverage. But regardless, I'd be surprised if another religious broadcaster didn't step up, if for no other reason than to acquire the licenses.
It's easy in tech-heavy Puget Sound to forget that not everyone has broadband Internet access, though I'd think this would be a particular problem on Fox Island and the Peninsula. I'm in the limited bandwidth camp, and very much appreciate having local, unique radio options. Hopefully the school district considers this before pulling the plug on KGHP.
The News-Tribune article makes it sound like there would be no possible buyer for KGHP, is this really true? In my daydreams, KEXP would start stepping up with their $7M annual trough of donations and expand their broadcast coverage. But regardless, I'd be surprised if another religious broadcaster didn't step up, if for no other reason than to acquire the licenses.
With the signal footprint, it would be a really tough sell for any potential buyer. It would be great to see KEXP use some of their endless money to expand their footprint, but I'm not sure that the 89.9 would be the signal and frequency to do it with.
The footprint problem is fair; I can see KEXP wanting bigger fish. Still, I could see it being great for a Tacoma or Seattle LPFM who wants to expand, perhaps under a timesharing agreement with the school where the students still get airtime. I saw that work pretty well at a small-town college - they got a brand new studio and transmitter in exchange for running the statewide NPR's HD2 when there were no student DJs on air.
Given the leveling-off of broadcast properties, religious broadcasters like EMF and Catholic-whatever have enough in the bank to buy real signals, even outside the non-comm band.
The only use for something like 89.9 would be a translator to one of those stations. Heck, if I were still helping out KNHC, I'd see if we could get them to turn in the license and let the 89.5 pattern out to the South. Survival of the fittest.
There's an 89.7 in Wikeson/Enumclaw, and KWFJ/Roy and KGRG/Auburn on 89.9.
I think there are a handful of other NCE-FM's that are as close to KNHC as they can be, particularly on the southside. The opportunity to open up the 89.5 pattern has probably expired.
But it would make sense for KGRG-FM. Either a Single Frequency Network to serve Tacoma, or a surrender to allow KGRG-FM to send it's pattern towards Tacoma.
The problem with KGHP is that the FCC will not allow it to make any technical changes; it is grandfathered into its current location because it does not cover enough (or any) of the community of license. The FCC says that it will not approve any changes unless they cover 50% of Gig Harbor's land area or population.
I'd love to see growth for KEXP on the FM dial. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, their previous attempts haven't seemed to work out.
They had KXOT 91.7 in Tacoma for just under 2 years - though under a different economy and perhaps a different financial picture with the valuation of the signal at the time. The purchase agreement was for 5 million and ten years later, the station sold to BBN for 2.4.
There was also the "Radio Liberation" experiment in New York City, which was an attempt at providing a diverse music experience at a time on 91.5 WNYE when WFUV was much more rooted in folk and an older audience. That effort lasted three years.
Recently I watched an interview with Executive Director Tom Mara, who's retiring once they find a successor. He hinted that KEXP's interested in doing more outreach and focus on various regional and international music trend spots. I have no idea if FM would be a part of that. KCRW used to have a Berlin outpost, and American Public Media (MPR) has a footprint in Southern California (even carrying The Current on KPCC's HD2.) But to what degree these organizations are willing to step outside of their "locality" to run more FM stations is anyone's guess.
They had KXOT 91.7 in Tacoma for just under 2 years - though under a different economy and perhaps a different financial picture with the valuation of the signal at the time. The purchase agreement was for 5 million and ten years later, the station sold to BBN for 2.4.
There was also the "Radio Liberation" experiment in New York City, which was an attempt at providing a diverse music experience at a time on 91.5 WNYE when WFUV was much more rooted in folk and an older audience. That effort lasted three years.
Recently I watched an interview with Executive Director Tom Mara, who's retiring once they find a successor. He hinted that KEXP's interested in doing more outreach and focus on various regional and international music trend spots. I have no idea if FM would be a part of that. KCRW used to have a Berlin outpost, and American Public Media (MPR) has a footprint in Southern California (even carrying The Current on KPCC's HD2.) But to what degree these organizations are willing to step outside of their "locality" to run more FM stations is anyone's guess.
Let's say KGHP ends up turning the license and KGRG gets more of a chance to expand southward. They would have to protect 90.1 KUPS (and KPLI in Olympia) which are just 200khz away. Might not work out.
Red Plume, I don't recall an 89.7 in Wilkeson/Enumclaw area. KWFJ is the nearest 89.7 signal, in Roy, and 91.7 KYFQ seems to put 60 dbu or so into Yelm. Albeit, WHO is listening to old-style Baptist church programming in Seattle? A few church elders in Eatonville or Buckley?
I notice KWFJ's signal is directional eastward, to protect what in Olympia/south Pierce County? KAOS 89.3? They don't even put 40 dbu into downtown Olympia.
Red Plume, I don't recall an 89.7 in Wilkeson/Enumclaw area. KWFJ is the nearest 89.7 signal, in Roy, and 91.7 KYFQ seems to put 60 dbu or so into Yelm. Albeit, WHO is listening to old-style Baptist church programming in Seattle? A few church elders in Eatonville or Buckley?
I notice KWFJ's signal is directional eastward, to protect what in Olympia/south Pierce County? KAOS 89.3? They don't even put 40 dbu into downtown Olympia.
Get rid of KGRG too. Again, survival of the fittest.
Good point, armchair engineering fail. SFN would be the only option there, and that might not even be worth it.
Was granted only hours before I posted it
https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=762166They just applied to upgrade their AM 1330 in Enumclaw, both day and night. They might be doing fine.
I don't get to listen to their FM, but the AM makes it up this way sometimes during the day, and they sound pretty great.
KGRG is one of the few remaining stations that actually trains younger people to work in radio (for better or for worse), and actually has some demonstrated history of student success. It may be a small operation, but it’s far superior to KGHP.
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