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KSKO 89.5 McGrath, Alaska Pictures
- Thread starter SomeRadioGuy
- Start date
@Kelly A .. Nope, the FM is on a tower at the studio that still holds the old STL and TSL antennas. WE're on city power here. 75c kwh.
If you go to Google Maps and type in ksko radio mcgrath alaska, drag the orange guy over the radio station, drop the orange guy on the blue circle, youll likely be facing the airport runway gates... turn around and you'll see the station.
That's okay. I've visited my fair share of tiny stations in the wild. Good luck to you!
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As radio-centric people, we are not typically known for violence. But when people say defund NPR/public radio, it becomes absolutely clear that this is just the very last freakin' straw and we just wanna slap 'em silly.
Most of Alaska's broadcasting is public and there are perfectly good reasons for that (scattered populations in remote villages without enough local commercial business to sustain a commercial radio station.) And without a radio station, the really off the grid folks in outlying areas, sans internet/cell service. Or even satellite TV availability (or even safe, sustainable power sources) are in big trouble.
And ultimately, it would be the communities that suffer without it. What? Like Audacy and iHeart are just going to rush right up there and set up these big fat maxed-out clusters (with AM to FM translators and even with by special permission, every HD subchannel to an analog FM translator) to service an area that barely has enough income to sustain a single general store?
The religious networks only serve religious people. Alaskans like fun. They like color. And it's visible. People don't want to be preached to all the time.
I've listened to remote Alaskan public stations (KOTZ and KBRW and as I write, KSKO) and they are literally a lifeline. They often locate missing people, send messages across miles of geographically impossible terrain where no cell towers/landlines could ever exist. They bring communities together. In a one spot, dependable place where everyone can go. And in low population areas where almost everybody knows everybody, there is no overestimating this value.
My cap is off (revealing an increasingly Adam Schiff-like scalp) to stations like KOTZ, KBRW and KSKO. They are literally the epitome of full service radio. And they do it all alone. Out there....
Most of Alaska's broadcasting is public and there are perfectly good reasons for that (scattered populations in remote villages without enough local commercial business to sustain a commercial radio station.) And without a radio station, the really off the grid folks in outlying areas, sans internet/cell service. Or even satellite TV availability (or even safe, sustainable power sources) are in big trouble.
And ultimately, it would be the communities that suffer without it. What? Like Audacy and iHeart are just going to rush right up there and set up these big fat maxed-out clusters (with AM to FM translators and even with by special permission, every HD subchannel to an analog FM translator) to service an area that barely has enough income to sustain a single general store?
The religious networks only serve religious people. Alaskans like fun. They like color. And it's visible. People don't want to be preached to all the time.
I've listened to remote Alaskan public stations (KOTZ and KBRW and as I write, KSKO) and they are literally a lifeline. They often locate missing people, send messages across miles of geographically impossible terrain where no cell towers/landlines could ever exist. They bring communities together. In a one spot, dependable place where everyone can go. And in low population areas where almost everybody knows everybody, there is no overestimating this value.
My cap is off (revealing an increasingly Adam Schiff-like scalp) to stations like KOTZ, KBRW and KSKO. They are literally the epitome of full service radio. And they do it all alone. Out there....
Mr. @Bongwater
KBRW and KOTZ have multiple staff.
KSKO has one full timer, me (the PD), one part time employee (whos also our mayor), one volunteer (whos also a pilot, airplane mechanic, EMT, substitute teacher and newly licensed ham opeprator) and one very very occasional fill in dj whos still a high school student
Everything you describe public radio stations doing in Alaska I've done. I gave score updates 4x during the super bowl yesterday. I've put a call out for a missing person. I've broadcaster that water was coming over a road in McGrath and to avoid the area (to be expect, parts of this town do see excess water when stuff melts).
I have listeners who dont have TV or internet and we're it.
Check us out on Facebook, we try to be involved in the community, get the community involved in us and do fun things. My board understands that sometimes what we do isnt heard on the air and doesnt always translate to content on air, but it creates community good will.
I was upstairs in our attic one day looking for some pictures and happened upon yellow rubber duckies, often used in a contest on the water every year. Well, I'm like.. what else can we do with these? .... i thought.. SCAVENGER HUNT!
I intended to do it only once, but it was so popular, I did it 7 times before serious snow fell. People were telling me theyd do it even without prizes... I heard stories of people trapsing all over the property near the power plant when I gave a clue to where one of the ducks was.
We have local programming 8am to 9am and 12pm to 4pm weekdays and 7 to 9pm Friday nights. The mayor is on 8-9 and 12noon to 2pm, I'm on 2 to 4pm Mon-Wed and 7-9pm friday nights. My volunteer does Thursday and Friday afternoon. The 9-12noon show comes form KRFF Fairbanks.
KSKO celebrated 40 years this past summer and i'm trying to continue a legacy of information and entertainment
KGYA-FM 90.5 Grayling, Alaska with 50 Watts at -232 feet. Antenna is a Scala GP-FM turnstile atop the school. Transmitter is a QEI with 100W TPO. Fed by Exede satellite internet and 128K Stereo mp3 webstream picked up by a Barix box.
And Yes, I know the QEI VSWR alarm is on. I've spent the last week and a half trouble shooting from afar. Both me and our Anchorage based engineer surmise after a few checks and tests that the cable and/or connectors have gone bad when the VSWR reset only worked for an hour.
Back when KSKO was still on AM at 870 with 10kw this was one of the first repeaters that went on. It could legally have its own studio and originate programming, but doesnt and repeaters KSKO McGrath. I dont think the transmitter is as old as me, but its close.
I've got two spare new in box Scala GPFM's and 2 never used BW TX300V2s and one of each of them will likely end up going out there because if we need to send someone out there, I want to do a complete replacement on old equipment thats going to fail completely, sooner rather than later.. before it happens.
And Yes, I know the QEI VSWR alarm is on. I've spent the last week and a half trouble shooting from afar. Both me and our Anchorage based engineer surmise after a few checks and tests that the cable and/or connectors have gone bad when the VSWR reset only worked for an hour.
Back when KSKO was still on AM at 870 with 10kw this was one of the first repeaters that went on. It could legally have its own studio and originate programming, but doesnt and repeaters KSKO McGrath. I dont think the transmitter is as old as me, but its close.
I've got two spare new in box Scala GPFM's and 2 never used BW TX300V2s and one of each of them will likely end up going out there because if we need to send someone out there, I want to do a complete replacement on old equipment thats going to fail completely, sooner rather than later.. before it happens.
Our internet costs for HQ in McGrath along with all the repeater sites, between GCI and exede.. is probably about $1500
And no, Starlink isnt available here yet
Some TV stations have been/are affiliated with multiple commercial TV networks (back in the 1960s, KFBC TV 5 in Cheyenne WY was affiliated with both CBS and ABC).
Does NPR allow their affiliated radio stations to also have a commercial hour (or 2) where a syndicated radio program (or possibly the audio of a TV talk show) w/regular commercials (not underwriting) is played?
(for a very small community, there might be enough local (or even regional) ads to support 1 hour of a syndicated program/weekday)
Kirk Bayne
Does NPR allow their affiliated radio stations to also have a commercial hour (or 2) where a syndicated radio program (or possibly the audio of a TV talk show) w/regular commercials (not underwriting) is played?
(for a very small community, there might be enough local (or even regional) ads to support 1 hour of a syndicated program/weekday)
Kirk Bayne
NPR doesn't make the rules. There is something called the FCC that regulates how non-commercial radio works. This station is in the non-commercial educational band. To qualify as a non-commercial operator, one must be a non-profit, which means no commercials. The station might be able to pay for the programming and air it without the syndicated spots. But that assumes a programming budget.
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Such were the days. I occasionally forget how new TV was back then, and despite the population being 46k, we were relatively isolated before the interstate system. KFBC was the only station in town, so they ran a hodgepodge of networks. Those with a strong antenna could pick up Denver, but not everyone was on board with TV, I presume, or much less could afford it. Thanks for reminding me of the old KFBC (now KGWN)
I am familiar with the lifeline such stations are to the rural population. I once talked with folks at KTNA in Talkeetna who kindly sent me a cassette recording of the station before the days of streaming. Denali Echoes was a list of people either coming or leaving town and who they were wanting to get in touch with. I heard one message where a family was trying to reach a person because of a family matter. This was and still is the only way those so far off the grid can communicate. I don't know how you value that in dollars other than to say it is priceless. And when you are the only station on the dial, it becomes even more crucial because if not for you, there's nothing.
My deepest sympathies on the QEI Quantum E-series transmitter. Questionable Engineering Indeed
you cant have commecials on a non commercial signal.
And for most of bush alaska, theres not be enough businesses to sponsor much of anything
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