Skagit Valley College deletes KSJU in Friday Harbor

[valvashon]

Saw this on NW Broadcasters a day or two ago. Skagit Valley College has cancelled the license for KSJU 91.9 in Friday Harbor. KSJU started out as a community radio station that apparently couldn't make a go of it or maybe collapsed under the infighting common with these things and somewhere along the line the license was transferred to SVC.

Skagit Valley College also operates KSVR 91.7 and KSVU 90.1 Hamilton. Any idea why they cancelled the 91.9 license in Friday Harbor? With 100 watts at 25m above average terrain the operating costs of this station couldn't have been too high.

Val

 

[Kelly A]

Skagit Any idea why they cancelled the 91.9 license in Friday Harbor? With 100 watts at 25m above average terrain the operating costs of this station couldn't have been too high.

If the reason is similar to many other LPFM's:

1. Lack of interest.
2. Lack of money (see reason 1)
3. Lack of participation/Volunteers (see reason 1)
4. Lack of community support (see reason 2)
5. Lack of listeners (see reasons 4 and 1)

 

[Bongwater]

If the reason is similar to many other LPFM's:

1. Lack of interest.
2. Lack of money (see reason 1)
3. Lack of participation/Volunteers (see reason 1)
4. Lack of community support (see reason 2)
5. Lack of listeners (see reasons 4 and 1)

KSJU wasn't technically licensed as an LPFM. Just as the next lowest class non-commercial license after that (like KQOW Bellingham.) But I'm not sure what the fundamental difference is beyond that.

The other problem was being first-adjacent to CBU-FM-2 92.1 Victoria. It limited KSJU mostly to Friday Harbor/East San Juan Island.

KSJU started as an independent community station for about a year until they were bought by Skagit Valley College. Like KSVR's Hamilton sister station, KSVU, it appears KSJU also broke KSVR simulcast from time to time with locally originating programming as late as last year, as evidenced by this Brand New Heavies heavy playlist posted on Twitter.

Here's an article on The Great Friday Harbor Radio War of 2010:

https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/life/turn-up-the-music-friday-harbor-tinyradio-hits-the-airwaves/

The LPFM on Lopez Island, KLOI-LP 102.9 is still on last I checked...

 

[crainbebo]

Not only that but I'm sure KPTZ interfered with it on some of the islands. KPTZ gets out very well in western WA. I did hear KSJU once up on the high point at Edmonds' Yost Park, when I lived on the non-brown hills/non-windy side. They were independently owned, I think this was summer 2012. That spot was excellent for DX - I'd routinely hear stations from BC's Sunshine Coast (91.7, the very low power 104.7) and Portland.