KRFY ready to hit airwaves

SANDPOINT — Local residents will be acquiring a voice of their own early next year — and it’s going to be commercial-free.

The brains behind 88.5 FM KRFY have been hard at work to get the public radio station on the air. Now that the fruits of their labor are in sight, general manager Jeff Poole and chief of operations Kelly McTavish said it’s time for Bonner County to perk up its ears.

“Full-time broadcasting is imminent. It’s on its way, so get ready. Because it’s going to be fun, crazy ride.” Poole said.

And it’s going to be a ride specially designed for the community.  The station will provide residents another avenue for communication, whether the topic be the latest political news or that great song that other stations aren’t giving any attention.

“It’s not a regulation, but the FCC favors non-commercial, educational radio stations that emphasize under-served markets,” McTavish said. “So for instance, we won’t be playing as many top 40 hits that you might hear on another station.”

Instead, the staff see the community station as a tool with the potential to expand horizons. With that goal in mind, the station will feature an eclectic range of musical genres from jazz and blues to indie rock. In addition to music, the daily line-up will also feature call-in shows, arts, literature and culture programming and a Saturday morning block for youth and by youth. As an associate of the Pacifica Radio network, KRFY will feature “Democracy Now!” for its news programming.

Beyond programming, the KRFY will provide community service announcements. The station is opening its airwaves for emergency announcements, school closures and other essential community information.

“People won’t have to listen to a broadcast from Spokane and sit through the announcements county by county,” McTavish said. “They’ll be able to get the information they need right away.”

The project has come a long way since its first proposal in December 2006. What started as a wouldn’t-it-be-nice-if idea caught on among a group of residents that included Poole, McTavish, head of development Scott Daily, tech guru Ryan Giess and Christine Holbert. Along with a number of other supporters, they turned the idea into a full-fledged proposal and filed for a FCC license in October 2007. With thousands of applications to examine, the process of FCC approval took several weeks to complete. Once they acquired a license, the group began the process of preparing equipment and constructing their station. Located at 323 North First Avenue, the station relays a signal to their broadcasting site just behind the Walmart in Ponderay. From there, the signal is broadcast over Bonner County and beyond.

“We’ve received word that the station can be picked up as far out as Hope, Clark Fork or Hayden,” Poole said.

And listeners who can’t pick up the signal will still have access to a streaming broadcast at www.krfy.org.

 In October, KRFY staff performed the first test broadcast of the station. The result was a resounding success, with no equipment or computer failures and plenty of good music. Despite several clarifications that the broadcast was only temporary, residents were still disappointed to hear static after the test concluded.

“We received phone calls, e-mails and even got stopped on the street,” Poole said. “People were saying, “Hey, I heard the station the other night. Where did you guys go?”

Fortunately, Poole and Mctavish hope it’s only be a matter of weeks before the station is running on a permanent basis. KRFY’s staff has only to finish station construction and set up all the final equipment before the station is ready for constant broadcast.

After that, its future is in the hands of the community. As a non-commercial educational station, grant funding is slim and community support a necessity. To donate time or money to KRFY, give them a call at 265-2992.

“We’re making it clear that this isn’t our radio station. This is your radio station,” McTavish said. “Community support is really the make-or-break ingredient here.”