Donations keep community radio station on the air

SANDPOINT — Thanks to contributions from the local business community, 88.5 KRFY Panhandle Community Radio is staying on the air.

The public radio station’s board members announced in January that they had sufficient funds to pay the KRFY bills until March 31. At that point, the station would buckle under the weight of its own expenses — about $1,600 in total.

To keep the radio station from shutting down, the board began an underwriting push, requesting financial support from businesses in exchange for on-air mentions. According to board member Jim Healey, volunteer Julie Perchynski did an excellent job of coordinating the underwriting campaign, organizing the effort to maximum effectiveness.

“We’ve had some great help from all our volunteers,” he said.

As a result, KRFY will be able to continue broadcasting for the foreseeable future. The successful underwriting campaign has effectively bought KRFY volunteers time to investigate other sources of funding, like grant writing, pledge drives and special events.

“This underwriting campaign will serve as the foundation for the rest of our fundraising efforts,” Healey said.

For instance, the KRFY board has proposed a pledge drive event to occur around early June — tentatively June 1, 2 and 3. In addition, volunteers aim to explore applications for public broadcasting grants and similar opportunities.  Underwriting will also remain a valuable and appreciated form of support.

In the meantime, KRFY associates have plenty of work to keep themselves occupied. Currently, they’re trying to separate their production and on-air equipment in separate rooms. They’re also trying to increase the number of local programs and interviews with residents on the station, with a special focus on nonprofits like Circles and Habitat for Humanity.    

“We’re trying to focus on voices within the community that are working to improve the quality of life here,” Healey said.

 However, all those goals mean a lot of work, and that makes volunteers just as valuable a resource as financial support. After all, maintaining a radio station isn’t as simple as throwing a switch and speaking into a microphone.

“I think most people don’t understand how much work goes into getting the finished product on the air,” Healey said.

Nevertheless, KRFY representatives are pleased to be where they’re at and are grateful for all the support they’ve received. Those interested in volunteering or placing a financial contribution should leave the station a message at 255-2992.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Healey said. “We feel very blessed and take very seriously the support we’ve received from the community.”