Weeklong community radio celebration starts today

SANDPOINT — Today marks the beginning of the Panhandle Community Radio’s On-Air Community Radio Celebration, which recognizes and celebrates the local nonprofit supporters of the radio station.

Panhandle Community Radio — also known as KRFY — has been broadcasting for 13 years in North Idaho at 88.5 FM.

“Community radio stations are distinct from both commercial broadcast media and public radio stations like NPR,” said KRFY associate station manager Jack Peterson. “KRFY receives no funding from advertising or from any larger network of stations and operates as a completely independent nonprofit resource.”

This means the entirety of the operating budget for the station relies on donations from local organizations, businesses and individual listeners, Peterson said. This week-long program aims to recognize and thank the nonprofit businesses who actively support local radio, underwriting the station’s daily operations each morning at 8 a.m. from Tuesday through Friday.

Every day this week, the station’s volunteer broadcasters will host interviews with its nonprofit supporters and feature pairs of live DJs spinning tunes during the day. Each show will end with a live musician in the studio playing music at 4 p.m. Tuesday’s musician is singer-songwriter Karen Atkins.

Tonight, to coincide with the beginning of this week-long event, the monthly live music showcase “The Little Live Radio Hour” will take place at 8 p.m. Broadcasting with a live audience from the Little Panida Theater, the show this month will showcase Sydney Dale and her band.

The event is free to attend at the Little Theater, but listeners who can’t make it in person are still able to tune in at 8 p.m. for the show.

“Throughout the day, the regular musical programming will feature live DJs behind the microphones,” Peterson said. “At 4 o'clock each afternoon, live music in the studio with Karen Atkins, Truck Mills, Mike Wagoner and John Stoll, Brendan Kelty, and more.”

On Saturday, June 1, the event will end with Community Radio Day, held at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s Little Carnegie Theater. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, KRFY will present live music and entertainment in appreciation for 13 years of support from the Sandpoint and surrounding communities.

Bands including Global Gumbo, The Accidentals, Right Front Burner and Little Wolf will be taking the stage throughout the day, and Peterson said any and all radio listeners are encouraged to stop by and say hello. This event is also free to the public and the doors will be open all day so passersby can enjoy the tunes as well.

There will also be a local history trivia contest provided by the Bonner County Historical Society and Museum, featuring some unique prizes for the winners.

KFRY can be found on the radio at 88.5 FM and also streams worldwide at KRFY.org.