KNOM

Last updated
KNOM and KNOM-FM
Knomlogo.jpg
Broadcast areaWestern Alaska
Frequency 780 kHz
96.1 MHz
BrandingKNOM
Programming
Format News, Regional, Country, Pop, Inspirational
Affiliations Westwood One
Ownership
OwnerKNOM Radio Mission, Inc.
History
First air date
July 14, 1971;52 years ago (1971-07-14)
Call sign meaning
K NOMe
Technical information
Class A
Power AM: 25,000 watts day
14,000 watts night (Class A)
ERP FM: 1,000 watts
HAAT -42 meters
Links
Website KNOM.org

KNOM (780 AM) and KNOM-FM (96.1 FM) are non-commercial Catholic radio stations in Nome, Alaska. The station owners and licensees are KNOM Radio Mission, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity with seven board members. The FM signal has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,000 watts and covers the city of Nome and adjacent communities. KNOM AM 780 is considered a Class A station. By day, it transmits with 25,000 watts and can be heard as far north as Barter Island and as far south as the Alaska Peninsula, with regular coverage of approximately 100,000 square miles (260,000 km2). With a good radio, it can be heard into the Russian Far East. At night, power is reduced to 14,000 watts.

Contents

In addition to its local news, weather, public affairs and religious programming, KNOM broadcasts a wide range of music in various formats. It also broadcasts some nationally syndicated programming, such as the Christian 20 The Countdown Magazine and the secular American Top 40: The 70s .

The station's newsroom is staffed by one full-time news director and several volunteer reporters. An Associated Press member station since 1971, the station dropped its AP affiliation in 2014.

In April 2015, the station was awarded "Best Daily News Program, Radio" in Alaska by the Alaska Press Club. [1]

History

KNOM is the oldest Catholic radio station in the United States, and has been broadcasting in western Alaska for over five decades.

The idea for the station came from James Poole, S.J. While serving at the Jesuit mission in the village of St. Mary's in 1959, Poole created a makeshift "radio station" by wiring 30 homes with speakers linked to the public address system. He was reassigned to Nome in 1966, with fundraising for the station beginning in December of that year.

In 1970, Tom Busch, a young broadcast engineer, moved to Nome, becoming the chief engineer and eventually the station's general manager. After several years of work, Busch and a large team of volunteers gathered the money for the equipment, filled out paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission, built the station, and assembled its original broadcasting equipment. KNOM first went on the air on July 15, 1971. Busch was the general manager of KNOM for more than 30 years.

Poole left KNOM and Alaska in 1988 when he was reassigned to work in Tacoma, Washington. (Although not involved with the mission at that point, his name was used to thank donors. [2] into the late 1990s.) In 2004 the first of what would become dozens [3] of allegations began to emerge of Poole's sexual abuse [4] of Alaska Native women during his time in rural Alaska from the 1960s through the 1980s. Tom Busch personally mailed every person who had donated to the station, explaining that the allegations were true, and detailing the steps the station would make. [5] For several years after, the station actively aired spots aimed at helping victims of sexual abuse. [5]

By April 2005, Busch became development director and part-time engineer. Longtime program director and former volunteer Ric Schmidt became general manager. Tom was a past two-term president of the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Busch died on his 63rd birthday in November 2010 at his home in Anchorage, Alaska.

After the Diocese of Fairbanks declared bankruptcy in February 2008, Busch (until his passing) and Schmidt worked toward incorporating the radio station as a non-profit entity independent of the Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska. In March 2010 the station emerged as a 501(c)3, under the name "KNOM Radio Mission, Inc.".

In 2019, after an article from the Center of Investigative Reporting described Poole being allowed to retire at the Gonzaga campus after his abuse became publicly known, [6] KNOM's Board of Directors published a statement where they again renounce all of Poole's actions and commit to transparently carrying on with the mission of bringing news, inspiration, and encouragement to Western Alaska. [5]

Current operations

KNOM is able to operate from the dedication of full-time volunteers who move to Nome and support the station in various ways as part of a year of service. In recent years those volunteers have lived in a volunteer house next door to the station building. In addition to healthcare coverage, volunteers are given a small monthly stipend for personal use and split a monthly stipend for food, utilities, and other bills. Upon completing one year of service, volunteers are given an education stipend and a small relocation bonus. Volunteers also have the option to re-apply for a second year.

Currently, KNOM is staffed by a combination of paid staff and volunteers. People who are interested in public service, or professional broadcast training (especially college-age students and senior citizens), are encouraged to apply.

Awards and recognitions

KNOM has won several awards for community service from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). It received the Crystal Service award in 1987, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2012. In 2013 it became the fourth radio station in the United States to receive the Crystal Heritage Award. The station has also won 19 Gabriel awards, as well as honors from the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals (CACAP), the Alaska Broadcasters Association (ABA), and other organizations.

KNOM has also received recognition from the State of Alaska, the City of Nome, and the Alaska National Guard.

Related Research Articles

KUPS is a non-commercial college radio station in Tacoma, Washington located at 90.1 MHz FM. KUPS began operations in 1968 as an experiment in closed-circuit AM broadcasting. At that time, the station was available only in buildings on the campus of the University of Puget Sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXPN</span> Public radio station in Philadelphia

WXPN is a non-commercial, public radio station licensed to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) radio format, along with many other format shows. WXPN produces World Cafe, a music program distributed by NPR to many non-commercial stations in the United States. The station's call sign, which is often abbreviated to XPN, stands for "Experimental Pennsylvania Network". The broadcast tower used by WXPN is located at, in the antenna farm complex in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KGOT</span> Radio station in Anchorage, Alaska

KGOT is a commercial radio station in Anchorage, Alaska. The station airs a contemporary hit radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia Along with its sister stations, it broadcasts from studios on East Dimond Boulevard in the Dimond Center. It carries On Air with Ryan Seacrest in middays and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest on Sundays.

KSUA is a student-run college radio station licensed to Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Broadcasting from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus with 3,000 watts effective radiated power (ERP,) it serves the Alaska Interior area. When first on the air in 1984, it was one of a few commercially licensed college stations. Reorganized in 1993, KSUA now operates under the FCC non-commercial educational license public radio rules. KSUA has won statewide and national broadcasting awards.

KFQD is a commercial radio station in Anchorage, Alaska branded as "News Talk 750 and 103.7 KFQD". It broadcasts a news/talk format and is owned by Alpha Media LLC. The studios and offices are on Arctic Slope Avenue in Anchorage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KJHK</span> Campus radio station at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas

KJHK 90.7 FM is a campus radio station, located in Lawrence, Kansas at the University of Kansas. On December 3, 1994, the station became one of the first radio stations in the world to broadcast a live and continuous stream over internet radio. It currently broadcasts at 2600 watts, with a broadcast area covering most of northeast Kansas. The station is overseen by the Kansas Memorial Unions but is completely run by University of Kansas students. The station airs local music, classical music, classic country, jazz, specialty talk shows, world music, and variety shows, and airs home football, basketball, and baseball games.

WEJL is a radio station broadcasting in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The station, known on-air as "Northeast PA's ESPN Radio", carries sports radio programming from ESPN Radio. WEJL is owned by Times-Shamrock Communications, publishers of Scranton's daily newspaper, The Times-Tribune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KUCB (FM)</span> Radio station in Unalaska, Alaska

KUCB is a non-commercial radio station in Unalaska, Alaska, broadcasting on 89.7 FM. It signed on in October 2008 to replace KIAL 1450 AM. KUCB generally broadcasts local programming, plus programming from National Public Radio, Native Voice One and Alaska Public Radio. The KIAL radio and television stations were formerly owned by the municipality of Unalaska; due to municipal cutbacks they now operate as an independent non-profit organization dependent largely on individual donors. Shortly after its sell-off, KIAL, which only broadcast at 50 watts, moved to the FM dial as KUCB, with a stronger signal.

KUAC is a non-commercial FM radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska, broadcasting at 89.9 MHz. The station is operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It debuted on October 2, 1962, originally at 104.9 MHz, as Alaska's first non-commercial radio station and second FM station.

WCKB is a radio station in Dunn, North Carolina. It airs a Southern gospel music format.

KJNP and KJHA are non-commercial radio stations which simulcast their programming. KJNP is licensed to North Pole, Alaska and serves the Fairbanks area. KJHA is licensed to Houston, Alaska, just north of Anchorage. The stations air a Christian radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXOX</span> Radio station in Sweetwater, Texas

KXOX is a radio station in the Sweetwater, Texas, area, simulcast on 96.7 FM and 1240 AM. The station's format is country music. The station is owned by Stein Broadcasting Company. The broadcast first went on the air on November 19, 1939.

KAZM 780 AM and 106.5 FM is a radio station broadcasting a primarily Yacht Rock format along with various Arizona sports teams. Licensed to Sedona, Arizona, United States. Transition of Ownership to Cutter Grind Broadcasting LLC. was initiated in September 2023 and was owned prior for nearly 50 years by Tabback Broadcasting Co.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WQSU</span> Radio station in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

WQSU is a non-commercial, college FM radio station that is licensed to serve Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The station is owned and operated by Susquehanna University and is staffed by students and faculty of the university as well as community volunteers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBLO</span> Radio station in Thomasville, North Carolina

WBLO is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish tropical radio format. Licensed to Thomasville, North Carolina, it serves the Piedmont Triad. The station is owned by Norsan Multimedia.

WAFS is an AM radio station licensed to Atlanta, Georgia which broadcasts Catholic talk programming, as an affiliate of Relevant Radio. The station is classified as a Class D AM broadcast station according to the Federal Communications Commission, with 25,000 watts of power during the daytime using a non-directional antenna. WAFS also operates pre-sunrise (PSRA) with 350 watts and post-sunset (PSSA) with power levels from 54 to 150 watts.

KBLE is a radio station broadcasting a religious radio format in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is owned by Sacred Heart Radio and is the key station in a regional network broadcasting Catholic radio programming in much of Washington state as well as Kodiak, Alaska. Sacred Heart Radio maintains studios and offices in Kirkland, while KBLE is broadcast from a transmitter site in southwest Seattle. In part of the coverage area, primarily encompassing Seattle's northern suburbs, KBLE is broadcast on FM translator K262CX.

The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 780 kHz: There are only eight stations in the 48 contiguous United States plus one in Alaska which are authorized to broadcast on 780 AM during nighttime hours. 780 AM is a United States clear-channel frequency. WBBM Chicago and KNOM Nome, Alaska, share Class A status of 780 kHz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NAB Crystal Radio Awards</span>

The NAB Crystal Radio Awards are presented annually by the National Association of Broadcasters to American radio stations. The award was established in 1987 to recognize radio stations for year-round commitment to community service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVSG (AM)</span> Catholic radio station in Columbus, Ohio

WVSG is a non-commercial AM radio station in Columbus, Ohio. It airs local Catholic talk programming in addition to the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. WVSG's schedule is simulcast on WSGR, 88.3 FM in New Boston, Ohio.

References

  1. ↑ "Alaska Press Club". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
  2. ↑ KNOM Radio Mission, Inc. "KNOM Static Newsletter, Transmission 381 (Feb. 1998)". KNOM.org. KNOM.org. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Bishop Accountability page for James Poole".
  4. ↑ Hopfinger, Tony (January 13, 2008). "Sex Abuse in Alaska Church". Newsweek. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "A Statement from the KNOM Radio Mission Board of Directors on the Offenses of Fr. James Poole". KNOM Radio Mission. 2018-12-21. Retrieved 2019-01-30.
  6. ↑ "Jesuits sent abusive priests to retire on Gonzaga's campus | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved 2019-01-30.

64°29′16″N165°17′58″W / 64.48778°N 165.29944°W / 64.48778; -165.29944

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.