KBCS
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Seattle |
| Frequency | 91.3 MHz FM (HD Radio) |
| Programming | |
| Format | Variety |
| Affiliations | Pacifica Radio Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Bellevue College |
| History | |
Call sign meaning | "Bellevue College Station" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 4627 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 1,800 watts |
| HAAT | 389 meters (1276 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 47°32′38″N 122°06′33″W / 47.54389°N 122.10917°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | kbcs.fm |
KBCS (91.3 MHz) is a public FM radio station licensed to Bellevue, Washington, and serving the Puget Sound region, including Seattle. It is owned by Bellevue College and broadcasts in HD Radio.[2] The station has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,800 watts, broadcasting from a tower 1276 feet in height above average terrain (HAAT) on Cougar Mountain.[3]
KBCS studios are located on the Bellevue College campus in the city of Bellevue. The station can be heard between Tacoma to the south and Marysville in Snohomish County to the north. But closer to the Canadian border, the station is difficult to pick up because of co-channel interference from CJZN in Victoria, British Columbia since 2000.
A wide variety of music is heard on KBCS-FM, including Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Funk, Latin Music, Brazilian, Underground Hip Hop, Folk, Blues, Gospel Music, Music of Asia, African Music, Reggae, Classical Music, World Music, Jazz and Americana. The station also airs local and world news and information, including nationally syndicated programs Democracy Now! and The Thom Hartmann Show, both heard weekday mornings.
KBCS is managed by a small staff, along with over 150 volunteer hosts, producers, journalists and administrators. The station offers training in journalism and broadcast production to the public. KBCS has launched the careers of a number of noted regional and national public radio professionals.
History
A student sit-in protest led to the creation of the station. KBCS-FM went on the air on Monday, February 5, 1973, originally with 10 watts of power.[4] It used equipment donated by Dorothy Stimson Bullitt of KING-FM. Its limited coverage meant the station could only be heard on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. By the late 1970s, the power was boosted to 100 watts.
It remained student-run until 1988 when Bellevue College administrators hired a general manager for the station and adopted a community radio model. In the 1990s, the power was again increased, this time to 7,900 watts, allowing KBCS to be heard around the Seattle metropolitan area. Over time, the station became self-sustaining, funded primarily by listener donations and on-air pledge drives.
See also
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBCS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "HD Radio station guide for Seattle–Tacoma, WA". Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2015-05-31. HD Radio Guide for Seattle-Tacoma
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/KBCS-FM
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1974 page B-224
Further reading
- Bill Virgin (2006-08-17). "On Radio: What to do with all those shows?". Seattle P-I.
- Nicole Tsong (2009-08-17). "Eclectic KBCS-FM overhauls programming as listener interest wanes". The Seattle Times.
- Mark Rahner (2006-06-08). "What in the world will they play next?". Seattle Times.
- Catherine Spangler (Spring 2008). "A Brief History of KBCS". RadioActivity: News, Updates & Musical Musings from KBCS 91.3 FM.
- KBCS (July 2009). "KBCS Program Changes FAQ". Press Release.
- Brian J. Barr (2009-11-17). "KBCS: Staying Afloat". Seattle Weekly.
External links
- Community Radio - KBCS
- Facility details for Facility ID 4627 (KBCS) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KBCS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database