August 2013 Newsletter

Membership and Fundraising

We are in our summer fund drive. The goal is $5000 by August 17; we are at just under $2000. Community radio is about community. This station works because of you – the community – who participate as members, volunteers, and listeners. If you have not yet participated in the summer fund drive, please do so. Our annual budget is $40,000 – and just over half of that comes from members and donors. Your contribution keeps the station on the air. Yes, your contribution.

New Transmitter in Sutton

The new transmitter has been installed in Sutton. Mike and Van Craft, our broadcast engineer, installed it over the weekend of July 27-28.  It is strapped on top of the 25- year old transmitter that  KTNA donated. A lot has changed in 25 years:

This upgrade was made possible by the Rasmuson Foundation.

New transmitter sitting atop old transmitter

Programming and Events

Election Coverage: We covered the candidates for the fall borough elections live on Friday, July 26 at the filing deadline. We streamed our first candidate forum – of school board candidate – at the Big Lake Chamber of Commerce at noon on Monday, August 5. We will post the recording to our website.
August Art Walk: This month, we’ll be offering station tours and the opportunity to record our top of the hour station IDs. Stop by the studio in the Downtown Palmer Plaza between 3 and 7 pm on Saturday August 10. We’ll also broadcast Art Walk Radio live from 4 to 6 pm.
Bridge to Everywhere is taking the month of August off.
New DJ: Elizabeth Sierra will be hosting Mixtape a 2-hour rock music show on Saturdays at 9 pm starting August 10. She will also host a music talk show on Tuesdays at 6 pm, starting on August 13, titled Talking Loud & Drawing a Crowd.
State Fair Radio: We will broadcast from the State Fair every day. Tune in for interviews with Fair vendors, performers, and attendees as well updates on Fair events.

The translator hut on Lazy Mountain

We are working on installing backup power so that the site will transmit even during emergencies thanks to the Rasmuson Grant. Our consultant is ordering the equipment and getting organized. There were a couple surprises in the process: the electrical hookup was substandard, so we paid to get it up to standard as part of the grant. A repair of a small leak in the roof grew into replacing the roof and part of a wall.  Board member Brian Mead and Mike spent 2 days on the repairs, but now we have a hut ready for winter.