KEXP-FM

KEXP-FM

City of license	Seattle, Washington
Slogan	Where the music matters
Frequency	90.3 MHz FM (also on HD Radio)
First air date	1972
Format	Alternative rock/eclectic
ERP	4,700 watts
HAAT	211 meters
Class	C3
Facility ID	68668
Callsign meaning	EXP, [Experimenting with Music and Technology]
Former callsigns	KCMU (1972-2001)
Former frequencies	90.5 MHz (1972-1986)
Affiliations	NPR, UW
Owner	Friends of KEXP
Webcast	WindowsMedia/Real/MP3
Website	www.kexp.org

KEXP-FM (90.3 FM) is a public radio station based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes in alternative and indie rock programmed by its disc jockeys. Its broadcasting license is owned by Friends of KEXP, an independent 501(c)3 organization. The station was formerly operated under the call letters KCMU. In 2001, a partnership was formed between Paul Allen's Experience Music Project and KEXP, which provided the station with significant operating support for several years. The station is now operated independently by Friends of KEXP.

For the majority of its schedule, KEXP broadcasts a mix of primarily alternative rock. The station also features weekly speciality programs dedicated to particular musical genres, including rockabilly, blues, world music, hip hop, electronica, punk, and alternative country. Live, in-studio performances by artists are also regularly featured.

KEXP is broadcast in the Seattle area on 90.3 FM; on the Internet via streaming audio; and on Intelsat's Galaxy 18 satellite.

KEXP's streaming costs are covered by the University of Washington (UW), which also provides most of the Internet technology used by the station. KEXP is often a testing ground for the university’s Computing and Communications Department, leading to features not found by other stations. In addition, music licensing fees associated with internet radio are covered by the station's affiliation with National Public Radio. The association and financial help by these two organizations have allowed KEXP to experiment with its online offerings.

KEXP-FM broadcasts in HD.

History

Groundwork for the station that would eventually become KEXP began in 1971, started by University of Washington undergraduates John Kean, Cliff Noonan, Victoria ("Tory") Fiedler, and Brent Wilcox. KUOW-FM (94.9), then an instructional radio station, now an NPR affiliate, had recently made some cutbacks that had removed most opportunities for student involvement in the station. The four students convinced the Communications Department to provide space and a tiny budget with which they bought "turntables, tape cartridges, and a few other items like plywood." They built their own console cabinets, successfully petitioned the UW and the FCC for a frequency and a license, and ultimately raised their own antenna. The 10-watt signal "barely reached the Ave" (the commercial heart of Seattle's University District).

In 1972, the station started operations as KCMU, a small album rock station staffed by University of Washington students that broadcast at 90.5 FM to the UW campus. (The "CMU" in its call letters referred to the abbreviation of the campus's Communications Building, the station's home.)

In 1975, its signal strength was boosted to 182 watts, carrying the signal off campusfor the first time.

In 1981, under the direction of Jon Kertzer, KCMU turned to its listening audience for public funding after the UW's budget was cut. KCMU played mostly indie rock but also was the first station to play rap artists like Grandmaster Flash. Throughout the late 1980s, the station tapped into Seattle's burgeoning music scene. Members of local bands Soundgarden and Mudhoney worked as volunteer DJs, as did both Jonathan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt, the founders of Sub-Pop. During these years, Billboard Magazine called KCMU "one of the most influential commercial-free stations in the country."

From 1983–1985, Kerry Loewen (former station manager at KFJC) was station manager.

Executive director Tom Mara

In late 1985 Chris Knab, who co-founded the record label 415 Records and was a former owner of Aquarius Records in San Francisco,sold his interest in 415 Records and became KCMU's station manager. Mr. Knab moved the station away from alternative rock-only programming, adding jazz, hip hop, world music and other genres to its lineup.

In 1986, KCMU switched frequencies to 90.3 FM and upped its transmitter signal to 400 watts, increasing its broadcast radius to 15 miles.

In 1992, KCMU dropped many of its volunteer DJs and elected to run syndicated programming. Some listeners and DJs considered this a betrayal of KCMU's democratic mission, and formed a group called CURSE (Censorship Undermines Radio Station Ethics). A program called World Cafe, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a particular bone of contention.

CURSE encouraged local KCMU supporters to stop donating money to the station in protest. Volunteer DJs who criticized the station's policies were fired, although a lawsuit from CURSE resulted in that policy being struck down by a United States District Court. World Cafe was dropped from KCMU's lineup in 1993, but none of the fired volunteer staff returned to the station.

KCMU hired its three full-time paid DJs in 1996, a move that cost several volunteer DJs and led to further complaints from some listeners who decried what they perceived as commercialization of the non-commercial radio station.

In 2000, KCMU started streaming 128 kilobit per second mp3 compressed audio over the Internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This made KCMU the first station in the world to offer online audio of this quality.

KCMU then moved from its long-time home in the Communications Bldg (CMU) to Kane Hall, at the University of Washington.

In 2001, KCMU was recalled KEXP. At the same time, it moved to a new studio near downtown Seattle (which it broadcasts from rent free), partnered with the Experience Music Project (EMP), and increased its power to 720 watts.

The kexp.org website was nominated for two Webby Awards in 2003, Best Radio Website and the People's Voice Award.

In 2004, KEXP started broadcasting on KXOT 91.7 FM in Tacoma, Washington, which extended the station's broadcast range to Olympia and the south Puget Sound region. Before then, KXOT was known as KBTC, was owned by Bates Technical College, and featured a classic rock format. Bates sold the station to Public Radio Capital for $5 million, and PRC leases it to KEXP.

KEXP began podcasting their live, in-studio performances beginning with Seattle hip hop trio Boom Bap Project who appeared on 21 July 2005.

On November 3, 2005, KEXP announced it was terminating operation of KXOT 91.7 FM at the end of the calendar year. The agreement made with EMP in 2001 is set to expire, and the radio station is preparing to support increased operating costs with a smaller budget.

On March 10, 2006, KEXP increased the power of its terrestrial frequency to 4,700 watts. The signal is radiated in a cardioid pattern.

In May 2006, "KEXP’s Audioasis local music program announced a 'community partnership' initiative 'designed to create connections between KEXP listeners and deserving local charities.' The hope is that these connections will result in an increase in awareness of the mission and work of local organizations and the impact they have on the larger community."

Joint venture with WNYE–Radio Liberation

In August 2007, New York City's public radio station, WNYE, part of NYC Media Group, was planning to overhaul their programming, moving to an all music format. The plans, detailed in a February 11, 2008 press release, are to partner with KEXP, and move to a simulcast and music format branded as "Radio Liberation." Many public radio insiders believe that NYC Media Group intended to cast off the "public" and "non-commercial" aspects of WNYE and present itself as a commercial formatted station.

On March 24, 2008, KEXP DJ John Richards' (a.k.a., John in the Morning) broadcast was heard on 91.5 FM in New York City for the first time as part of Radio Liberation. Radio Liberation is the collaboration between KEXP and Radio New York (91.5 FM) to introduce NY listeners to more independent music. The collaboration aimed to simulcast one part of KEXP’s original broadcasting and three originally produced programs. John Richards’ morning show is the only program that will be simulcast on the dial in both Seattle and NYC. The other programs (Wake Up, Music That Matters, and Mo’Glo) will be produced specifically for Radio New York, but not available to Seattle or online listeners.

According to the Radio Liberation microsite, “this partnership makes it possible for KEXP to reach another 14 million terrestrial listeners in New York.” KEXP has a long-standing relationship with New York, broadcasting live from there a couple times a year. In addition to information about the project, the microsite includes a list of NY concert events, Song of the Day Podcasts, and album reviews. Additionally, "beginning this June [2008], John Richards will split time between Seattle and New York, broadcasting his show live from both locations throughout the year."

John Richards, who frequently creates playlists based on themes, opened the first Radio Liberation broadcast with "Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)" from the Pixies, his self professed favorite band), "Pike St./Park Slope" from Harvey Danger, a Seattle band singing about Seattle and Brooklyn and "Marching Bands of Manhattan" by Death Cab for Cutie containing a NYC reference.

The joint venture ended on June 1, 2011. WNYE replaced KEXP programming with the WFUV show "The Alternate Side".

Website

In addition to features such as dynamic playlists and live streaming radio, KEXP's website includes an archive of all programs from the last two weeks as well as a collection of previous on-air live performances [1]. The performers in the collection are representative of the station's eclectic musical mix. These include national and international artists such as Patti Smith, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and They Might Be Giants and local Pacific Northwest artists such as Harvey Danger, The Long Winters, and Maktub.

KEXP's website was the first site on the Internet to offer a 128 kbit/s, high-quality stream of live radio. Innovations such as the high-quality stream helped KEXP's website to win a Webby Award for best radio website in 2004. It had been nominated for the same award in 2003 but failed to win.

See also

• John Richards (disc jockey), current disc jockey and assistant program director

References

• Julia Kingrey, Radio-free UW: KCMU moves off campus, University of Washington Daily, July 15, 1998
• Jeff DeRoche, Radio Ga-Ga: With Paul Allen's Money at Its Disposal, Does KCMU — Wai...KEXP Really Need Any More of Your Money? The Stranger, Apr 12–Apr 18, 2001
• Gene Johnson, Radio Station Bucks Trends, Finds Listeners, Associated Press, October 16, 2005
• Reid Davis, KEXP Seattle – What Music Radio Could Be, Paste Magazine online, undated, appears to date from 2002, accessed 12 Dec 2005
• Nina Shapiro, The Expensive Expansion of KEXP: It's globally popular and flush with donations, but Seattle's seminal eclectic-music radio station is under financial strain that is affecting morale Seattle Weekly, December 7–13, 2005.
• Ernest A. Jasmin, Flow of Tunes from KEXP Finally Stops in Tacoma, The News Tribune, February 3, 2006.
• Laura Foy & Tina Wood, Touring KEXP, Internet Radio Super Station, 10, March 13, 2006.
• Dana Bos & Liz Riley, Live Show Review: KEXP Audioasis Showcase: Thee Emergency, New Fangs, Sera Cahoone, the Fading Collection, and Daylight Basement, Three Imaginary Girls, May 2006.
• Dave Segal, Fired KEXP DJ Clears the Air, The Stranger, July 28, 2006. Interview with DJ Greg Jaspan.
• David T. Atkinson, CD Review, Live At KEXP Vol II, Glide Magazine, July 31, 2006.
• Best of Seattle 2006: Readers' Picks, Seattle Weekly, August 2, 2006.
• Rachel Shimp, Best of Seattle 2006: Critics' Picks, Seattle Weekly, August 2, 2006.
• Kyle O'Brien, Discovering Local Gems, The Oregonian, August 4, 2006.
• Rachel Shimp, Music Make U Lose Control, Seattle Weekly, August 8, 2006.
• Keenan Bowen, Audacity Limits, The Stranger, August 10–16, 2006.
• Audrey Hendrickson, Ghostland, Observed, Seattlest, August 14, 2006.
• Jennifer Kelly, Various Artists: Live at KEXP, Vol. 2, Popmatters, August 22, 2006.

External links

• KEXP official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KEXP
• Radio-Locator information on KEXP
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for KEXP
• KEXP Music Explorer