PORT TOWNSEND— There was a storm of activity when community radio station KPTZ-FM arrived on the local airwaves in May, but a second new radio station is operating under the radar.
KROH, a Christian station whose call letters are an acronym for “radio of hope” made a quiet debut Aug. 12 and is building an audience.
“Life as we see it is not all their is,” said station manager Joe Mann with regard to its programming.
“We want to offer information that fits in with the plan God has for us while we are here and help our listeners prepare for what happens next.”
Outside of the religious slant much of the station’s programming will provide community service, where to find needed resources and what to do in an emergency.
The radio station is under the auspices of Port Townsend’s Seventh-day Adventist Church, and is now broadcasting 24/7 at 91.1 FM.
The frequency has a poignant meaning, especially with regard to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Mann said the numbers may represent a certain degree of “divine intervention” but were actually awarded because it was the only place on the dial that was available.
Non-commercial public radio stations need to be at 91.9 or below, and cannot overlap with any other stations within the listening area.
Mann said the station’s frequency has become part of its message.
“We never refer to ourselves as KROH ninety one point one, it is always KPOH nine one one,” he said.
“We are dealing with the problems that result from life’s biggest emergencies,” he said.
Mann, who has more than 30 years of broadcasting experience, is the station’s only paid staff member.
Currently there are three volunteers at the station, a number Mann is looking to expand, although he plans to be selective.
He is recruiting people who can provide programming on a variety of subjects through a “Christian perspective,” and can offer this in a short format on a regular basis.
Once a topic is assigned, such as hiking or boating, the correspondent can create the program on their own home computer and upload it to the KROH server for editing and subsequent broadcast.
Currently the programs cover a variety of topics with a 60/40 talk/music mix.
The station broadcasts around the clock with such a small staff with what Mann calls “the miracle of automation.”
Mann said that the delays the station faced were expected and were weather related, as the construction of its broadcast tower on Blyn Mountain could not be completed in the wintertime.
It also took three months to get the necessary approval from the Canadian government, required whenever a station wishes to broadcast within 200 miles of an international border.
The 1,150 watt station can be heard as far south as Seattle and as far north as Mt. Vernon, although coverage in Port Angeles is touch and go.
FCC gives radio stations 36 months from when a license is awarded to the time it goes on the air, Mann said they made the deadline with six months to spare.
While the programming and scale of operation differs from KPTZ Mann said there is cooperation between the two stations.
“Broadcasting is a small fraternity,” he said.
“You have to watch out for each other and when something breaks you need to know who to call for help.”
Mann said that KPTZ engineer Bill Putney has been a valuable resource on technology issues.
Like KPTZ, KROH cannot accept advertising but can mention sponsors by name in a more subtle way.
It is also accepting and soliciting donations, which are tax deductible, by going to www.radioofhope.org or by mail, P.O. Box 1882, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Beyond automation, Mann expects to use new technology to increase the station’s depth and breadth.
It will soon add digital signals to its broadcast, and at that point add programming in Spanish and Russian.
“It’s amazing that a station with a worldwide media footprint can originate here in Port Townsend,” he said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.