KQUA UPDATE
By Patrick Schneider
So many great things are happening at KQUA. We are set to reach large parts of the county, we are expanding our programming, and we have more great things in the works.
We are making some progress on getting KQUA up to full power. When KQUA reaches full power, it will cover the Umpqua Basin from Drain to Canyonville. With this move, we expect to increase our audience size and anticipate that listeners will tune in for longer. We have had some technical hiccups along the way that has pushed the installation date back, but there is a good chance that we will have this project done by late October.
At the beginn
ing of 2022, we started to move away from our mostly commercial music format. We signed on with the NACC (North American College Charts). By joining the NACC we are being sent a lot of music that you won’t hear on any other station broadcasting out of Douglas County. We are now playing music you would hear on stations like KEXP or KCRW and bands that have been, or may in the future be, featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk. This move aligns us with other college/community stations around the country.
One of our long-term goals is to give a voice to the voiceless. We do this with music by flooding our format with more female artists, artists of color, LGBTQI+ artists, and music by indigenous artists. We have been seeking out music that touches on modern progressive issues and music that talks about the environment as we move away from traditional alternatives made by four white guys with guitars.
For those that prefer talk or specialty programming, we have added more programs and will continue to do so. Recently we added two shows from Oregonian, Mike Meyer. Every Sunday morning beginning at 10 am you can catch Hearts and Bones and Island Earth Radio. These shows feature modern folk, classic rock, Indigenous music, poetry, and more. We are also featuring segments of Green Teacher. Green Teacher is a registered charity in Canada serving a global network and we are dedicated to helping educators, both inside and outside of schools, enhance environmental literacy among young learners. Green Teacher magazine offers perspectives on the role of education in creating a sustainable future, practical articles, and ready-to-use activities for various age levels, as well as reviews of dozens of new educational resources.
We are always seeking content contributors. We are looking for programming that gives a voice to those that don’t have one in our community, as well as programming that keeps locals informed of things happening in our community.
To sign up to be a host of a program, check out new music, or get local news visit KQUA.org. Any comments, questions, or concerns, send us an email through the website or at KQUA@umpquawatersheds.org. If you have a community announcement, you can submit it to us via our website at https://kqua.org/on-air-announcement-request/.
