KALY-LP

The station signed on September 24, 2015, with the primary audience intended to be Minnesota's Somali-American population. It was one of several LPFM stations to sign on in Minnesota in 2015. The others included WEQY-LP in St. Paul, and the early stages of WFNU-LP, also in St. Paul. KALY's mission was to bridge the gap between those who spoke English, and those who spoke Somali. The station worked with KFAI to help train volunteers.{{cite web|url=https://www.minnpost.com/new-americans/2015/12/new-radio-station-aimed-somali-americans|work=MinnPost|date=December 4, 2015|author=Ibrahim Hirsi|title=New radio station aimed at Somali-Americans}}

The station also received assistance from the Prometheus Radio Project, based in Philadelphia.{{cite web|url=https://www.radiosurvivor.com/2015/10/minneapolis-has-a-somali-low-power-fm-station|work=Radio Survivor|title=Minneapolis has a Somali Low Power FM station|author=Matthew Lasar|date=October 10, 2015}} It was among over a thousand LPFMs to sign on thanks to the FCC's new class of stations.{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/09/19/number-of-u-s-low-power-fm-radio-stations-has-nearly-doubled-since-2014|work=Pew Research Center|title=Number of U.S. low-power FM radio stations has nearly doubled since 2014|date=September 19, 2016|author=Nancy Vogt}}

The station was the first in the United States to broadcast programming of its type 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 3,000 people were surveyed before the station came to air, regarding their preferences for a radio station. KALY's {{convert|7|mi|km|0}} to {{convert|10|mi|km|0}} range affords it a potential listenership of 200,000 people. It is likely the station can be heard beyond that, due to the line of sight nature of FM broadcasting. Because the station streams, it has listeners around the world.{{cite web|url=https://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/stories/kaly-1017-reaches-underserved-east-african-population,777|work=Longfellow Nokomis Messenger|date=January 23, 2018|title=KALY 101.7 reaches underserved East African population|author=Tesha Christiensen}}

KALY is not the only station in Minnesota that caters to the Somali-American population. KZYS-LP in St. Cloud also features programming directed toward the Somalian population there.

{{reflist}}

• {{URL|kalyradio.org}}
• {{facebook|kalysomaliamericanradio}}

{{Minneapolis-St. Paul Radio}}

Category:African culture in Minnesota

Category:Radio stations in Minnesota

Category:Hennepin County, Minnesota

Category:Low-power FM radio stations in Minnesota

Category:Somali-American history

Category:Radio stations established in 2015

Category:2015 establishments in Minnesota

Category:Somali-language radio stations

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