KNKX

KNKX was the brainchild of Chris Knudzen, a regent of PLU from Burlington who, in 1951, donated the then-under construction Eastvold Chapel (now the Karen Hille Phillips Center for the Performing Arts{{cite news |last1=Ponnekanti |first1=Rosemary |title=Britten opera at PLU |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104146254/britten-opera-at-plu/ |work=The News Tribune |date=January 24, 2014 |department=Go |page=12 |via=Newspapers.com}}) with a radio studio to the university under the desire of having it host a radio station. While the studio was used extensively, it took 15 years for the station to debut; the station formally signed on the air as KPLU-FM on November 16, 1966, with the inaugural broadcast featuring a short speech from President Robert Mortvedt and interviews with local community leaders.{{cite news |title=PLU to Go On the Air On KPLU-FM |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104145679/plu-to-go-on-the-air-on-kplu-fm/ |work=The News Tribune |date=November 13, 1996 |page=A-5 |via=Newspapers.com}} It was primarily run by university students and played jazz, blues and other music not usually heard on commercial radio stations. Originally, it broadcast from a tower on campus that was only 140 feet tall, effectively limiting its coverage area to Tacoma and adjacent suburbs.Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-227 Over time, the station added news programs from NPR to its schedule. It improved its coverage area, both by increasing its power and relocating to a tower that is {{convert|2320|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} Height Above Average Terrain, allowing it to challenge established NPR member KUOW. For listeners outside the Tacoma-Seattle area, it set up eleven translators and simulcast stations.

File:KPLU-FM Logo.jpg

On November 12, 2015, Pacific Lutheran University announced its intention to sell the station to the University of Washington, owner of KUOW.{{cite news |title=PLU Says It Intends To Sell KPLU 88.5 FM To KUOW Public Radio |url=http://kuow.org/post/plu-says-it-intends-sell-kplu-885-fm-kuow-public-radio |work=KUOW |date=November 12, 2015 |access-date=November 12, 2015}} The planned sale to UW triggered public outcry from KPLU's listener base, who feared KPLU's unique programming would be sacrificed if it became a sister station to KUOW. On November 23, the KPLU advisory board voted unanimously to oppose the sale.{{cite news |last=Kiley |first=Brendan |date=November 23, 2015 |title='A kick in the teeth': KPLU advisory board opposes sale to KUOW |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/kplu-advisory-board-votes-to-oppose-radio-stations-sale/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=November 24, 2015}} The board sought to negotiate with a community-based non-profit group, Friends of 88.5, to raise $7,000,000 to buy the radio station and its network of translators and rebroadcasters from the university, keeping it independent.{{cite news|last=Sailor|first=Craig|date=May 26, 2016|url=http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article80036057.html|title=Supporters of Tacoma-based KPLU reach $7 million mark in bid to buy station|work=The Olympian|access-date=June 8, 2016}} By May 26, 2016, some 20,000 supporters met the goal. Friends of 88.5 began negotiating with PLU to purchase the station.

On August 12, 2016, it was announced that the station would adopt the new call letters KNKX, pronounced like "Connects", which was chosen among several other choices by the station's listening audience. The new call sign went into effect when the station officially changed hands from PLU to Friends of 88.5 on August 30, 2016; the change was made as the station could not keep the KPLU callsign (as it was university property) during the sale negotiations.{{cite web |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/kplu-renamed-knkx-pronounced-connects/ |title=KPLU renamed KNKX (pronounced 'connects') |last=Kiley |first=Brendan |date=August 12, 2016 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=June 21, 2022}}{{cite news |last=Connelly |first=Joel |date=August 12, 2016 |title=Listener-rescued KPLU public radio dons new call letters—KNKX |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/A-listener-rescued-KPLU-radio-dons-new-call-9139406.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |access-date=August 31, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Kiley|first1=Brendan|title=KPLU officially begins broadcasting as KNKX|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/kplu-officially-begins-broadcasting-as-knkx/|access-date=August 31, 2016|work=The Seattle Times|date=August 31, 2016}} In October 2018, it was announced that KNKX would move their Tacoma studio to downtown Tacoma, at 930 Broadway.{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=October 6, 2018 |title=Public radio station KNKX announces move to downtown Tacoma |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/latest-news/article219608865.html |work=The News Tribune |access-date=March 23, 2019}} On August 29, 2019, the first live broadcast from their new home was aired by Dick Stein. The station hosted a grand opening celebration on September 7, 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article234677492.html|title=Public radio station KNKX goes from the brink of doom to new downtown Tacoma digs|last=Lida|first=Kate|date=September 3, 2019|work=The News Tribune|access-date=September 12, 2019}}

KNKX announced plans to relocate its Seattle studio to the Madore Building, part of Pike Place Market, in March 2022.{{Cite press release |title=KNKX unveils plan to relocate its Seattle studios |date=March 15, 2022 |publisher=KNKX |url=https://www.knkx.org/term/news-0/2022-03-15/knkx-unveils-plan-to-relocate-its-seattle-studios |access-date=June 21, 2022}} A grand opening and public open house is scheduled for August 26, 2023. The larger space, on the fifth floor of the Madore Building, was obtained with a 10-year lease and include five studios.{{cite news |last=de Barros |first=Paul |date=August 15, 2023 |title=Peek inside KNKX's new Seattle home by Pike Place Market |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/peek-inside-knkxs-new-seattle-home-by-pike-place-market/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=August 15, 2023}}

KNKX is also carried on the following satellite and broadcast translator stations to improve reception of the station:

{{RadioTranslators

| callsign = KNKX

| call1 = K265DP

| freq1 = 100.9

| city1 = Aberdeen, Washington

| fid1 = 51200

| call2 = K204BI

| freq2 = 88.7

| city2 = Bellingham, Washington

| fid2 = 51195

| call3 = K211AP

| freq3 = 90.1

| city3 = Centralia, Washington

| fid3 = 51201

| call4 = K284BM

| freq4 = 104.7

| city4 = Longview, Washington

| fid4 = 38908

| call5 = K288GG

| freq5 = 105.5

| city5 = Mount Vernon, Washington

| fid5 = 51198

| call6 = K214FI

| freq6 = 90.7

| city6 = Raymond, Washington

| fid6 = 51196

| call7 = K221FR

| freq7 = 92.1

| city7 = West Seattle, Washington

| fid7 = 51202

| call8 = K244EV

| freq8 = 96.7

| city8 = Woodland, Washington

| fid8 = 142359

}}

The West Seattle translator serves portions of Seattle that are shielded by hilly terrain from the main KNKX signal.{{cn|date=August 2023}} It was at 88.1 FM until 2012.{{cite news |date=March 6, 2012 |title=KPLU's West Seattle frequency moving to 92.1 FM |url=https://www.knkx.org/other-news/2012-03-06/kplus-west-seattle-frequency-moving-to-92-1-fm |publisher=KPLU |accessdate=August 15, 2023}}

• List of jazz radio stations in the United States

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://knkx.org/}}

{{FM station data|51199|KNKX}}

{{Seattle Radio}}

{{Northern Washington Radio}}

{{Olympia-Centralia Radio}}

{{NPR Washington}}

NKX

Category:NPR member stations

Category:Jazz radio stations in the United States

Category:Radio stations established in 1966

Category:1966 establishments in Washington (state)