KVSH 101.9 Vashon

Well, Voice of Vashon 101.9 is up and running 8 days as of this post.
Can't hear them on north end of w.Seattle and barely in White Center, and it has blocked KINK fm at my house. Antenna on a water tower not far from KVI's towers.(not sure if those are KVI towers)

So this is community lpfm, BORING! Has anybody notice? Can anyone hear them off the island? Does it matter?
Maybe programing will get better,. They are asking for help..with everything. Check their website.

What exactly does the programming consist of?

copy /paste from their website..http://www.voiceofvashon.org/kvsh_live

Morning Scramble is live week day mornings and there will be new comedy programs, shows about community issues, and music ranging from Celtic to R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, World Fusion and beyond.

They're actively seeking volunteers/very few payed positions if any. I'm not affiliated with VoV in any way. Just putting the word out. I've heard Celtic and Beyond music?!?, the rest no!
also on 1650 am and webcast.

gr229 said:

copy /paste from their website..http://www.voiceofvashon.org/kvsh_live

Morning Scramble is live week day mornings and there will be new comedy programs, shows about community issues, and music ranging from Celtic to R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, World Fusion and beyond.

They're actively seeking volunteers/very few payed positions if any. I'm not affiliated with VoV in any way. Just putting the word out. I've heard Celtic and Beyond music?!?, the rest no!
also on 1650 am and webcast.

Click to expand...

It seems to me like it would be hard to find people who could work at this station. In this day and age, its a novelty to have skills in the radio industry, so I don't know if they will have much luck (this seems to be why so many of these stations exist for only a short period of time). I am better that it will be mostly automated.

"...from Celtic to R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, World Fusion and beyond..."

WHAT?? NO PUNK ROCK? NO THRASH METAL?

What kind of crummy, crappy station is this?.....

Ford I wouldn't put this particular station off just yet. Voice of Vashon was an internet only station for a while before. The ones I'd put off the air after less than a year are those broadcasters who have absolutely no programming or financial backing when they first sign on are the ones I'd put off the air within a year.

bobdavcav said:

Ford I wouldn't put this particular station off just yet. Voice of Vashon was an internet only station for a while before. The ones I'd put off the air after less than a year are those broadcasters who have absolutely no programming or financial backing when they first sign on are the ones I'd put off the air within a year.

Click to expand...

Scrolling through the Facebook page, it looks like the community retirees do a pretty good job at keeping this thing going. They have an interesting setup, but really, what do they need?

Bongwater said:

"...from Celtic to R&B, Jazz, Hip Hop, World Fusion and beyond..."

WHAT?? NO PUNK ROCK? NO THRASH METAL?

What kind of crummy, crappy station is this?.....

Click to expand...

I don't see any French rap programming. Tsk Tsk.

KVSH I would listen to if they had a few hours devoted to smooth jazz - with no crossovers except for Sade, Anita Baker, Basia etc. Good that 101.9 isn't causing much problem to that weak but interesting KINK signal from Portland except Vashon and the West Seattle waterfront. The Eastside and Pierce County can feel a sign of (not for long) relief.

-crainbebo

I'm just shaking my head at this thread. Pretty obvious the mission of this operation is to be a community resource for the residents of Vashon...staffed by volunteers who believe in the community. So why is everyone upset that they aren't doing a format you would like...or doing something that violates your pre-conceived notion of what every other "programmed" station needs to sound like? They have a mission...they are being true to it, and it's frustrating you guys. I know some therapists who could make a BUNDLE off that kind of thinking....

LITTLEBOYBLUE said:

I'm just shaking my head at this thread. Pretty obvious the mission of this operation is to be a community resource for the residents of Vashon...staffed by volunteers who believe in the community. So why is everyone upset that they aren't doing a format you would like...or doing something that violates your pre-conceived notion of what every other "programmed" station needs to sound like? They have a mission...they are being true to it, and it's frustrating you guys. I know some therapists who could make a BUNDLE off that kind of thinking....

Click to expand...

I really was not trying to be rude. I just think its going to be difficult to keep a terrestrial radio station like this going when there are so few people available to do these jobs.

Not to mention, when I think of a community radio, I think of a station like KAFE rather than a LPFM.

Something tells me knowing the demographics of Vashon, (older, middle-upper class liberals) it'll be pretty easy for them to get it somewhat staffed with volunteers. They may be able to pick up some NPR/PRI shows that don't get picked up on KUOW/NWPR/KPLU/KSER/KBCS to give Otto Mation a break from DJing a few times a day as well.

That being said, didn't Whidbey's LPFM from the last app round go under within a couple of years? Said they couldn't financially support keeping a 100w LPFM on air (?) but could keep it online-only...weird.

What strikes me as a potentially worse situation is 8-10 extra LPFMs floating around metro Seattle. 4-6 that I'm aware of will be within city limits...will there be enough volunteerism, donations, and support from Seattle to support 4-6 full-power public radio stations, plus several locally-"focused" non-comm FM's?

Radio-X

If you take the time to peruse the web site, it seems the group has control of a TIS station on Vashon, and they seem to be actively programming it. That could have been the basis of the commitment it took to get the FM running.

Given the appearance of this group and the nature of where they're located, I'd say this one might have a better chance than most of surviving relatively long-term.

KSQM-FM in Sequim is another example. While not technically an LP, it also runs on a non-profit, volunteer basis, and appears to be fairly well organized.

On the other hand, there are some around here that are basically automation boxes, sitting on a channel. Apparently, there's no official distinction of the value of one kind over the other.

That was KWPA-LP in Coupeville. Tried 96.9 and got beat up by CKLG just 2 miles away from Coupeville. Then tried 94.5 and got beat up by CFBT at the same distance. The sandwiching of the dial in NW WA is why KWPA went to online only.

-crainbebo

crainbebo said:

That was KWPA-LP in Coupeville. Tried 96.9 and got beat up by CKLG just 2 miles away from Coupeville. Then tried 94.5 and got beat up by CFBT at the same distance. The sandwiching of the dial in NW WA is why KWPA went to online only.

-crainbebo

Click to expand...

and it wont be long until the dial south of Seattle is the same.

In Bellingham, Seattle frequencies are used for LPFM. 94.1 and 94.9 are slated to have LPFMs in Bellingham.

"In a WORLD, ruled by LPFM..... Without anything INTERESTING to listen to..."

Oh yeah, the LP's are only listenable if you are within a 5 mile radius of the antenna, but yet they wreak havoc on any other station on that frequency. It must be a tactic!

I had no idea a non profit I along with others on Vashon Island formed 14 years ago could impact all the other stations on 101.9 across the county. Wonder what else I can do with this new found power. Vashon Rules

Should we add this liner? "Making it unlistenable from Blaine to Baja on 101.9, this is the Voice of Vashon."

Seriously guy.

fordranger797 said:

I really was not trying to be rude. I just think its going to be difficult to keep a terrestrial radio station like this going when there are so few people available to do these jobs.

Not to mention, when I think of a community radio, I think of a station like KAFE rather than a LPFM.

Click to expand...

When I think of a community radio, I think of a wind up radio in a remote African tribal village with everyone hunched over the speaker.

LPFMs are usually some boutique or specialty format designed for the specific group lucky enough to get an LPFM license. If you can form a non-profit group like hypothetically; The Preservation of Small Town Sounding Radio of the '70s and '80s Society or The Adult Contemporary Music Lovers Guild, you can get an LPFM license just on that. And maybe even do better with listeners than an LPFM that plays all gramophone records from the 1900s or music for granola eaters. But no one seems to be in any rush to do that.

So it's always going to be the bohemian free-spirit types or religious nuts that win out on these things.

Bongwater said:

When I think of a community radio, I think of a wind up radio in a remote African tribal village with everyone hunched over the speaker.

LPFMs are usually some boutique or specialty format designed for the specific group lucky enough to get an LPFM license. If you can form a non-profit group like hypothetically; The Preservation of Small Town Sounding Radio of the '70s and '80s Society or The Adult Contemporary Music Lovers Guild, you can get an LPFM license just on that. And maybe even do better with listeners than an LPFM that plays all gramophone records from the 1900s or music for granola eaters. But no one seems to be in any rush to do that.

So it's always going to be the bohemian free-spirit types or religious nuts that win out on these things.

Click to expand...

I think it also should be noted, many of us look down on LP radio because our interests lie with commercial radio.