Here is some history on how the 50KW transmitters affected my life growing up on Vashon. My parents moved here in 1970 when I was seven (so I can't really say I moved here, it was a family move.) My dad worked for IBM as a field technician. In 1974 he started to work at the KIRO transmitter plant on weekends. Needless to say that is where I got my interest in those big transmitters. Fast forward to now, I'm a second generation engineer at the plant. When I got the transmitter keys, my dad just gave me his old key. When Bonneville bought 1090, my sister who is a locksmith in West Seattle re-keyed both transmitter sites to a master key set up. So not only do I have my dads original transmitter keys my sister does the lock work. From 1982-2000 I was in Seattle mostly working as an engineer at Seattle stations, KUBE, KZOK, 106.9, KBCS, Kidstar.
Back when I was younger (15 years ago, I was in my thirties) I heard that a guy wanted to start an LPFM. I was a little interested because I felt if any one built the LPFM it should be some one local, like me. I also knew the uphill battle it would be. I actually help for Voice of Vashon into a non profit, my signature is on the incorporation papers. I was volunteer #2. I strongly pushed to webcast, telling them it would be a while if ever that they got an LPFM. So they started to webcast. We looked at options like getting a TIS station but that was put on the back burner for almost 7 years then they say the usefulness of a TIS and together with the Vashon Park District (the Park district hold the license for the TIS since they qualified for the TIS) they go the TIS signal up. VoV provides the playback equipment and programming as well as a crew that monitors if a message needs to be put up quickly.
As things moved along the VoV board (I'm no longer on the board, just a contract employee and technical advisor) never lost sight of the LPFM goal and pursued it. Slow and steady wins the race and as we all know they got the LPFM. In between now and then VoV survived, figured out how to raise money and groomed it's content. The music is musicians, managers and mixing engineers that have lived on Vashon or have performed regularly on Vashon (Clinton Fearon, Vicci Martinez who I have meet and mixed sound several times when she performed on Vashon before the Voice). We have volunteers that are voice over talent and actual radio DJ's, several people that had shows on KBCS also lived on Vashon and have contributed on the way. During the launch of KVSH-LP we had an X mountain DJ who every one would now, stop by and expressed interest in working with VoV (he now lives on Vashon).
On the equipment side VoV is very modern, no cart machines. Over the years we have used Web Jockey, our first automation, Sam Broadcaster and now Station Playlist, with the remote voice tracker module. Yes VoV allows some DJ's to track from home. That's because we want the volunteers to experience how radio is now, so if they go off and get a job in radio they have an idea how radio stations operate now. We do have 2 Turntables in the studio and 2 ready for a second production room. But no carts or Reel to Reel. VoV also has a PEG channel on cable channel 21 on Vashon (via Comcast) that they also program and will be putting a new automation/delivery system on line in the next two weeks.
The transmitter/exciter we are using today was donated by a popular Seattle FM station. The monitor amp in our studio was once used for KXRX. VoV has good support from the big boys in Seattle, I think that may have to do with some of my contacts. Vashon is lucky that we actually have a rather large talent pool to draw upon, being a kinda beadroom community to Seattle. I'm very proud of the Volunteers that have stepped in over time to help Voice of Vashon grow to it's goal of an LPFM. I continue to learn about myself and how to better myself because of what I help start 15 years ago. There are some really good solid people behind the scene at Voice of Vashon. I'll name drop here, Bill Wood who has produced his show for 14 years, The Jazz guy is an amazing volunteer and one of the original don aters. Jeff Hoyt who is a Voice over guy is always there when the group needs him and is now heading up the programing department as a volunteer. I remember 15 years ago when Jeff told me not to expect to much out of him, Since then he has stepped in countless times to move the group forward and actually spear headed the drive to get the TIS signal for VoV (5 years earlier he told ne no way did he want to be involved in a TIS station) I was shocked when I learned Jeff was now working on getting a TIS up and running.
So now here I sit, in charge of 3, 50KW am plants, an LPFM and a TIS (1650 has 3, 10 watt transmitters synchronized via GPS) and only two flashing stop lights in my way. On top of that I own a small paper
www.vashonloop.com is the website and it's printed every other week (bi-weekly). So I know a lot about community and the Vashon community in particular.
Come out to Vashon Island to live and learn. It's true it takes several years before your a true Islander like myself, Jeff Hoyt is almost there, "a few more years Jeff and you will be a true Islander" I tell him.
So in a nut shell if it were not for those towers on Vashon I may have gone to work for IBM and never got the "Radio Bug" and who knows if VoV would have ever evolved without those towers, the first built in 1936 for KVI. And if you live on Vashon some times you can stop by the KOMO plant and get a peak at some real radio history. Walt Jameson filling cabinet is stored out here and it's a blast from the past going through that.
I have also heard that Vashon is Cannabis friendly. I can neither confirm or deny that one, you will have to come out and see for yourself.
