KUOW-FM

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KUOW-FM
City of license	Seattle, Washington
Broadcast area	Seattle metropolitan area
Branding	KUOW 94.9
Frequency	94.9 MHz (Also on HD Radio) 94.9 HD-2 for KXOT 94.9 HD-3 for BBC World Service
First air date	1952
Format	Public radio
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	224 meters
Class	C1
Facility ID	66571
Callsign meaning	University Of Washington
Affiliations	NPR
Owner	University of Washington
Webcast	KUOW Webstream
Website	KUOW.org

KUOW-FM (94.9 FM broadcasting) is a National Public Radio affiliate radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is the second most listened to radio station in the Seattle-Tacoma market ^[1] and the most listened to news radio station in the state. It is a service of the University of Washington.

[edit] About KUOW

KUOW's site states its mission as, "to create and serve an informed public, one challenged and invigorated by an understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures."

The station was founded in 1952, when Dorothy Bullitt of King Broadcasting Company (KING-AM-FM-TV) donated the 94.9 frequency to UW. It is one of the few public radio stations on a commercial frequency. For years, it served as a training ground for UW students to learn about broadcasting. Programming consisted of classical music, classroom lectures, local news and Husky sports.

In the 1960s, however, KUOW began branching out, adding more news programming. It was a charter member of NPR in 1970.

KUOW broadcasts from Capitol Hill in Seattle with a power (ERP) of 100 kW. The studios are located in Seattle's University District. The station is heard in the Puget Sound region on 94.9FM, in Bellingham, Washington on 90.3FM, in Olympia, Washington on 1340AM and on the Internet at kuow.org.

[edit] Audience

KUOW's 2006 annual report states, "KUOW served an average of 351,200 listeners each week in Fiscal Year 2006. These listeners averaged eight hours of listening per week to total more than 2.8 million weekly listener hours. Last year, KUOW ranked fourth among all radio stations in the Seattle Metro market, with a 4.2% share of the market's radio audience."

[edit] Finances

KUOW's 2006 operating support (money received) totaled $8,176,000. Its sources were:

• 58% Individuals and Foundations
• 30% Corporate
• 11% Government (largely the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the University of Washington.)
• 1% Foundation

[edit] Programs

KUOW produces several programs, most of which are concerned with local news and events:

• The Conversation - Hosted by Ross Reynolds, The Conversation is a call-in program that covers news-oriented and other topics.
• KUOW Presents - KUOW Presents airs local and national program specials.
• Sound Focus - Hosted by Dave Beck, Megan Sukys and Jeannie Yandel. The program presents engaging interviews with people who define the Northwest character. National guests join the conversation to share ideas that can change the way listeners look at life around the Puget Sound.
• Speaker's Forum - Speaker's Forum airs speeches and presentations from a wide variety of specialties.
• The Swing Years and Beyond - Hosted by Amanda Wilde, The Swing Years and Beyond airs American music from the 1920s through the 1950s.
• Weekday - Hosted by Steve Scher, Weekday is an interview / call-in talk show that covers various topics usually related to local and national news.

[edit] KUOW Alumni

• Luke Burbank^[2]: NPR Host
• Cynthia Doyon: Deceased
• Juris Jansons: General Manager KASB radio
• Bill Radke: Currently host of Weekend America
• Dana Davis Rehm^[3]: NPR Senior Vice President, Strategy & Partnerships
• Robert Smith: NPR Correspondent, National Desk, New York

[edit] See also

• National Public Radio

[edit] References

• http://www.kuow.org/reports/AnnualReport_2006.pdf
• http://www.kuow.org/

[edit] External links

• KUOW official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KUOW
• Radio Locator information on KUOW
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KUOW