Welcome to the KPIE studio and our 50 cent tour

With our 50 cent tour you get a cup of coffee and 49 cents change.

Let me begin our tour by saying that our main objective is not to play music, you can get all of that you want on any other radio station. Our main objective is to provide a means for local folks and organizations to let others in the area know what’s going on around here and to make airtime available to organizations to spread the word about their work or objectives. As it takes time to get some of these organizations to figure out what to do with radio, since it’s been more than a generation since stations made time available to them, we also play music. We primarily play oldies from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, however, we include local musicians, see our Talent page, and Big Band music. The selections in our music library range from classical, to country to adult contemporary to oldies, big band, jazz and more.

Some of our records and one of the two turntables we use to play them.

The KPIE music collection hosts over 10,000 45 RPM’s, 4,500 LP’s, 1,500 CD’s and hundreds of reel to reel and cassette tapes. We’re able to play any format from 78’s, through and including MP3’s, except wire (as in wire recorders). We use records, CD’s, reel to reel tapes and cassette tapes. Some of these reel to reel machines are used to play music that we have on these large 10 ½” reels. Each of these reels, seen in the brown boxes above the reel to reel machines below, contain a little over an hour of music. We use professional Ampex, ITC and Pioneer tape machines. One of the reel to reel machines we use is a 4 track and is used for the production and play back of programs and music, the remainder are ½ track stereo.

Here’s a wide shot of the studio.

We use a collection of analog and digital equipment to produce and air our programs.

Our control board is a dual stereo board with the stereo audition side used for recording announcements and programs and the stereo air side is used to feed the transmitter. The control board has 26 inputs and all but two are used. We also have the capability to do call-in type programs. Three computers are used. One handles the “on the air” duties (dark screen in front of window). The second is used for all production work (lighted screen on left of control board) as all programs are digitally produced. It’s also used for recording keeping for all the music and programs both in house and on the automation computer. The third computer (screen partially visibility on right side of control board) is used for AP news, production and engineering. There has been some equipment rearrangement between pictures as we are always trying to make the best use of our limited space. Most programs are pre-recorded. We do live programs both in the studio and from remote locations radio and sometimes via phone lines. We do live remotes from various county and community events, including but not limited to live coverage for two political town hall type meetings. One in Independence and the other from Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.

We are not a large operation but we try to do a professional job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and keep our listeners in mind. We produce clean family programming and like to see community involvement. We are fully equipped for emergencies with both backup generator power and the latest Emergency Alert System equipment including Amber Alert. We don’t treat Low Power FM as a toy, it’s a cost effective and valuable tool to be used where full power stations are not viable. We salute all the community broadcasters who are trying to make a positive difference and provide a voice in and for their communities. Freedom of speech and choice is one thing some in the broadcast industry should remember. If we don’t worry about competition from the full power commercial stations, which have all the advantages and benefits, one should ask, why are they so worried about a few Low Power FM stations that they would fight them the way they are.

Thanks for taking the tour and check your area for a Low Power FM station near you. As always we welcome questions.

Fred Compton

General Manager