A brief look at KBRW
KBRW maintains its broadcast studios on donated land at 1695 Okpik Street in Barrow.
The station, which began broadcasting at noon on December 22, 1974, is the only radio station serving an approximate area of 88,000 square miles. It started modestly with a $180,000 grant from the State of Alaska and after 22 months of planning, KBRW began broadcasting with 1,000 watts of power and programmed music shows, hosted by a cadre of community volunteers. That signal was strengthened in the villages starting in 1988 with a series of 5 translators, one for each out-lying village served.
In 1992, KBRW began broadcasting around the clock with a new more powerful 10,000 watt transmitter and a higher 400-foot tower, about seven miles from town. Later the next year, KBRW permanently joined National Public Radio and Public Radio International.
The FM service, heard only in Barrow, began in 1995 and proved it's worth in being the only contact with the public when the AM transmitter building burned down in late 1996. In just 38 days, KBRW-AM was back on the air, and with both stations, provides two distinct services for the people of the North Slope.
Today KBRW has assets valued at over 2 million dollars and an annual operating budget of over a million dollars. The station enjoys one of the highest levels of monetary donation per capita than any public station in the United States, with over 800 donors, dozens of area businesses, corporations and foundations providing support. Approximately one-third of the stations budget comes from the local population, which is why the station remains true to its roots of local, bi-lingual programming.
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