KGRG (AM)
| File:Kgrg1.jpg | |
| Broadcast area | Enumclaw/Auburn |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1330 (kHz) |
| Branding | "KGRG1" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic Alternative |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Green River Community College |
| History | |
Call sign meaning | Green River Gators |
| Technical information | |
| ERP | 500 watts day / 26 watts night |
| Links | |
| Website | KGRG1.com |
KGRG-AM is 500 watt, Enumclaw, Washington AM college radio station based out of Green River Community College. A class can be taken (Journalism 120) to learn the digital side of radio at GRCC, where students can become on-air DJs for the station as well as be involved in many aspects of the radio station. The station is called "KGRG1", which has a Classic Alternative format. Prior to KGRG1, the station was a well respected dance music outlet known as Pulse 1330.
History
KENU Country
Licensed in 1982, KENU was a country music station at 1330 AM run by a series of local owners in Enumclaw, Washington. In 1988, the station gained the call letters KQZQ for 23 days, before switching back to KENU. KENU was very involved with the local community and the station carried a local morning show, Enumclaw High School's football games, and other local programming along with airing Dial Global's Mainstream Country 24-hour network.
In 1996, the station went off the air due to financial distress and was put up for sale. The Green River Foundation of Auburn, Washington purchased the station, so that Green River Community College students would have internship possibilities at the country music station. The studio was moved into a trailer at the Enumclaw campus.
KENU Dance
In 2001, KENU was moved in next door to KGRG at the Auburn campus with a new digital on air studio. Relatively few students wanted to participate in a country music station internship, so the general manager of the GRCC radio stations, Tom Krause, okayed a format change. KENU went into stunting, airing the top dance hits of 1997, and a week later the new identity as KENU "NU Music, Pure Dance" was born. The New KENU played Dance Hits, formatted very similarly to KNHC.
The new format was directed by Karl Koning (program director) and Jess Flarity (music director). Despite numerous complaints from Country music fans in the Enumclaw area, the new Dance format gained a very positive response from the public. It was one of the few radio stations in the U.S. to play electronic dance music (EDM), and was the first AM station in the US to do since Beat Radio.
In May 2004, Jess Flarity became the new program director and on-air DJ "Graz" became the new music director. Shortly after, the station began stunting, causing many people to think the station was undergoing a format change, but in fact the stunting was in preparation for a new image campaign to boost awareness of KENU at the school and in the community as well as slightly refocusing the music format.
Pulse 1330
In June 2004, Flarity and Graz remolded KENU into an underground radio exposé project which became known as Pulse 1330. Listeners were greeted with a new logo, new jingles, and the playlist was totally revamped. Even though Pulse 1330 broadcasted over 1330 AM KENU in Enumclaw, their main focus was their online presence as an internet radio station.
At first, Pulse 1330 focused mainly on Trance but as time went on it started to play Underground Dance, House, DnB and Breakbeats as well as Rhythmic tracks from local artists (while KGRG played Rock tracks from local artists). Since the new station tended stayed away from the mainstream Dance Hits, Pulse 1330 became known as "The Northwest's Underground Music Source", which was their slogan up until their demise.
Pulse 1330 frequently had local DJs spinning on air and they threw many LAN parties and other promotional events that featured Pulse DJs and Pulse music, but they were rarely seen at events on the GRCC campuses. The former show Non-Linear Parfait broke the station's record for the most calls in one show and paved the way for much of the strange programming that was heard on The Pulse.
In 2006, only 1 student enrolled for the class during the summer, which rose to 3 students in the fall. This in connection with a lack of funding led to the untimely and unfortunate demise of Pulse 1330. The demise could have been easily prevented and it is a fate that many believe the Pulse simply didn't deserve.[1]
General Manager, Tom Krause, was against changing the format but was talked into it by Charlier Harger. Not changing the format would result in the class being dissolved for the year due to lack of involvement. Tom Krause waited outside as Charlie Harger deleted the Pulse 1330 playlist and set the station to stunting, airing a seemingly endless repeat of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.[2]
KGRG1
In September 2006, Pulse 1330 became The Alternative Past KGRG1 playing tracks that were formerally played on sister station KGRG in the 80s and early 90's. KGRG1 launched the new format with The Ramones.
In February 2007, the long standing KENU call sign was changed to KGRG to match their sister FM station and the new name. This was objected to by many locals in Enumclaw as KENU was apart of the town's history.
The pairing of "The Alternative Past" 1330 AM KGRG1 and "Today's Rock" 89.9 FM KGRG provides a window into 30 years, and counting, of Alternative Rock, though, according to The Current (Green River's Newspaper) the new format isn't as revolutionary or exciting as Pulse 1330.[3]
Many people are hoping that Pulse 1330 will return some day. Meanwhile, as a tribute to the late KENU & Pulse 1330, the format was resurrected as an internet radio station operated by Surge Radio, WDOS-FM, and several former fans of Pulse 1330.[4]