Allen Hartle brings terrestrial community radio to Eastsound – and maybe eventually San Juan Island
Saturday, November 23, 2024
by Jeff Noedel
The media landscape on Orcas Island is about to get bigger. Tech entrepreneur Allen Hartle recently won FCC approval for a low-power FM radio station that will be available on radios all over Eastsound and up to a mile or more in each direction.
There are more than 15,445 radio stations in the U.S. Soon there will be one more.
The new station will live at 102.3 on the dial. The transmitter and antenna will be in Eastsound.
On Friday, Hartle placed an order for a special directional antenna. He’s also about to order the transmitter. The FCC grants low-power “LPFM” licenses to nonprofits.
Just days ago Hartle cleared another regulatory hurdle. He was granted the call letters he wanted: KIXP. He said the last three letters will stand for “Island Experience.” But he said it’s also a tip of the hat to similar call letters KEXP, a Seattle radio station he said was very good to him earlier in his career.
Hartle hopes to go on the air by Christmas.
Eastsound first, possible expansion in 2 years
When KIXP-FM goes on the air, it will serve the “greater Eastsound” area. But it is possible the signal could be expanded in the future to reach much more of Orcas Island, as well as Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. Hartle said the FCC may take applications for transmitters, which extend the signal through smaller antennae, in two years. He said the FCC might grant up to 10 transmitters to KIXP in the future.
Hartle is reluctant to consider trying to place transmitters on Lopez Island, for fear of competing with Lopez’s KLOI-FM, 102.9. Lopez Island’s station was formed in April 2008 and broadcasts with 18 watts from its studio and transmitter at 5526 Center Rd. in the center of the island. Anyone anywhere can listen to KLOI-FM online here.
Until KIXP transmitters extend the airwaves to the rest of Orcas Island and parts of San Juan Island, Hartle offers Orcas Radio online, which operates on the Live365 platform. Listen to Orcas Radio online by clicking here.
Very Local Programming
Hartle told SanJuans.Today that KIXP’s programming will be very local. In fact, the station recently received a massive gift from local musician, podcaster, and recording engineer Bruce Harvie. Harvie has amassed what is likely the largest collection of locally-recorded music in the San Juans. Hartle said 7,000 recordings were included in Harvie’s gift.
For 10 years Harvie created more than 300 podcasts featuring local musicians for “Radio-Free Olga.”
And Hartle has picked up more local talent for Orcas Radio and KIXP. Eastsound businessman and former County Council rep Rick Hughes will be a regular contributor of public affairs programming to the station.
Hartle’s wife Liberté Pedicini-Hartle has been involved every step of the way.
“Liberté’s gift is community engagement, said Allen. “Her warmth and constant good nature have meant we felt a real connection to the community well before our public service and technology efforts were underway.”
CORRECTION: The KIXP transmitter and antenna will be located in Eastsound. A previous version of this article stated the antenna will be on Mount Constitution.
