It’s a Class A FM serving tiny Gig Harbor, Wash., licensed to a local public school district. And, like many educational institutions in recent years, it is ready to say goodbye to the facility. Or, if the public demands it, it will continue to own and operate KGHP-FM.
The station is licensed to Peninsula School District, and offers students “a unique and hands-on broadcasting experience from studios at Peninsula High School.”
Keeping the lights on at KGHP depends on financial contributions and sponsorships from local underwriters, and after 35 years the station’s future appears to be in question. A meeting has been scheduled for November 7 at 1pm to discuss “the fate” of KGHP.
In locales elsewhere across the U.S., the sale of a broadcast property would be the likely conclusion, with colleges and universities across the nation cashing in and opting to either go online with their student-run stations or cease operations altogether. Some schools have cited a lack of student interest in Radio as a reason for saying farewell with owning an FM.
At Peninsula High School, broadcasting classes in recent years have suffered from dwindling enrollment. Then, at the close of the 2022 school year, Peninsula School District ended the broadcast program following the retirement of the instructor. Then, the school district parted ways with the station manager as part of a round of layoffs designed to reduce $12 million from the current year budget.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting at the district administration office. Current and former station volunteers, and others with an interest in the station’s future, are encouraged to attend.
As of 1:15pm Friday, KGHP was heard playing the Delfonics’ “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” a 1970 R&B classic that won a Grammy.
