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Eugene OR 97401
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History of KLCC in Central Oregon

HISTORY OF KLCC IN CENTRAL OREGON

1983 - KLCC on the air in Bend with a low powered translator at 91.9 FM

1984 - KLCC frequency changes to 90.5 FM

1986 - KLCC frequency changes to 88.9 FM. These changes were all due to technical interference problems.

1989 - KLCC on the air in Sisters at 90.3 FM 1993 - KLCC staff comes to Bend to meet with listeners at Stuft Pizza.

1996 - Central Oregon Correspondent Bing Bingham begins reporting for KLCC.

1998 - Lane Community College (licensee of KLCC), along with many other entities, applied to the FCC for a construction permit to build an FM station in Bend at the 88.1 FM frequency. *

2002 - After more than four years of sorting through applications, the FCC named Lane Community College the sole grantee of the permit, opening the door for KLCC's new station. **

2003 - Frequency changed to 88.1 FM in preparation for the new station. KLCC traded frequencies with KWAX to insure that KWAX would not be bumped off the air when KLCC's new station attained full power. ***

2004 - Central Oregon Correspondent Mike Van Meter begins reporting for KLCC.

2005 - KLCC's new station KLBR 88.1 FM goes on the air in October, broadcasting from Jack Pine Ridge with 5000 watts of power. KLCC programming now reaches loud and clear into Redmond, Sisters and Sunriver. KLCC has over 9000 listeners in Bend, with 326 of them supporting members.

* In January, 1998, KLCC applied for a new station on 88.1 FM to serve Bend from Awbrey Butte. A number of other organizations then applied for several open frequencies, including 88.1 FM. The Federal Communications Commission didn't have a way to resolve these competing applications because the courts had thrown out their previous practices. In 2001, the FCC came up with a new way to resolve competing applications and opened a short period where applicants could "make a deal" with each other. KLCC joined an agreement with several of these organizations which would allow KLCC to secure the 88.1 FM frequency. This agreement, above attorney and engineering costs, required KLCC to make a $25,000 payment to one of the other applicants.

** In October of 2002, the FCC approved the settlement agreement and granted KLCC a construction permit to build the station. In the almost five years since KLCC applied for the station, the tower and building space that we initially planned to use had been used for different purposes and we were forced to look for another space. At the same time, land use issues and ownership changes on the Awbrey Butte site had made finding a suitable site there difficult. We searched for other appropriate transmitter sites and were able to secure space owned by the Bend Radio Group on Jack Pine Ridge.

*** Throughout the process, public radio stations KLCC and KWAX worked together to make sure both could remain on the air in the Bend area. KWAX, formerly broadcasting at 88.1, would have been bumped off the air when KLCC's new station attained full power at that frequency. To insure the survival of KWAX in Bend, the stations agreed to "transfer" the translator license and facilities at 88.9 from KLCC to KWAX. The swap took place in September 2003, and both stations are now broadcasting at their permanent new homes on the dial.