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• What would I be doing?
“Staff Announcer” is the basis for all KNOM volunteer positions. Typical duties including several hours of deejay work per day, and with training, additional duties such as news reading and writing, spot production and interviewing. The volunteer is given a broad range of responsibility.
• But I have no broadcasting experience.
We train on the job. It is important that you can clearly speak un-accented English, and have excellent writing skills, plus the ability to read well aloud.
• I can't imagine living in such a remote place.
It’s true that Nome is isolated. But we do have high-speed cable-modem Internet service, excellent long distance telephone service as well as cable television. There’s plenty to do, from taking college courses to basketball, bowling, or swimming in Nome’s Olympic-size pool. Nome has an excellent public library, two community plays every year and many activities.
Hiking the mountains and tundra, and relaxing on the miles of quiet beach are popular in the summer; skating and cross-country skiing in winter. Three blocks north of the volunteer house, the Nome Recreation Center features basketball, racquetball, weight rooms and bowling. The town sports many clubs and organizations. There's plenty to do.
• What about the winters?
The winters can be harsh, but there can be delightful winter weather, also, and the town is usually snow-free from mid-May to early October. Because Nome is on the seacoast, winter temperatures are milder than in Alaska’s interior. Winter days can vary from +20° to -25° F., with occasional colder periods, dropping below -40° F. every couple of years. Adaptation to the cold is surprisingly easy. Both the KNOM studio and the volunteer dormitory are new, super-insulated buildings, well heated and cheerful.
• How do you handle the darkness?
Since Nome is south of the Arctic Circle, we have sunlight every day of the year, 3 hours 54 minutes of it at the winter solstice. Conversely, between May and August, the sky never gets completely dark. Interestingly, newcomers find it more difficult to adjust to the brightness of the summer nights. The swing in light provides interesting reading for relatives back home, but is prosaic for long-term residents.
• What are the living conditions?
The KNOM volunteer house is a 7-bedroom super-insulated home with full amenities, including cable TV and a second floor deck with a great view of downtown Nome and the Bering Sea.
• What is community life like?
With a full house, there is always something going on. The volunteer community assembles for meals and games, but you will have your own room for privacy, as well. Volunteers share cooking and cleaning duties.
Frequently asked questions about volunteering for KNOM
• Do volunteers get vacation time?
Yes. At the end of 53 weeks of service, a re-enlisting volunteer receives 20 working days vacation, , with round-trip air transportation home and $100 expenses paid by KNOM. Travel during some periods, such as December or March, may not be possible.
• How do I get there?
Unless you travel by dogsled or snowmobile in winter, or by boat in the summer months, the only way in or out of Nome is by jet airplane from Anchorage. Nome is served by one major carrier, Alaska Airlines, and many smaller airlines that fly to more remote communities. Flight time from Anchorage is about 1-1/2 hours.
• Do you pay my way?
Yes, if you're accepted, round-trip air fare is provided. At the end of their year, some volunteers prefer to wend their way home via scenic routes, such as by ferry down the Southeast Alaska coast, and for these, in lieu of return fare, KNOM provides $500 cash.
• What about toiletries and personal items?
Sheets and towels are provided. Nome has two grocery stores where you can buy just about anything you need. But keep in mind that prices are about two times those in the Lower 48. It's a good idea to stock up on personal items before you come up, especially if you're partial to certain name brands which may not be available in Nome.
• What kind of clothes do I need?
Everyone in Nome dresses casually. During winter, you spend a lot of time indoors. Volunteers typically wear slacks and blue jeans, t-shirts, sweaters and sweat shirts. The volunteer house has extra winter gear. If you're accepted to volunteer, we can recommend specific types of clothing you'll want to bring.
• Can my student loans be deferred?
It’s up to you to provide us the proper forms by which payment on loans can be deferred. Currently, volunteers have had no problem being granted Economic Hardship Deferments.
KNOM Fellowship Awards: Contact KNOM General Manager Ric Schmidt for more information.
• Health Insurance?
Yes, medical and vision insurance are provided; dental is not. Before arriving in Nome, a volunteer is expected to have completed full vision and dental checkups. The volunteer is responsible for payments for treatment of pre-existing dental conditions, or dental problems caused or aggravated by lack of routine dental care.
• What are the other benefits?
KNOM provides room and board and a stipend of $200 per month. And, of course, volunteers receive the benefit of gaining experience while working for a nationally respected radio station.
• Nationally Respected?
You bet. KNOM has won 15 Gabriel “Radio Station of the Year” Awards, the NAB Crystal (four times) and Marconi (twice) Awards, plus top honors by the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Also KNOM has garnered Silver Microphone honors and Crystal Communicator Awards and others.
• What's your closing date for applications?
Typically, we begin accepting applications in November, and fill most positions by the middle of April. Feel free to contact us at any time to see if we happen to have a position available.
• Who runs the station?
KNOM is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks. It's a nonprofit charity, supported entirely by donations.
Overall, KNOM is managed by Ric Schmidt, a respected broadcaster who is past-president of the Alaska Broadcasters Association. Ric was a KNOM volunteer in 1984, and before returning to KNOM in 1995, was general manager of KBVM-FM in Portland, Oregon. He is aided by 40-year broadcast professional Tom Busch, who was a 1970 KNOM volunteer. Tom, who stepped down as KNOM general manger in 2005 to focus on the station's fundraising, is a twice past-president of the Alaska Broadcasters Association, and a member of the Alaska Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
At present, KNOM employs five full-time, and three part-time permanent staff, plus four full-time and eight part-time volunteers.
All of KNOM’s permanent employees first joined the station as volunteers. KNOM’s management philosophy is to provide 24 hours of quality broadcasts per day, together with a quality experience for all personnel.
• What's your programming?
KNOM is programmed as a mass-market religious station. Most hours have approximately 45 minutes of deejayed popular music, a blend of many styles, interspersed with short spots, both inspirational and educational, sprinkled among the music and chat like commercials. All together, about 40% of KNOM’s programming is news, weather and other information. While aiming for the mass western Alaska village audience, KNOM also broadcasts strictly Catholic programs such as daily inspirational talks, evening Rosary and Sunday Mass.
• Why are you on the air?
KNOM exists to educate and inspire the residents of Alaska’s far-flung villages, most of which are rife with health and sanitation problems, poverty, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and problems of many kinds. In a quiet but extremely effective way, the station also brings Catholic inspiration and programming into many far-flung places which do not have full-time priests.
• I have other questions.
Speak with a volunteer by giving us a call at the station, 907-443-5221, keeping in mind that we are four hours behind Eastern Time. Fax us at 907-443-5757.
E-mail general manager Ric Schmidt at: rschmidt@knom.org.
For pointers to sites with volumes of information about Nome, the region and climate and image galleries with many photos, log onto financial officer Tom Busch’s personal web page, www.tomsnome.com.
