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Remembering Tom

Tom Busch

KNOM friend and founder Tom Busch.

The temperature is dropping, and the days are getting shorter. Although Thanksgiving is weeks away, we continue to count our blessings and be thankful for our amazing KNOM family.

Two years ago, we bid a sad goodbye to longtime KNOM general manager Tom Busch. The following was posted November 1st on our Facebook page by KNOM web director David Dodman:

Today, in a special way, we remember KNOM friend and founder Tom Busch, who passed away on this day in 2010. Today is also the 65th anniversary of Tom’s birthday. We miss Tom dearly and are so appreciative for all he did for our mission and for the people of Western Alaska.

It’s a simple testament to Tom, who, along with his wife Florence, established KNOM as a positive presence to young and old alike. Thank you, Tom and Florence.  You made a world of difference in the lives of generations of Western Alaskans.

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41 candles on our birthday cake!

Bishop pushes the "on" button

Bishop Robert Whelan pushes the “on” button for KNOM’s very first program: July 14, 1971.

On July 14, 1971, a dedicated staff of volunteers helped to launch a new kind of radio station. KNOM signed on as a mission radio station: a unifying source of inspiration, education, news, and entertainment. Today, KNOM is the oldest Catholic radio station in the United States.

Over the years, we have heard so many stories about how KNOM makes a positive difference in listeners’ lives. Years ago, a local man dropped by the radio station and, in a soft, low voice, told us how KNOM had saved his life. So many listeners have changed their lives. Many times we can’t repeat the stories, so as to respect the person’s privacy. As each story is told, we are more encouraged to make KNOM a beacon of faith, hope, and charity.

We thank everyone who has helped KNOM put 41 candles on our cake. We’ve only just begun!

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Looking Back on Four Decades of Volunteers

In our four decades of service, there have been more than 300 generous volunteers who have served at KNOM. Their names are written on cassette and reel-to-reel tape labels, on script and information file folders, on old log sheets, and on so many of the historical records here at KNOM.

Without these volunteers, KNOM would never have stayed on the air to serve families spread out across remote Alaska.

As we approach the 41st anniversary of KNOM’s birth, please join us in prayer and gratitude for the wonderful young volunteers who took on adversity, extreme weather, and a myriad of challenges to make KNOM the dominant source of information, inspiration and fun in Western Alaska.

We thank everyone who has helped to make the KNOM mission a quality volunteer experience for great young men and women.

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