ProgramsNewsAbout UsVolunteerDonate TodayGive Now96.1 fm 780 am Yours for Western Alaska

Tag Archives | building

Construction begins!

In recent weeks, KNOM’s volunteers and staff have become well versed in the sounds of hammers, power saws, and heavy machinery, but it’s all for good reason: construction is continuing for the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios!

After laying the foundation beams late last year, we are now busy building the outside structure of our new studio space. As you may know, our digital studios will expand our working space and, most importantly, renovate it, by allowing us to use more cost-efficient, digital technology.

As you see in the photos above, the support beams for our new studios are quickly being set into place. Work will continue, over the coming months, to finish the outside “box” of the new building, to connect it to our existing structure, and then, finally, to furnish it with digital broadcast hardware.

As we go to press, our studio construction funds stand at $482,296; it’s about half of what we’ll need to finish the full project. We can’t thank you enough for your continued support; to learn more, visit our digital studios page.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading

A more beautiful Nome

The KNOM news department has recently reported on beautification efforts made by the city of Nome: the “abatement” (or demolition) of a number of abandoned structures. In the small communities we serve, these small civic improvements can make a big difference in town pride and even public safety; on rare occasions, abandoned structures can become major fire hazards. Thanks to your support, we’re able to report on such important quality-of-life improvements in our region.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading

November 1990: Bringing down the (crooked) house

The Crooked House

The old KNOM dormitory known (somewhat) affectionately as “The Crooked House.”

November 6, 1990

One or two swings with a sledgehammer are enough to take down entire four-foot sections of the walls of the old volunteer women’s dormitory nicknamed the “Crooked House.”

With most of the wall structure gone, Br. Ray Berube, FIC, hopes to pull over the sagging roof. However, the building is weaker than he thought, and it begins to lean perilously in the direction of St. Joseph Church, just eight feet away. Nome resident Jim West, Jr. leaps to the rescue. With a small bulldozer, he nudges the building toward an open area, and it collapses into several pieces.

Continue Reading

Signs of summer, and letters of appreciation

Leona Mayac picks salmonberries

A sign of late summer, circa 1990s: Nome resident Leona Mayac scours for wild salmonberries on boggy tundra 15 miles from Nome. (This photo was originally featured in our September 1999 newsletter.)

The temperatures are hovering in the mid-50s, and our region’s families are fishing, hunting, and preparing to gather greens and berries. They are also listening to KNOM. The radio is a constant companion for thousands of Alaskans, and if they could, they would thank all who make this radio ministry possible!

Signs of appreciation – in the form of support letters from organizations and individuals – continue to arrive as we put together our foundation grant requests for construction of the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios. These notes from the people who support, listen to, depend on, and enjoy the KNOM Radio Mission remind us of all the wonderful benefits you help bring to our remote listeners.

Special thanks this week to KNOM volunteer Matt Smith. He was instrumental in getting KNOM back on the air after utility workers shut off power to the AM transmitter site last week.

Continue Reading

Warmer weather and a transmitter update

Les works at the AM transmitter site

Volunteer engineer Les Brown reviews technical information while helping to install dynamic carrier control at the KNOM AM transmitter.

The temperatures have risen to almost 70 degrees! We are blessed with warmer temperatures and, at times, sunshine.

We have great news. At the end of April, volunteer engineer Les Brown, longtime Alaska radio engineer Chuck Lakaytis, and maintenance specialist Rolland Trowbridge installed dynamic carrier control equipment at our AM transmitter site.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading

June 1968: Making a dormitory

The Crooked House

The old KNOM dormitory known (somewhat) affectionately as “The Crooked House.”

June 18, 1968

Br. John Huck, SJ and volunteer carpenter Tom Karlin are tearing into an old World War II Army refrigeration building to convert it into a 5-room volunteer dormitory.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading