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KFAI

KFAI-FM is a community radio station located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States; broadcasting at 90.3 FM to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area; colloquially referred to as the Twin Cities.

KFAI
KFAI logo
Broadcast areaMinneapolis-St. Paul
Frequency90.3 MHz
(HD Radio)
BrandingFresh Air Community Radio
Programming
FormatFreeform, Eclectic, Music, News/Talk, Variety
AffiliationsAMPERS
Ownership
OwnerFresh Air, Inc.
History
First air date
May 1, 1978[1]
Call sign meaning
Fresh Air, Inc.
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
ClassA
ERP900 watts
HAAT241 m (791 ft)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Website[1]

The station broadcasts a wide variety of music, and also airs programming catering to many of the diverse ethnic groups of the region. KFAI has frequently been honored by local media outlets for its variety of spoken-word content and musical diversity (former local alternative weekly City Pages frequently included it in their annual "Best of the Twin Cities" awards).[2]

The station offers weekly public access services through mentorship and resource-sharing. KFAI is part of Minnesota's AMPERS network. Because KFAI's multi-format programming covers the largest range of identities making up the region, it is considered by many to be AMPERS' flagship station. The call sign stands for 'Fresh Air, Inc., the founding nonprofit organization that operates KFAI.

KFAI's studios are located on Riverside Avenue in Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located atop the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis.

History

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KFAI Studio entrance
 
Belfast Poets Touring Group and Jill Anna Ponasik (foreground) on KFAI "Art Matters"

The station first went on the air with a 10-watt signal on May 1, 1978, after drawn-out deliberations with the Federal Communications Commission, which was licensing a few low-power FM stations at the time. The first home was in the belfry of the Walker Community Church in South Minneapolis.[3] In 1984, the primary transmitter was moved from the roof of the Seward Co-op to the top of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis and upgraded to 125 watts. The studios moved from the church two years later, when it moved to the second floor of a Butler Drug store on Lake Street. In 1991, studios were built especially for Fresh Air Radio at Cedar-Riverside near the University of Minnesota, where it remains today. A 170-watt West St. Paul translator station went up in 1994 and was sold to Hmong Radio Broadcast, LLC in May 2020.[4][5]

In March 2007, KFAI's main transmitter moved to IDS Center, after the new owner of Foshay Tower evicted all current tenants of the building as part of a redevelopment plan to turn it into a hotel.[6] Since November 6, 2007, the station has been operating with an upgraded effective radiated power of 900 Watts and an IDS Center tower height of 247 metres (810 ft) above ground level. This upgrade allows the station to have a stronger signal from the IDS Center, which extends the station's coverage deeper into St. Paul and the southeast suburbs.[7]

Due to KFAI's limited signal power, programming is targeted to the Twin Cities communities. Three other IPR stations exist in Minneapolis-St. Paul: KBEM-FM (jazz), KMOJ (urban), and KUOM (college/eclectic). KVSC, another college station in St. Cloud, Minnesota, can also be received by some area residents. The station had major plans for expansion into HD radio by the end of 2008. As part of this expansion, on November 16, 2008, the station switched over to a new 900-watt transmitter and directional antenna for its 90.3 FM signal, significantly increasing the broadcast coverage area.

In mid-2010, KFAI changed its weekday programming schedule to institute an all-news format from 6-10 a.m. The change included the scheduling of The Takeaway, a three-hour syndicated show from Public Radio International (PRI). Some long-time listeners and programmers were upset with the change, charging the station with abandoning its volunteer programming model. The Takeaway was dropped two years later, after PRI announced the decision to reduce it to a one-hour show.[8]

During 2016, KFAI became the only known radio station in the United States to broadcast the song Ready 'n' Steady by D.A. and the Dukes. In 2017, the station again revamped its programming lineup to essentially become "a different radio station every hour."[9]

Today, KFAI's community-powered 24/7/365 broadcast is known for its eclectic entertainment and public affairs programming that features 89 programs in nine languages, with 84 programs produced locally and in-house. Only a handful of weekly programs are produced by the following affiliates Democracy Now, Counter Stories & Native Lights (AMPERS), The Conversation with Al McFarlane (Insight News), and rotating features from two area LPFM stations.

Programming

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People of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, and many intersectional identities lead more than 50% of the programs on the broadcast schedule, making KFAI one of Minnesota's most culturally, generationally, and socio-economically diverse broadcast media outlets.

KFAI's immediate neighborhood is home to the largest Somali community in the United States and Minnesota's most culturally diverse neighborhood: Cedar-Riverside/West Bank. Beyond the broadcast, KFAI supports community building through developing, hosting, presenting, and sponsoring arts, entertainment, and cultural events across the Twin Cities.

KFAI is home to Fresh Fruit, the longest-running LGBTQIA+ radio program in the Nation.

Languages spoken on-air at KFAI include Amharic, Bulgarian, English, Filipino, French, Oromo, Spanish, Tigrinya, Somali, and Vietnamese.

As a multi-format radio station, KFAI embodies the spirit of eclecticism. For example, one might find an Blues program followed by an hour of news about LGBT issues, or a Reggae program followed by an hour of Somali public affairs programming, and so on. Although programs almost always occupy the same blocks from week to week, programs often have little or nothing to do with what precedes or follows them.

Some of the station's programming is carried on other radio stations. Crap from the Past, Radio Pocho, and Womenfolk, air on several stations across North America, and one affiliate in New Zealand.

In 2024, the station's HD broadcast added a new HD sub-channel, known as FA-2 (Fresh Air 2). Programming for this sub-channel was previously heard online only.[10] Now, listeners can hear KFAI's FM broadcast on HD1 and FA-2 on HD2.

Notable personalities

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "KFAI: 20 Years". Internet Archive Wayback Machine. KFAI. January 11, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-01-11. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  2. ^ "Awards - AMPERS". Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  3. ^ "KFAI remembers balcony beginnings 40 years ago with documentary". The Alley News. June 29, 2018.
  4. ^ "History". KFAI. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  5. ^ Jon Ellis (May 6, 2020). "Twin Cities FM signal sold to AM broadcaster". NorthPine.com.
  6. ^ Ellen P. Gabler (September 5, 2005). "Developers to convert Foshay into hotel". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
  7. ^ "KFAI-FM". FCCData.org. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  8. ^ Amy Carlson Gustafson (June 24, 2010). "KFAI shifts lineup to cluster news, music". St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  9. ^ Bob Collins (July 19, 2017). "Major revamp for KFAI". Minnesota Public Radio.
  10. ^ "Fresh Air 2". KFAI.org. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "Dale Connelly named KFAI news director". MinnPost. 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  12. ^ "Farewells and Returns: Happy Trails for East of Here, West of Now; Glorth Radio Returns; | News". 2 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Charlie Parr". KFAI - Minneapolis + St. Paul. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  14. ^ Wheat, Cecilia Johnson and Mark. "Mark Wheat talks DJ career, love for music". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
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44°58′34″N 93°16′22″W / 44.9761°N 93.2727°W / 44.9761; -93.2727

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