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Don's i»et top billing at fund driveBy ERIN LILLIEStaff WriterJudy Carpenter, cat owner, was disappointed at the way the numbers were shaping up as the final minutes ticked away Sundaynight for KUAC-FM’s Fall Festival fund-raiser, which she organized this year.More than 1,000 people promised to donate $134,000 during the annual pledge drive—a record high amount—but these were the numbers that buggedher: Dogs, 287. Cats, 206.The cats lost a fund-raising feud between animal owners, which bothered Carpenter and other cat-loving KUAC staff, but the station won as Fairbanks’s proud dog owners refused to be out-pledged by cat owners.“When the cats start to gain,” Carpenter said, “a kennel callsup.”This year marks the 35th anniversary for KUAC-FM, which began broadcasting at 104.7 FM on Oct. 1, 1962.The station, based at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, now provides programming for a consortium of stations in Valdez, Talkeetna, Galena, McGrath, Circle Hot Springs and Central,Nenana, Healy and Fort Yukon.Next week, the signal also will be broadcast in Nome, with a station in Eagle due to go online later this year.Soon, KUAC’s local signal will switch over entirely to 89.9 FM, a frequency broadcast at 37,000 watts from a tower atop Ester Dome. The new frequency, which is already on the air, improves KUAC’s coverage area since the 104.7 signal is broadcast at 10,-000 watts from a tower on the shorter Bender Mountain.The expansion and improvements come as the federal and state governments reduce financial support for public broadcasting while expense for membership dues, programs andmaintenance rise.This year, the state Legislature generally approved Gov. Tony Knowles’ plan to spend about $5 million on public broadcasting, down about $300,000from last year.Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has tapered off from $275 million in fiscal year 1994 to $250 million for fiscal year 1998, which began Oct. 1.“As government funding declines, it falls to the public to pick it up,” Carpenter said. “And they are.”Carpenter’s boss, general manager Jerry Brigham, said the pledged $134,000 is enough toSee KUAC. Page B-2
Newspaper Details
Fairbanks Daily News Miner
Fairbanks, Alaska, US
Mon, Oct 27, 1997
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Sammi B.
NA 17 Jun 2020
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