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KUNM is a
public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
broadcasting on FM 89.9 MHz from high atop Sandia Crest, with broadcasts originating from the third floor of Oñate Hall, on the campus of the
University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
(UNM) in
Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
,
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. As of April 3, 2008, KUNM has translators broadcasting at 90.5 in Eagle Nest- Cimarron (K213ET), 91.1 in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
(K216CU) and at 91.9 in Nageezi (Dzilth-Na-O-Dit) (K220EM). KUNM broadcasts in HD. In addition, KUNM has full-power transmitters at 88.7 Socorro (KBOM), 91.9 Espanola (KRAR), and 90.9 Arroyo Seco (KRRT). Translators at 91.1 in Arroyo Seco (K216AL) and at 91.9 in
Taos Taos or TAOS may refer to: Places * Taos, Missouri, a city in Cole County, Missouri, United States * Taos County, New Mexico, United States ** Taos, New Mexico, a city, the county seat of Taos County, New Mexico *** Taos art colony, an art colo ...
(K220AV) went silent with the upgrade to KRRT's transmitter status. At writing, KUNM features a range of locally produced music shows, local and national news coverage, and public affairs programming. The call letters "KUNM" reference the University of New Mexico. The call letters "KBOM" are sardonic humour: the transmitter reaches the Trinity Nuclear Test Site. "KRAR" stands for "Rio Arriba Radio", since Espanola is located in
Rio Arriba County Rio Arriba County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,246. Its county seat is Tierra Amarilla. Its northern border is the Colorado state line. Rio Arriba County comprises the Española, N ...
. KRRT stands for "Radio Relay Taos". The station is currently funded through a combination of listener sponsorship, underwriting by local businesses and support from nonprofits, student fees, and various other sources. Listener support accounts for a little over 50% of the station's total annual operating budget.


History

KUNM began life April 30, 1960, as KNMD, a carrier current AM radio station on the campus broadcast through power lines in campus buildings. However, by 1964, fraternity and sorority members, as well as other students living off campus, complained that their student fees were being used to pay for a service they could not receive. That year, the Radio Board decided the best solution was to obtain a
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC) educational broadcast license for a transmitter on Sandia Crest, where television station
KNME-TV KNME-TV, virtual channel 5 ( UHF digital channel 35), branded on-air as NM PBS, is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Jointly owned by the University of New Mexico a ...
, partially owned by UNM, was already broadcasting. The board ultimately decided in 1965 to broadcast from a transmitter on top of the Student Union Building, with Sandia Crest planned as an expansion later. The Board of Regents made the application in March 1966 for a construction permit for 90.1 MHz, which the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC) granted on July 18. The station desired the call letters KUNM but ran into an objection from another Albuquerque radio station: KBNM, which had adopted those call letters on March 18, 1966. As a result, on October 19, 1966, the station went on the air, broadcasting with 3,700 watts of
effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...
and the provisional call letters KLNB. The station was able to claim the KUNM call letters two days later. KUNM originally broadcast primarily classical and jazz music, but by 1969 its emphasis had shifted to "underground" rock music in a
free-form radio Free-form, or free-form radio, is a radio station Radio programming, programming Radio format, format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stan ...
style. In 1974, KUNM filed to move its transmitter to Sandia Crest.
Hubbard Broadcasting Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard. The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, ...
, owner of KOB-AM- TV, filed a petition to deny to the application, but the application was conditionally approved in 1975. KUNM moved its studios from the Student Union Building to Oñate Hall in 1976, simultaneous with the activation of the Sandia Crest facility. KUNM became a member of
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
in 1978, following the bankruptcy and closure of KIPC the year before. NPR membership required additional staffing, and federal legal changes also led to the establishment of a community advisory board. Funding for this transition was accomplished through benefit concerts at the Kiva Auditorium in downtown Albuquerque. The station's first national broadcast contribution was an exclusive interview with
Manuel Noriega Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator, politician and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. An authoritaria ...
by a KUNM news reporter. The frequency change to 89.9 MHz was carried out in 1987; this permitted KSFR (90.7 FM) to be built by
Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) is a public community college in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It has an undergraduate population of about 4,027 students, as well as approximately 4,706 contract training and continuing education students. The college ...
in Santa Fe. The community college paid for the costs of the adjustment. Coinciding with the new frequency was a format adjustment as KUNM abandoned free-form rock in favor of new talk and classical music programs, citing declining listenership and a poor rate of membership renewals; KUNM members had a renewal rate of 25 percent compared with 72 percent nationally. The move was also intended to reestablish the weakening connection between KUNM and the University of New Mexico itself. However, many of the station's 100 volunteer staffers objected to the change, voicing concerns on the air in violation of station policy. One volunteer wrote a rap, "The Free-form Shuffle", in protest. The dispute escalated to a temporary restraining order on spending listener contributions, threats of charges against the program director, and lockouts of employees by campus police. While management relented and reversed course, questions remained about whether KUNM's primary audience should be students or the broader community. In 2014, an ombudsman with the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is an American publicly funded non-profit corporation, created in 1967 to promote and help support public broadcasting. The corporation's mission is to ensure universal access to non-commercial, ...
criticized KUNM's handling of plagiarism charges made by a former reporter, Tristan Ahtone, who left the station over its alleged failure to respond to the accusations.


Programming

In addition to such NPR national programs as ''
All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...
'' and ''
Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 AM ...
'', the weekday KUNM lineup includes ''
Performance Today ''Performance Today'' is a Peabody Award-winning classical music radio program, first aired in 1987 and hosted since 2000 by Fred Child. It is the most listened-to daily classical music radio program in the United States, with 1.2 million liste ...
'' and blocks of jazz and freeform rock music. ''
Democracy Now! ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
'' from
Pacifica Radio Pacifica may refer to: Art * ''Pacifica'' (statue), a 1938 statue by Ralph Stackpole for the Golden Gate International Exposition Places * Pacifica, California, a city in the United States ** Pacifica Pier, a fishing pier * Pacifica, a conceiv ...
airs in early afternoons. At night and on weekends, specialty local and national programs are heard. Five times a week, KUNM airs the live call-in show ''Native America Calling'', which focuses on Native American issues. The program debuted in 1995 with KUNM providing production services.


Signal expansions

In 2008, KUNM launched three high-power repeaters. KBOM in Socorro signed on February 15, 2008, broadcasting from "Mountain M" at 88.7 MHz. KRAR in Española followed on April 1, 2008, with 6,000 watts from Black Mesa on 91.9 MHz. Two days later, the new Arroyo Seco station, KRRT 90.9 MHz, came into service. The new stations replaced translators at 91.1 in Taos (K220AV) and 91.9 in Arroyo Seco (K216AL).


See also

*
List of community radio stations in the United States This is a list of FCC-licensed community radio stations in the United States. See also List of Pacifica Radio stations and affiliates This article provides a list of Pacifica Radio owned and operated stations, associated stations, and affil ...


External links


KUNM official website

Native America CallingFCC History Cards for KUNM


References

{{Authority control Community radio stations in the United States UNM NPR member stations Public Radio International stations Mass media in Taos, New Mexico NPR member networks Radio stations established in 1966 1966 establishments in New Mexico