KSER Foundation

Description

KSER began regular broadcasting on February 9th, 1991 at 1000 watts with a studio and transmitter located in Lynnwood, Washington. KSER came on the air licensed to the non-profit Jack Straw Foundation based in Seattle. The station claimed, at 90.7 FM, the last broadcast frequency available in the Puget Sound region. KSER was operated by the Jack Straw Foundation until 1994. In 1994, the Jack Straw Foundation decided to divest itself of KSER. The Jack Straw Foundation invited a group of listeners to take over the radio station operations. In late 1994, this group created the non-profit KSER Foundation to operate the station. The Foundation accepted the property and assets of KSER from the Jack Straw Foundation. The Federal Communications Commission gave final approval for the transfer of the broadcast license in early 1995. KSER is the only independent community radio station in Western Washington and one of only three such stations in the entire state. As an independent radio station, the license and assets are held by the KSER Foundation. As a non-commercial radio station, KSER relies on its listeners and the communities it serves for support. This support comes from memberships, underwriting for the programming, and off-air fund-raising projects ranging from benefit concerts and auctions. Operation of KSER is made possible by the dedication and efforts of over 100 volunteers who provide the programming, do the filing and bookkeeping, handle the cleaning, and perform all the other support needed to keep a radio station on the air. KSER's volunteers contribute over 25,000 hours annually to make their communities a better place to live and work.