The Mid-Coast Radio Project looked like it was not going to succeed. The problem was – there was no spot on the radio dial for a new station – all the spots were taken.
There were two low-powered stations at 10 Watts each which occupied the space on the non-commercial end of the FM broadcast band. Only a small portion of the broadcast frequencies on the radio dial can be used by non-commercial, non-profit stations and these two stations took up that space.
The stations were licensed to what was then Park College – KGSP FM, and to the Nazarene Theological seminary – KTSR FM.
As the situation looked hopeless, the membership of Mid-Coast dropped down from the original 30 or so which had showed up for the Communiversity class “Radio Free Kansas City” to 2 or 3 people who stuck with the goal of a community radio station.
Then, in 1978, things changed. The FCC in its infinite wisdom, decided that since there was a limit to the number of stations that could be put on the FM dial, that they had better make sure that all these stations were serving the most people.
10 Watt stations only could cover an area equivalent to a large neighborhood, and they were taking up a spot on the dial.
So in 1978, the FCC made a new rule that these 10 Watt stations either had to boost their power to 100 Watts, or move to another spot on the dial.
Maybe, just maybe, the small, broke organization, Mid-Coast Radio, could take advantage of the new ruling by negotiating with the two 10 Watt Kansas City stations!
Services for Gil were held Saturday 8/24 at 10:00 AM CDT on August 24, 2019 at Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church, located at 1001 East 52nd Street, Kansas City, MO 64110. Afterwards, a reception and celebration of Gil’s life was held in the Parish Hall adjacent to the Church. Refreshments and light nosh will be served.
An evening of story telling about Gil with his friends occurred at 3707 Pennsylvania after 7:00 PM around a campfire that evening.
The struggle to put KKFI on the air started in earnest in 1981 when negotiations had to happen with KTSR, the Nazarene station; KGSP, at Park College; and KIEE, a commercial station. The long and drawn out legal work with KTSR will be placed on the KKFISTORY site soon for people to read. It is an amazing story. The letter below highlights attempted negotiation with the Nazarene station which ultimately ended up with them going off the air.
Recently, when excavating a tomb below the KKFI tower, archaeologists discovered what appeared to be a primitive text about radio. After translation, this is what it looked like:
MID-COAST RADIO PROJECT, INC. and FRIENDS OF COMMUNITY MEDIA SPONSOR KKFI ASCERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FORUM Thursday, April 25, 2019 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Annex Room WELCOME M.C. Richardson Coordinator and Consultant Teresa Wilke Ascertainment Background Kathy Peters Mission Philosophy Co- Hosts Benita Morrow: Guess Who’s Coming to Kansas City: Public Affairs Benita Morrow: Guess Who”s Coming to Kanas City, Urban Connections COMMUNITY SPEAKERS Dr. Joahn Ha ll MD MD Home Care LLC Neil Rudisill Health Initiatives Manager Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council Elisa Redworth Farmers Market Manager Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council Larry Lester Noirtech Research, Inc. Karen P. Boyd, Executive Director Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council Kent T. Diggs, President Northeast Kansas City Historical Society Mike B. Rollen, Community Garden Quiema Spencer, President Heartland Women In Trades Lewis Duiguid, Free- lance Writer Diane Euston T. Green Kent SAVE THE PASEO Mamie Currie Hughes-Rogers Pat Harris-Shelby Habitat for Humanity Kansas City LaDonna Ali Central Bank of the Midwest Ben Sharda, Executive Director Kansas City Community Garden Rob Reiman Director, Fruit Trees KC Community Garden
THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS & PARTICIPATING PROGRAMMERS & SPONSORS