HISTORY/MISSION
What is X88.7 FM KXNM Radio?
It’s a community effort to establish a public, non-commercial FM radio station for Torrance County, New Mexico. Edges of neighboring counties such as Lincoln, Bernalillo & Santa Fe are also in the broadcast area. The station provide much needed emergency broadcasting capabilities for this area along with locally based, educational, culturally relevant programming. The station operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The former McIntosh Community Center was donated for the station headquarters. The transmission tower is located near Encino, NM, in order to get the desired geographic coverage & limit interference from other stations.
What is a public, noncommercial radio station?
It’s a station that’s run on a non-profit basis, does not run advertisements, & is not owned by a private business or corporation. This allows a station to focus more on serving the public’s needs because it‘s less influenced by market pressures & advertiser obligations like a for-profit station.
Most have a community focus & broadcast material that is locally produced & relevant to a local audience but often overlooked by larger broadcast groups. These stations may supplement their programming by subscribing to other services, such as National Public Radio (NPR). Much of the work often done by volunteers in partnership with a small technical & administrative staff (full or part-time)
These stations often receive some operating funds from the federal government (Corporation for Public Broadcasting, emergency services, etc) and sometimes state government as well. They also rely on listener & sponsor donations. In contrast, commercial stations are funded through advertizing.
How will KXNM Radio benefit the residents of Torrance County & surrounding areas?
Emergency Preparedness: notification of storms & fires, Emergency Alert System, evacuation notices, information
Public Safety: road closures, law enforcement activities, announcements by municipalities/utilities
Public Health/Education: health information, where to go for help, adult literacy, youth programs, etc
Economic Development: awareness of local business & industries, services available, training announcements, etc
Other: school activities & sports, community events, local weather, agricultural reports, area history, music
Will KXNM Radio raise taxes or compete with funding for other local services & facilities?
The station will enhance local services by broadcasting information to listeners, including bi-lingual (english & spanish) programming & public service announcements. It is the intention of the Task Force that the station be funded through donations, sponsorships & grants (federal, state, private) aimed at improving telecommunications, emergency preparedness and quality of life in rural areas. Initial start-up (construction, equipment, etc) would be a one-time cost. The Task Force has applied for a federal grant to cover start-up expenses.
What’s the timeline for KXNM Radio?
Summer 2007: Coordination with various groups such as the Partnership for a Healthy Torrance County (PHTC), Torrance County Commission & Emergency Services.
October 2007: Federal Communications Commission (FCC) application submitted to establish the station
2007 & 2008: Initial seed money - $30,000 (private donors in 2007, Torrance County Commission in 2008)
August 2008: Approval from FCC - construction permit granted (Aug 2008-2011), call name & frequency also assigned
December 2008: Application for $441,016 in start-up costs submitted to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Public Telecommunications Infrastructure Grant program. Awards should be announced in September 2009. Another $147,006 needed in matching funds that will be raised through donations, sponsorships and foundation grants,
2009 – Summer 2011: Needed start-up funding received via grants, donations, etc. Fundraising strategies further developed, KXNM Community Foundation established. Efforts continue to inform residents/station partners, build support for station. Website, initial programming and station operations plan developed. Studio & tower constructed
August 2011: Station deemed “operational” & granted broadcasting license by FCC. KXNM 88.7 goes on-the-air.