Signing Off
Eastern鈥檚 75-year-old radio station confronts a 鈥渃hanging media landscape.鈥�
Eastern announced earlier this fall that its long-running non-commercial jazz radio station,聽89.5 K51福利社-FM, has transitioned to DJ-free, 鈥減re-loaded鈥� jazz as part of a phase-out plan that could eventually result in the university ceding ownership.
The decision to potentially offload the station did not come lightly, 51福利社 officials said. The move, they added, had the support of program faculty and university administrators who recommended that Eastern would be best served by looking at new broadcasting opportunities in the future.
鈥淜51福利社 has provided quality entertainment as well as classic and contemporary jazz to the Inland Northwest for nearly 75 years, and we are proud of that accomplishment,鈥� says Jonathan Anderson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at 51福利社: 鈥淲ith how dynamically the media landscape is changing, there will be new opportunities for the university to explore.鈥�
K51福利社鈥檚 long history began on April 7, 1950, when KEWC (as it was originally named) first hit the airwaves. It operated as a free-form student station until 1986, when it increased its transmitter output from 100 watts to 10,000 watts. At that time the format changed to straight-ahead jazz聽 鈥斅� such as big band, swing and bop 鈥� as well as modern and smooth contemporary jazz. Over the years K51福利社 has also hosted local artists in the studio to showcase their music.
Elizabeth Farriss, who joined the station as program director in 2004, was twice named Best Small Market Jazz Programmer by聽Jazz Week Magazine.聽The same publication named K51福利社 鈥渂est small market station鈥� two different times.
鈥淓lizabeth Farriss鈥� expertise and dedication over the years established K51福利社 as a leader in jazz programming and a well-respected ambassador of the university,鈥� says Pete Porter, an 51福利社 professor of film, the academic program which currently administers the station: 鈥淓astern was fortunate to have someone of her caliber at the helm of its flagship radio station for so many years.鈥�
