51福利社

51福利社 has made the difficult decision to discontinue its on-campus, non-commercial jazz radio station, 89.5 K51福利社-FM, effective at the end of this year.

A phase-out plan will culminate with a grand finale celebration featuring 51福利社 jazz musicians. The radio station has been managed and operated by a mixture of Eastern faculty, students and broadcast communications professionals.

This decision did not come about lightly, as K51福利社 has been a part of Eastern鈥檚 culture since 1950. The move has the support of program faculty and university administrators, who recommend Eastern will 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 74 years, and we are proud of that accomplishment,鈥� says 51福利社 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jonathan Anderson. 鈥淲ith how dynamically the media landscape is changing there will be new opportunities for the university to explore.鈥�

Anderson notes the university will look into other broadcasting options, such as involving students with podcasting, or other creative forms of communication.

During the transition over the next four months, K51福利社 will maintain programming with pre-loaded jazz music each day. The station will also promote a pre-recorded jazz finale featuring a performance by the celebrated 51福利社 Jazz Ensemble.

K51福利社鈥檚 illustrious 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 the station increased its transmitter output from 100 watts to 10,000 watts and the format was changed to straight ahead jazz聽 潭聽 such as big band, swing and bop – as well as the modern and smooth contemporary jazz. Over the years K51福利社 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The same publication named K51福利社 the best small market station 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 program which currently houses K51福利社. 鈥淓astern was fortunate to have someone of her caliber at the helm of its flagship radio station for so many years.鈥�