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Home > Archive > Jan 24, 2008

Environmentally Friendly Radio is On the Air
By Ellie Lambert
KTIM 101.9 FM radio operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Perry Holmes is at the helm, and Environmental Radio is his calling.
“I was a producer for ABC Talk Radio in the 70s down in L.A., but it got a little too much fun for me, to be quite honest, so I got serious and went to Chico State and got a master’s degree in journalism.”
Eventually finding his way to St. George led to what he’s doing.
“I always had a dream of getting into and doing radio, Holmes said, “and then in 1999, this opportunity came up by the federal government for LPFM, low-power frequency, and you could go anywhere on the dial.
“I got bumped twice after getting the donations to get started because the commercial stations were barking at the FCC about the non-commercials getting on. It was just a huge mess.”
His application was finally granted 2,011 days after he filed his request.
In 1999, Holmes and his partner, Don Fromknecht, founded the nonprofit 501(c)3 organization WasteCon Environmental. Their purpose was to educate the community about environmental issues. The organization relies on underwriting, gifts and donations to be able to pay operating expenses. KTIM 101.9 is their way of communicating news about the environment to the community.
The station is also looking at their opportunity to move into new digs within the next few months.
“Mark Goodsell, an architect from Alpine, Utah, is building ‘The Block,’” said Holmes. “It’s right here on Sunset, just in front of Dixie Battery. Mark is offering us space there, not charging us rent, because he believes in what we are doing.”
The Block is scheduled to open in late spring or early summer and will be a mixed-use building. The plan is to host music, art, and entertainment events.
“There is a great outdoor patio that will be perfect for those venues,” Holmes said, “and our studio and production facility will be in there as well.”
Holmes said Solar Unlimited, of Cedar City, has been his on-air guest, and the business has offered to install a system for KTIM when the station moves into its new building.
“We will be 100 percent solar powered, which is right in line with our environmentally friendly approach,” Holmes said.
Currently, KTIM reaches only about three quarters of the St. George listening area, from Winchester Hills to Kayenta and Ivins, down to Bloomington and over to the Zion Factory Stores.
“Our goal,” said Holmes, ‘is to be a 30,000-watt station that will enable us to reach not only St. George, but all the outlying areas as far as Cedar City and over to Springdale.”
Holmes has already applied for what he said is an almost once-in-a-lifetime shot at acquiring “free airwave real estate” that the FCC offered to non-commerical radio stations such as his.
“This sort of opportunity almost never happens, and it will probably never happen again,” Holmes said. “As of now, it’s still a wait-and-see kind of thing.”
There is a mindset, according to Holmes, that environmental programs have to blast their information at listeners and keep hammering on it, but that’s not what KTIM is all about, he said.
“Our mission is to build a community through music and the environment,” Holmes said. “There is no reason to have to beat people over the head about what is going on in our world. We just want people to be aware, and we combine it with music.”
Earth and Sky radio, which has environmental information on a national level, offers KTIM access to their sources, allowing for more communication locally.
“I also do one-minute spots for Pulse of the Planet, Animal Instincts, EnviroMinutes, and tips about what’s happening with the oceans and other environmentally related issues in between the music,” said Holmes. “You’re not getting an hour-long spiel about the environment, but you are getting tips and information in between the songs. That is what makes up Environmentally Friendly Radio.”
In anticipation of “going large” via the radio waves, Holmes said they will have more opportunities to get grants, thus easing the need somewhat for the charitable gifts they’ve been given to keep up and running.
“This is definitely not a hobby,” Holmes said. “It’s hard work, but I absolutely love it. This is what its all about.”
A national environmental group has caught wind of KTIM and would like to make them ‘live stream,’ giving the station national exposure.
“That,” said Holmes, “would be fantastic!”
To voice your opinion on environmental issues or become involved in KTIM 101.9 FM community programming, call (435) 656-5846.

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