KAGU

Radio station in Spokane, Washington

KAGU

* Spokane, Washington

Broadcast area| Spokane metropolitan area
Frequency| 88.7 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding| KAGU Radio
Programming
Format| Classical/College radio
Ownership
Owner|

* Gonzaga University
* (Gonzaga University Telecommunications Association)

History

First air date

| 1988

Call sign meaning

| K A Gonzaga University
Technical information
Facility ID| 24560
Class| C1
ERP| 5,000 watts
HAAT| 466 meters (1,529 ft)

KAGU (88.7 MHz) is a non-profit FM radio station run by Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. It broadcasts a classical music radio format for the Spokane metropolitan area.

KAGU has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 5,000 watts. The transmitter is off South Krell Ridge Lane in Spokane Valley, Washington, amid the towers for other Spokane-area FM and TV stations.[1]

## History[edit]

The station was founded in 1988. Billing itself as the "hundred-thousand milliwatt of the River City", KAGU broadcast a 100 watt signal throughout Spokane. Other slogans included "your only alternative" and "proletariat and bourgeoisie alike agree!"

In its first year, KAGU was largely relegated to a radio format of Adult contemporary music with student reports of news and sports as live lab voice work. But in 1987–89 things changed with KAGU when Station Manager John Hipp developed radio shows that were cutting edge college radio. By year's end in 1988 there was a renaissance of student shows that stand as some of the station's most creative and exciting productions. Among the repertoire were live sports broadcasts, live speaker series, live theatre audiocasts, live weekly music shows, and student-sponsored music genre shows.

Notable among the broadcasts at the time were the shows Folk Stew which showcased live Spokane, Washington regional folk and blues musicians, the Cork the Tuna's Skipped Grooves show on which Steve MacCorkle brought the edge of his bay area roots and love for alternative new wave and punk tunes, and John Hipp's show The Hippster Radio Identity Crisis which was a cornucopia of musical treasures & Dead Before Midnight featuring Live Grateful Dead bootlegs. These are notable examples of the early days of KAGU, but there were other student shows which also added to the vibe and fabric of the exciting first years of the station.

A marketing high point was achieved when the infamous trailer "Fish For Breakfast" was broadcast in 1994. The concept was simple: the voiceover stated "Fish For Breakfast, and KAGU every night. That's the way it oughtta be!"[citation needed] Daily programming included alternative rock and specialty shows from 7 AM to midnight. One standout show was “The Rap Attack” hosted by Tobin Costen[2] and cohosted by GrandMixer GMS,[3] who did live and prerecorded music mixes. The show aired on Monday nights and was the only hip-hop radio show in Spokane at the time and featured local artists alongside established acts.[4] This show made history in debuting several records before they were released, including Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” album and Sir Mix-A-Lot’s, “Baby Got Back.” The show aired from 1991 until 1994, and was featured in international magazine, PROP$. (PROP$ Magazine article, Vol. 1, No. 2, p. 12, Dec. 1993.) The show ended when Tobin graduated and moved to the Bay Area to work for No Limit Records, later documented on BET’s “No Limit Chronicles.”[5]

In the fall semester of 1996, KAGU converted to classical music on the orders of Rev. Robert Lyons, then the head of Gonzaga's broadcast media program, without any student input.[6]

In late 2004, the KAGU transmitter and antennae were moved from atop the GU Administration Building to the KHQ-TV tower site on Tower Mountain in southeast Spokane. With the tower move, KAGU’s power was boosted from 100 watts to 5,000 watts. Currently, the KAGU signal reaches a 60-mile radius from Tower Mountain. It is the Spokane affiliate of the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.

## References[edit]

1. ^ Radio-Locator.com/KAGU-FM
2. ^ https://digital.gonzaga.edu/digital/collection/p16011coll2/id/3032/
3. ^ https://www.pumpitupmagazine.com/interview-with-grand-mixer-gms/
4. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfHampEEQ-k
5. ^ https://www.youtube.com/live/ACI1dfTrf0c?feature=share
6. ^ Sowa, Tom (September 12, 1996). "Sour Notes Kagu's Switch To Classical Angers Many Listeners". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane: Cowles Publishing Company. Retrieved April 27, 2022.

## External links[edit]

* KAGU in the FCC FM station database
* KAGU in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

* v
* t
* e

Gonzaga University

Located in: Spokane, Washington

Academics|

* Law

Facilities|

* Charlotte Y. Martin Centre
* Foley Center Library

Athletics|

* Baseball
* Washington Trust Field and Patterson Baseball Complex
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* McCarthey Athletic Center
* Men's soccer
* Football (1892–1941)
* Gonzaga Stadium
* Spike the Bulldog

Media|

* The Gonzaga Bulletin
* KAGU

Related|

* Gonzaga University v. Doe
* Joseph Cataldo
* Aloysius Gonzaga

Founded: 1887

* v
* t
* e

Radio stations in Spokane, Washington metropolitan area

This area also includes Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

By AM frequency|

* 590
* 630
* 700
* 790
* 920
* 970
* 1050
* 1080
* 1230
* 1280
* 1330
* 1510

By FM frequency|

* 88.1
* 88.7
* 89.5
* 90.3
* 91.1
* 91.9
* 92.9
* 93.7
* 94.5
* 95.3
* 96.1
* 96.9
* 97.3
* 98.1
* 98.9
* 99.9
* 101.1
* 101.9
* 102.3
* 103.1
* 103.9
* 104.5
* 104.9
* 105.7
* 106.5
* 107.1
* 107.9

| LPFM|

* 100.3

|

Translators|

* 89.1
* 90.7
* 92.3
* 92.5
* 93.3
* 94.1
* 95.7
* 96.5
* 97.7
* 99.3
* 100.7
* 101.5
* 103.5
* 105.3
* 106.1

NOAA Weather Radio
frequency|

* 162.4

Digital radio
by frequency & subchannel|

* 88.7-1
* 91.1-1
* 91.1-2
* 95.3-1
* 95.3-2
* 96.1-1
* 98.1-1
* 98.1-2
* 98.9-1
* 102.3-1
* 102.3-2
* 103.1-1
* 104.9-1
* 104.9-2

By call sign|

* K206CQ
* K214AR
* K222BG
* K223AN
* K227CD
* K231CU
* K239CL
* K243CG
* K249FF
* K257FX
* K264CH
* K268DL
* K278CY
* K287BV
* K291CO
* KAGU
* KBBD
* KCDA
* KDRK-FM
* KEEH
* HD2
* KEWU-FM
* KEYF-FM
* KEZE
* KFIO
* KFOO-FM
* KGA
* KHTQ
* KICR
* KISC
* HD2
* KJRB
* KJYR
* KKRS
* KKZX
* HD2
* KMBI-FM
* KPBX-FM
* HD2
* HD3
* KPBZ
* KPKL
* KPND
* KQNT
* KSBN
* KSFC
* HD2
* HD3
* KSPO
* KTRW
* KTSL
* KTTO
* KVFS-LP
* KVNI
* KYMS
* KXLX
* KXLY
* KXLY-FM
* KYOZ
* KYRS
* KZBD
* KZFS
* KZZU-FM
* WXL86

Defunct|

* KCKO
* KSVY
* KWRS

Radio stations in the Idaho Panhandle
Coeur d'Alene
Lewiston
Moscow

Other nearby regions
Kalispell
Tri-Cities / Walla Walla
Wenatchee

See also
List of radio stations in Idaho
List of radio stations in Washington (state)

* v
* t
* e

Washington college radio stations

* KAGU (Gonzaga University)
* KAOS (The Evergreen State College)
* KBCS (Bellevue College)
* KCED (Centralia College)
* KCWU (Central Washington University)
* KEWU (Eastern Washington University)
* KEXP (University of Washington)
* KGRG (Green River Community College)
* KGRG (Green River Community College)
* KUGS (Western Washington University)
* KUOW (University of Washington)
* KUPS (University of Puget Sound)
* KWCW (Whitman College)
* KZUU (Washington State University)
* Whitworth FM (Whitworth University)

See also
adult contemporary
classic hits
college
country
news/talk
NPR
oldies
religious
rock
sports
top 40
urban
other radio stations in Washington

47°34′52″N 117°17′49″W﻿ / ﻿47.581°N 117.297°W﻿ / 47.581; -117.297
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