KNRK
Encyclopedia
KNRK is a commercial Modern AC-leaning Alternative rock
music radio station
in Portland, OR, broadcasting to the Portland, Oregon
area on 94.7 FM
. KNRK's studios are located near downtown Portland and its transmitter is located in Portland's west hills.
music format.
In the mid 1990s and early 2000s KNRK branded itself as "94-7 NRK". In the years following its debut, the format consisted almost entirely of alternative rock music including The Smashing Pumpkins
, Pearl Jam
and Nirvana
. Radio personalities Stephanie Steele and Mike Chase hosted a morning show dubbed "S & M." A DJ who goes only by his middle name, Gustav, hosted a show during the afternoon hours weekdays noon to 7pm. Gradually, however, the station's format began to shift towards harder rock music in the late '90s. Moderate on-air DJs like Gustav and Daria O'Neill
were gradually replaced by "shock-jocks."
The station's harder edge came to an end on May 12, 2004. Two morning DJs played audio recordings of Nick Berg
's violent death on the air, adding their own mocking commentary. Hundreds of angry phone-calls and e-mails flooded into the station. KNRK's General Manager fired both of them, along with their producer.
Following the incident, KNRK temporarily pulled all of its DJs off the air and played non-stop music and commercials, in addition to the talk-show Loveline
in the evenings. Brief messages by station program director Mark Hamilton aired explaining the changes and the decision to reshape the station. Listeners were encouraged to submit an online survey or to call in with their own suggestions.
Soon thereafter, KNRK rebranded itself as "94/7 FM." Some of the station's established personalities who were let go prior to late '90s transition, such as Gustav, returned joining new hires like Tara Dublin and morning host Greg. Other on-air personalities like "Squid" and Jamie Coolely retained their positions with the station. KNRK placed a higher emphasis on music with less bantering and more musically-oriented conversations from their on-air staff.
The station now airs rock music recorded between the 1970s and 2010s ranging from David Bowie
to Of Montreal
. It also features specialty shows such as "Passport Approved," which focuses on international rock music and Greasy Kid Stuff
, a Saturday morning program specializing in music for kids. The alternative rock band They Might Be Giants
recorded a song in honor of the latter.
In 2007, KNRK introduced "94/7 Too," an online station focusing entirely on bands established in the Pacific Northwest. It was added to terrestrial radio on 910 AM in July 2010.
Tara Dublin was laid-off in May of 2009 due to corporate cutbacks, sparking thousands of complaints and leading to the launch of a Facebook campaign to have her re-instated. As of October 2011, Dublin was still absent from KNRK's airwaves.
Eventually the changes instituted were adopted at sister radio stations KNDD
in Seattle, WA and KWOD
in Sacramento, CA. The latter station later changed formats.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
music radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Portland, OR, broadcasting to the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
area on 94.7 FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
. KNRK's studios are located near downtown Portland and its transmitter is located in Portland's west hills.
History
Originally, 94.7 (MHz) was KMUZ-FM, broadcasting an easy listeningEasy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music format.
In the mid 1990s and early 2000s KNRK branded itself as "94-7 NRK". In the years following its debut, the format consisted almost entirely of alternative rock music including The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
and Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. Radio personalities Stephanie Steele and Mike Chase hosted a morning show dubbed "S & M." A DJ who goes only by his middle name, Gustav, hosted a show during the afternoon hours weekdays noon to 7pm. Gradually, however, the station's format began to shift towards harder rock music in the late '90s. Moderate on-air DJs like Gustav and Daria O'Neill
Daria O'Neill
Daria Eliuk is a radio and television personality and an entertainer in Portland, Oregon, United States. With a background in theatre, she is known for her irreverent humor, sharp wit, and sexy style. Her first major media roles were as a morning host on local radio station KNRK and as a weather...
were gradually replaced by "shock-jocks."
The station's harder edge came to an end on May 12, 2004. Two morning DJs played audio recordings of Nick Berg
Nick Berg
Nicholas Evan "Nick" Berg was an American businessman who went to Iraq after the US invasion of Iraq. He was abducted and later beheaded according to a video released in May 2004 by Islamist militants...
's violent death on the air, adding their own mocking commentary. Hundreds of angry phone-calls and e-mails flooded into the station. KNRK's General Manager fired both of them, along with their producer.
Following the incident, KNRK temporarily pulled all of its DJs off the air and played non-stop music and commercials, in addition to the talk-show Loveline
Loveline
Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its flagship station is KROQ-FM in Los Angeles....
in the evenings. Brief messages by station program director Mark Hamilton aired explaining the changes and the decision to reshape the station. Listeners were encouraged to submit an online survey or to call in with their own suggestions.
Soon thereafter, KNRK rebranded itself as "94/7 FM." Some of the station's established personalities who were let go prior to late '90s transition, such as Gustav, returned joining new hires like Tara Dublin and morning host Greg. Other on-air personalities like "Squid" and Jamie Coolely retained their positions with the station. KNRK placed a higher emphasis on music with less bantering and more musically-oriented conversations from their on-air staff.
The station now airs rock music recorded between the 1970s and 2010s ranging from David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
to Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
. It also features specialty shows such as "Passport Approved," which focuses on international rock music and Greasy Kid Stuff
Greasy Kid Stuff
For the Gym Class Heroes album, see Greasy Kid Stuff Greasy Kid Stuff is a U.S. radio show that airs Sunday mornings from 8-9 AM on 94.7 FM KNRK out of Portland, Oregon...
, a Saturday morning program specializing in music for kids. The alternative rock band They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
recorded a song in honor of the latter.
In 2007, KNRK introduced "94/7 Too," an online station focusing entirely on bands established in the Pacific Northwest. It was added to terrestrial radio on 910 AM in July 2010.
Tara Dublin was laid-off in May of 2009 due to corporate cutbacks, sparking thousands of complaints and leading to the launch of a Facebook campaign to have her re-instated. As of October 2011, Dublin was still absent from KNRK's airwaves.
The Alternative Declaration
As a result of surveys the station sent out shortly after the Marconi incident which lead to KNRK's rebradning, KNRK introduced "The Alternative Declaration" in 2004, presented as 11 guidelines.
- Music: It's about the music.
- We Listen to You: We will listen to our listeners and treat them with respect.
- Artist and Title of Every Song: We will tell you the title and artist of every song we play.
- Support Local Music: We will support local bands' music and shows.
- Never Talk Over the Songs: We will respect the music and our listeners by never talking over the songs.
- New Music: We will seek out and support new music.
- Knowledgeable D.J.s: We are dedicated to constantly learning and living the music we choose for you. Our DJs are Greg Glover, Gustav, and Squid.
- Musical Diversity: We believe in diversity and will be open-minded about the music we play.
- More Than Just Hit Singles: We will play any good song on the album, not just the "hit" single.
- Surprise You: We will surprise you with the songs you haven't heard in a while.
- More Songs Less Often: We will play more songs and repeat them less often.
Eventually the changes instituted were adopted at sister radio stations KNDD
KNDD
KNDD , also known as "107.7 The End", is an alternative rock radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between Downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle...
in Seattle, WA and KWOD
KWOD
KBZC is a commercial radio station in Sacramento, California, broadcasting on 106.5 FM. The Entercom-owned outlet airs a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format.-History:...
in Sacramento, CA. The latter station later changed formats.