KSUH
Encyclopedia
KSUH is a radio station
licensed
to serve Puyallup, Washington
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1951, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean Suh, owner of Radio Hankook, is a pioneer in Korean-language radio programming in the United States.
programming to the Tacoma, Washington
, area in a simulcast partnership with sister station
KWYZ
(1230 AM). In addition to Korean popular music (also known as "K-pop
"), Radio Hankook airs up to six hours of daily talk radio
programming, including local and Korean news, information for recent immigrants, and community affairs
. Other programming includes a program for children in both Korean and English
plus a short twice-daily show for all ages that aims to teach basic English language skills.
s of power on a frequency of 1450 kHz. Licensed with call sign
KAYE, the station was owned and operated by Clarence E. Wilson. By early 1953, KAYE had upgraded to 250 watt operation and Clarence E. Wilson took on P.D. Jackson as a partner in station ownership.
had been transferred to Henry Perozzo's Radio Station KAYE, Inc.
The sale by Radio Station KAYE, Inc., to KAYE Broadcasters, Inc., was completed on March 27, 1966. The station continued the country & western music format even after a 1974 change in call sign
to KUPY.
In July 1978, KAYE Broadcasters, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Shortsleeve Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 3, 1978, and the transaction was consummated on October 12, 1978. The station aired a country & western music format with weekly specialty shows, including one in the German language
and one on Native American
issues.
In October 1981, Shortsleeve Broadcasting, Inc., contracted to sell KUPY to Monroe Enterprises, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 11, 1981. The new owners had the Federal Communications Commission
change the station's call sign
to KJUN on December 23, 1981.
In June 1986, Monroe Enterprises, Inc., announced a deal to sell KJUN to 777 Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 15, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on September 5, 1986.
In June 1990, 777 Broadcasting, Inc., agreed to sell this station to Joy Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 1, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on October 31, 1990. As part of a rebranding of the station's classic country music format as "The Cowboy", Joy Broadcasting had the FCC change the station's call sign to KKBY on August 16, 1996.
for this station to her company, Radio Hancook, Inc. The transfer was approved by the FCC on November 15, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on December 1, 2003.
Jean J. Suh worked for five years as an actress as South Korea
's Korean Broadcasting System before emigrating to the United States in 1964. While studying at Columbia College Hollywood
in 1965, Suh began hosting a 30-minute weekly program of music and news in Korean on a Los Angeles
radio station. In 1966 the program was extended to one hour per week and in 1967 to two hours each weekday. In 1970, Suh and two financial partners launched an independent Korean-language radio station in Los Angeles, the first in the United States. Suh purchased KKBY (now KSUH) in 1997 and KWYZ
(1230 AM) in 1999 to cover the southern and northern halves of the greater Seattle metropolitan area
, respectively, as Korean-language "Radio Hankook".
KWYZ
out of their rented studios in a commercial area of Federal Way, Washington
, to her private residence in May 2000. This sparked protests from neighbors, visits from city code enforcement officers, and a public campaign by the station to force the city to allow the studios to remain in Suh's home. Ultimately, the city prevailed in the face of growing community frustration and the stations moved out of the home in late April 2001.
(EAS) equipment" and "to conduct required monthly and weekly EAS tests", failed to "post the ASR number on or near the base of" its broadcast tower, and failed to paint or maintain the tower to ensure "good visibility" in violation of FCC rules. After a January 2002 notice of these violations, licensee Jean J. Suh told the FCC that the station had modified its EAS equipment for automatic operation and that she did not own the KSUH tower but was leasing it from the station's previous license holder. The FCC issued a "notice of apparent liability" against Suh for violations by KSUH and sister station KWYZ
on August 28, 2002, for a combined total of $22,000. After determining that Suh did not own the KSUH tower, they reduced the penalty to $10,000 in late August 2003.
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...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1951, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean Suh, owner of Radio Hankook, is a pioneer in Korean-language radio programming in the United States.
Programming
KSUH broadcasts a mix of Korean languageKorean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
programming to the Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, area in a simulcast partnership with sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
KWYZ
KWYZ
KWYZ is a radio station licensed to serve Everett, Washington, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1957, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean J...
(1230 AM). In addition to Korean popular music (also known as "K-pop
K-pop
K-pop is a musical genre consisting of electropop, hip hop, pop, rock, and R&B music originating in South Korea...
"), Radio Hankook airs up to six hours of daily talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
programming, including local and Korean news, information for recent immigrants, and community affairs
Public affairs (broadcasting)
Public affairs, a broadcasting industry term, refers to television programs which focuses on matters of politics and public policy. Among commercial broadcasters, such programs are often only to satisfy Federal Communications Commission regulatory expectations and are not scheduled in prime time...
. Other programming includes a program for children in both Korean and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
plus a short twice-daily show for all ages that aims to teach basic English language skills.
The beginning
This station began regular broadcasting on December 1, 1951, with just 100 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power on a frequency of 1450 kHz. Licensed with call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
KAYE, the station was owned and operated by Clarence E. Wilson. By early 1953, KAYE had upgraded to 250 watt operation and Clarence E. Wilson took on P.D. Jackson as a partner in station ownership.
Gone country
Puyallup Valley Broadcasting Company acquired KAYE from Wilson and Jackson in April 1953. This proved short-lived as by 1957 the broadcast licenseBroadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
had been transferred to Henry Perozzo's Radio Station KAYE, Inc.
The sale by Radio Station KAYE, Inc., to KAYE Broadcasters, Inc., was completed on March 27, 1966. The station continued the country & western music format even after a 1974 change in call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
to KUPY.
In July 1978, KAYE Broadcasters, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Shortsleeve Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 3, 1978, and the transaction was consummated on October 12, 1978. The station aired a country & western music format with weekly specialty shows, including one in the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and one on Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
issues.
In October 1981, Shortsleeve Broadcasting, Inc., contracted to sell KUPY to Monroe Enterprises, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 11, 1981. The new owners had the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
change the station's call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
to KJUN on December 23, 1981.
In June 1986, Monroe Enterprises, Inc., announced a deal to sell KJUN to 777 Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 15, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on September 5, 1986.
In June 1990, 777 Broadcasting, Inc., agreed to sell this station to Joy Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 1, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on October 31, 1990. As part of a rebranding of the station's classic country music format as "The Cowboy", Joy Broadcasting had the FCC change the station's call sign to KKBY on August 16, 1996.
KSUH today
In February 1997, Joy Broadcasting, Inc., contracted to sell KKBY to Jean J. Suh. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 4, 1997, and the transaction was finally consummated on August 3, 1999. New owner Jean J. Suh had the FCC change the station's call sign to KSUH after her family name on September 15, 1997. Suh applied to the FCC in October 2002 to transfer the broadcast licenseBroadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
for this station to her company, Radio Hancook, Inc. The transfer was approved by the FCC on November 15, 2002, and the transaction was consummated on December 1, 2003.
Jean J. Suh worked for five years as an actress as South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
's Korean Broadcasting System before emigrating to the United States in 1964. While studying at Columbia College Hollywood
Columbia College Hollywood
Columbia College Hollywood is a film school located in Tarzana, California, USA. It is approved by the State of California to offer degrees, and is an associate institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design...
in 1965, Suh began hosting a 30-minute weekly program of music and news in Korean on a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio station. In 1966 the program was extended to one hour per week and in 1967 to two hours each weekday. In 1970, Suh and two financial partners launched an independent Korean-language radio station in Los Angeles, the first in the United States. Suh purchased KKBY (now KSUH) in 1997 and KWYZ
KWYZ
KWYZ is a radio station licensed to serve Everett, Washington, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1957, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean J...
(1230 AM) in 1999 to cover the southern and northern halves of the greater Seattle metropolitan area
Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County within the Puget Sound region. The U.S...
, respectively, as Korean-language "Radio Hankook".
Studio location
Faced with financial difficulties and mounting debts, station owner Jean J. Suh moved KSUH and sister stationSister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
KWYZ
KWYZ
KWYZ is a radio station licensed to serve Everett, Washington, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1957, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean J...
out of their rented studios in a commercial area of Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
, to her private residence in May 2000. This sparked protests from neighbors, visits from city code enforcement officers, and a public campaign by the station to force the city to allow the studios to remain in Suh's home. Ultimately, the city prevailed in the face of growing community frustration and the stations moved out of the home in late April 2001.
FCC issues
During a series of inspections by agents from the FCC's Seattle office carried out over the period from March 2001 to November 2001, they found that KSUH had failed to "have operational Emergency Alert SystemEmergency Alert System
The Emergency Alert System is a national warning system in the United States put into place on January 1, 1997, when it superseded the Emergency Broadcast System , which itself had superseded the CONELRAD System...
(EAS) equipment" and "to conduct required monthly and weekly EAS tests", failed to "post the ASR number on or near the base of" its broadcast tower, and failed to paint or maintain the tower to ensure "good visibility" in violation of FCC rules. After a January 2002 notice of these violations, licensee Jean J. Suh told the FCC that the station had modified its EAS equipment for automatic operation and that she did not own the KSUH tower but was leasing it from the station's previous license holder. The FCC issued a "notice of apparent liability" against Suh for violations by KSUH and sister station KWYZ
KWYZ
KWYZ is a radio station licensed to serve Everett, Washington, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1957, is currently owned by Radio Hankook, Inc. Jean J...
on August 28, 2002, for a combined total of $22,000. After determining that Suh did not own the KSUH tower, they reduced the penalty to $10,000 in late August 2003.