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FCC Approves Assignment Of KPLU License To Community Group

KPLU is one step closer to becoming a community owned station. On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission approved the assignment of KPLU’s broadcast license to Friends of 88.5 FM from Pacific Lutheran University. FCC approval was the last major hurdle left for the community group to pass in order to take ownership of the station from Pacific Lutheran University.

The Friends group, which will own and operate this station, had already raised the $7 million needed to buy KPLU and already announced that its new call letters will be KNKX.

KPLU General Manager Joey Cohn says now all that’s left is to complete the paperwork and transfer of contracts involved in closing the deal.

“And we will take ownership either on August 30th or 31st; It’s still in discussion,” Cohn said.

Once Friends of 88.5 FM takes ownership, you’ll start hearing the new call letters, KNKX. 

It was last November that Pacific Lutheran University announced it was going to sell this KPLU to public radio station KUOW, which is owned by the University of Washington.

After public outcry the University of Washington and Pacific Lutheran University agreed to let a community group try and raise the money to match the offer. That’s when the friends group launched the ultimately successful drive to raise $7 million to purchase the station.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.