Radio Connects Us All

On New Year’s Eve from 7pm to midnight, Cats in Our Laps stretches its feline self all the way to midnight, stretches but does not dare yawn. Why?  Because there will be a party going on! To open the show, Tim Quackenbush returns to KPTZ to pop the first bottle of champagne, with Chris Bricker along to catch the cork when it returns to earth. There will be live music through the night. Singer and songwriter JR Rhodes will join our party from Seattle and two local bands will be live in our studio: Kozmopolis with music of Eastern Europe and a Choro trio with Al Bergstein, Julian Catford, and Dick Lynn. Catherine Stone will be at the reader’s podium – in person not on Zoom – for a pair of tickling readings along with music from her record library. KPTZ DJ héroes Karen Anderson, DJ Goodwoman, DJ Mars, and Jim B each will take a turn spinning us towards midnight. For the final hour of 2023, Jon Kertzer will welcome 2024 with music from far and wide. Herding all these Hot Cats with catnip and kibbles will be Cats in Our Laps host Phil Andrus.

Settings

December 21, 2023 message from Taylor Clark, KPTZ Interim General Manager

It’s certainly been quite a year for your favorite community radio station! Changes in leadership, challenges in planning, an on-going global pandemic and political turmoil, losing dear members of our radio community….  But through it all KPTZ has kept going, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And I must say: I’m exceptionally proud of our team and of the community we have the privilege of working with and serving.

Ok, so about our move to Fort Worden. Did you read the article in the Leader where I talked about the complexities of building out our new space and our dedicated volunteers? Well, I didn’t talk about the pixies.

Building 305 is an old building. It has history. And it also appears to have an infestation of pixies who have been slow to accept all this fiber-optic-based digital audio – the Dante interfaces – the cellular STL – the PDA. Really, none of this is any stranger than pixies. So, we’ve been sageing the place, and leaving out pixie-approved cookies, and it seems like they might finally be getting used to sharing their home with us.

And here’s the very best news: we really are weeks away from moving in!

Even as I write this, production for Booklovers Cafe, Nature Now, Our Town, and Attention Please! has been happening in our new studios. Administrative staff and volunteers have moved over and are working in the space. DJ training is going well, and while our volunteer IT team is still working through the punch list for a go live date…. the pixies are settling nicely and it looks like they are as excited as we are!

Meanwhile, KPTZ has still been growing, adding new staff, new board members, new volunteers, and new shows. My favorite new show name: The DudeBabe Radio Hour. We have a new Interim GM (that’s me!) and as of the last board meeting, a new Board President (Jon Pinnow). Our long time board president Robert Ambrose is staying on to safely shepherd us into 305. He’s the guy doing the DJ training. (Oh, and as we meet new volunteers, does anyone have experience with pixies???)

Looking ahead, expect KPTZ to keep bringing you the authentic, quality experience that gets woven into every minute of the station’s 24/7 broadcast year. Expect to see us out in the community in new ways. And expect an invitation to see our new home in the near future.

One more thing. You know, like all non-profits, we rely heavily on the contributions of our community to help sustain our efforts. Just as inflation has had an impact on people throughout Jefferson County and beyond, it has impacted KPTZ’s ongoing expenses, including overhead, technology costs and so much more. Your contributions mean everything to our evolving efforts. Please consider making a year-end contribution, as a driving force to help us continue fulfilling KPTZ’s mission: offering educational, entertaining, and informative programming for our listeners.

For community! For radio! If nothing else, for the pixies! 

Taylor

KPTZ appreciates financial support during this transitional phase, to help cover incidental and ongoing overhead. Either use this button, or mail a check to KPTZ, PO Box 2091, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Thanks for your contribution!