KOOP-FM
Encyclopedia
KOOP is a noncommercial community
radio station
owned and operated by its members and staffed by volunteers. The station broadcasts in Austin, Texas
, with a carrier frequency
of 91.7 MHz at an effective radiated power
of 3 kilowatts and is licensed to Texas Educational Broadcasting Co-operative, Inc., a nonprofit organization (doing business as KOOP Radio, previously Austin Co-op Radio). The station was assigned the KOOP call letters by the Federal Communications Commission
on 27 October 1993.
The 91.7 frequency is shared with KVRX, the student radio station for The University of Texas at Austin
. KOOP broadcasts on 91.7 FM from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. KVRX, which is licensed to the University, broadcasts during the remaining hours. KOOP streams online during KVRX's broadcast hours.
consists of 75 locally produced shows each week . Daytime programming typically consists of music programs, while late afternoon programming is usually news.
from 1992 to 2006. In 1994 the station shared the Austin Music Awards honor for "Best Thing To Happen in Austin" with KVRX.
The February fire knocked KOOP off the air for 17 days, during which time KVRX covered its sister station's hours, as it had following the original fire. KOOP resumed broadcasting on 21 February from studios at the city's classical music station KMFA. By the end of 2006, KOOP had found new quarters at 3823 Airport Boulevard, where it built two broadcast studios, two production rooms, a music library, meeting space and offices. The station began broadcasting from the facility on 9 December 2006.
KOOP had been broadcasting from its new home for less than 13 months when it suffered yet another blaze. On 5 January 2008, a fire swept through the Airport Boulevard studios, causing an estimated $300,000 damage. Austin fire officials declared the incident arson
and within weeks charged a former station volunteer, Paul Webster Feinstein, with setting the blaze. According to investigators, Feinstein had quit a month earlier following a dispute over the music lineup for the station's overnight webstream. On 12 June 2009, Feinstein pleaded guilty to setting the 2008 fire, and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment; however, as part of a plea agreement, Feinstein will serve 120 days at the Texas State Prison in Huntsville
, pay $134,000 restitution, serve 10 years probation upon release from prison, and undergo community service and counseling.
The station was back on the air within a few weeks, using studio space donated by Entercom Austin
, which owns three of the city's commercial stations. KOOP returned to its Airport Boulevard studio in September 2008.
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
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...
owned and operated by its members and staffed by volunteers. The station broadcasts in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, with a carrier frequency
Center frequency
In electrical engineering and telecommunications, the center frequency of a filter or channel is a measure of a central frequency between the upper and lower cutoff frequencies...
of 91.7 MHz at an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 3 kilowatts and is licensed to Texas Educational Broadcasting Co-operative, Inc., a nonprofit organization (doing business as KOOP Radio, previously Austin Co-op Radio). The station was assigned the KOOP call letters by 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...
on 27 October 1993.
The 91.7 frequency is shared with KVRX, the student radio station for The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. KOOP broadcasts on 91.7 FM from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. KVRX, which is licensed to the University, broadcasts during the remaining hours. KOOP streams online during KVRX's broadcast hours.
Programming format
KOOP's radio formatRadio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
consists of 75 locally produced shows each week . Daytime programming typically consists of music programs, while late afternoon programming is usually news.
Awards
The KOOP radio station has won 19 Best of Austin awards from the Austin ChronicleAustin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
from 1992 to 2006. In 1994 the station shared the Austin Music Awards honor for "Best Thing To Happen in Austin" with KVRX.
Fires
In early 2006, KOOP's 304 E. Fifth Street studio was hit by two fires. On 6 January a fire caused significant smoke damage; the station suspended operation for just five days and sought a new home. Before a site could be found, a second fire occurred on 4 February which destroyed KOOP's building and three adjacent structures that housed artist studios and a nightclub. Both fires were declared accidental. The first was blamed on careless smoking by a neighbor; the second, on the nightclub's faulty heating and air conditioning unit.The February fire knocked KOOP off the air for 17 days, during which time KVRX covered its sister station's hours, as it had following the original fire. KOOP resumed broadcasting on 21 February from studios at the city's classical music station KMFA. By the end of 2006, KOOP had found new quarters at 3823 Airport Boulevard, where it built two broadcast studios, two production rooms, a music library, meeting space and offices. The station began broadcasting from the facility on 9 December 2006.
KOOP had been broadcasting from its new home for less than 13 months when it suffered yet another blaze. On 5 January 2008, a fire swept through the Airport Boulevard studios, causing an estimated $300,000 damage. Austin fire officials declared the incident arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
and within weeks charged a former station volunteer, Paul Webster Feinstein, with setting the blaze. According to investigators, Feinstein had quit a month earlier following a dispute over the music lineup for the station's overnight webstream. On 12 June 2009, Feinstein pleaded guilty to setting the 2008 fire, and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment; however, as part of a plea agreement, Feinstein will serve 120 days at the Texas State Prison in Huntsville
Huntsville, Texas
Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. The population was 35,508 at the 2010 census. It is the center of the Huntsville micropolitan area....
, pay $134,000 restitution, serve 10 years probation upon release from prison, and undergo community service and counseling.
The station was back on the air within a few weeks, using studio space donated by Entercom Austin
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
, which owns three of the city's commercial stations. KOOP returned to its Airport Boulevard studio in September 2008.