ABOUT US – History of Radio Pacific and KONP – The First 77 years

KONP radio began regular broadcasting at 6:30 a.m. on February 3, 1945. It was in 1937 that the Evening Press Inc., a subsidiary of the Port Angeles Evening News Inc., first sought an AM radio license for the city of Port Angeles. Final FCC approval was delayed nearly 8 years due to international reallocation of frequencies, then suspension of all newspaper applications, and finally wartime suspension of all new construction.

The construction of KONP was followed quite closely by the Port Angeles Evening News and the Olympic Tribune; from the delivery of the 180’ Douglas Fir cut in Indian Valley to be used as KONP’s first radio tower, to the lighting of the tower’s red beacon that was visible for many miles. Port Angeles finally had its own radio station. News was provided by United Press News of the World.

The first broadcast featured a piano and chatter program with Al Smith of CJVI in Victoria and music provided by the Port Angeles Concert Orchestra. Salutes from other northwest radio stations and local church services made up the second day of programming.

For many years, KONP provided Top 40 music. This music programming, which started with the sounds of the ‘Big Band era’ and popular artists of the time, progressed well into the 90’s. In the mid 90’s, KONP changed the on-air moniker to “Newsradio 1450 KONP” and switched to all news and talk format

Offering the most comprehensive, and award winning local programming on the Peninsula, KONP provides local news, sports, weather and traffic, as well as regional, national and world news, talk, and up to date information about community events.  KONP is also proud to be the “home” of the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, UW Huskies AND The Kraken!

KONP has had several changes in ownership over the years. Today, Radio Pacific Inc is a partnership with majority owner Brown M. Maloney and minority owner Todd Ortloff who jointly purchased the company in 2002.

RPI strives to provide Port Angeles and surrounding areas with an innovative and meaningful audio landscape and takes pride in the fact that it is locally owned and has expanded operations to now include three distinctly different radio stations.

KONP “Newsradio 1450” AM and 101.7 FM in Port Angeles and 101.3 in Sequim, provides a live mix of community radio hosted by local on-air personalities along with a variety of syndicated national hosts. As an ABC affiliate, KONP broadcasts breaking national news every hour.

KSTI “The Strait Country” 102.1 FM, Port Angeles, is a mainstream country format with a superstar library of country music’s most iconic stars from yesterday to today.

KZQM “Z-104.9” 104.9 FM, Sequim, is the newest addition to the Radio Pacific, Inc. family, and features classic gold hits era of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.  You’ll hear the difference is in “The Z”!

 

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