Coming this Fall: 89.5 FM KNCJ - Nevada Classical & Jazz (and the Met!)
KUNR is working to launch a second radio station dedicated to classical music and weekend jazz, to fill a musical and cultural void on the local radio dial. With your support, the new station—KNCJ (which stands for Nevada Classical and Jazz)—will begin operation at the beginning of October 2016 at 89.5 FM, serving Reno and Sparks with 24-hour classical music weekdays, weekend jazz, and a few weekend hours of the best opera programming available today.
And while the station will serve only Reno-Sparks to start, it will be streaming online and on mobile devices everywhere.
Background
To provide a greater service to the Truckee Meadows, KUNR plans to offer premium broadcasts of 24-hour weekday classical music and weekend jazz over the airwaves of 89.5 FM—KNCJ for Nevada Classical and Jazz. A vibrant classical and jazz music station in the Truckee Meadows will provide additional arts and cultural offerings to northern Nevada.
KUNR obtained the dormant FCC license from Truckee Meadows Community College and is now working to fund the startup costs for equipment and engineering for the new music station. Both KUNR and the new station are licensed to the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents.
KUNR: stepping up for our community
Reno-Sparks is a community on the rise, not just economically but culturally. The community’s interests and expectations for arts and culture are higher than ever before—the most visible symbols of which are Artown, Midtown, The Reno Philharmonic and University of Nevada-based performances. How can such a vibrant, culturally advancing community NOT have a radio station serving classical and jazz listeners?
That’s why KUNR plans to launch KNCJ, providing a station that mirrors the community’s commitment to and support of the arts and culture in our region. And because KUNR is applying its nonprofit stewardship model of operating a cost-effective station, the community’s investment will be modest with a significant gain to serve its listeners and elevate the cultural profile of the Truckee Meadows.
Programming plans
KUNR is committed to launch 89.5 in spring 2016. At present, each week KUNR airs 55 hours of classical music—much of it late evening and overnight—with three hours of opera and two hours of jazz. The new station will broadcast primarily classical music and classical programs approximately 135 hours per week, with plans to air the high-quality real-time satellite music service Classical 24 from Public Radio International. Other notes:
- Special classical programs that currently air on KUNR will receive enhanced airtime, including From the Top (which showcases the top young classical musicians each week) and Sunday Baroque (currently airing overnight Sundays).
- Jazz programming, including locally produced broadcasts, will air each weekend.
- Opera will be featured each weekend, including the return of the Metropolitan Opera’s live Saturday broadcasts.
- Listeners will also stay connected with broadcasts of information, calendars and periodic interviews about upcoming events and performances.
- With hourly NPR newscasts, listeners will stay connected to the world while enjoying the music that is not currently available on the Reno-Sparks radio dial.
Service area
The broadcast coverage area will serve primarily Reno-Sparks and the periphery with reception reaching the North Valleys, Spanish Springs and possibly the north edge of Carson City.
KNCJ will stream all programs live over the Internet and mobile devices.
Over time, it is hoped that additional translators can be obtained as funding and the frequencies become available to serve the Lake Tahoe/Truckee region and more of Carson City and the Carson Valley.
The station will be funded through the support of foundations, individual contributors and local business sponsors.
If you have questions about KNCJ, email here.