PROGRESS: Marking 15th year, KRFY is putting 'community' in local radio

As 88.5 KRFY Panhandle Community Radio moves into its 15th year on the air, the station’s staff, board members and dedicated volunteers are reflecting about what has made this small-town endeavor, that began with conversation among friends over a pint, such a success – and that  has now become such an integral part of our community.

For a nonprofit group to achieve 15 years brings to mind varied accomplishments. The milestone creates a sense of fulfillment and raises a hearty “thanks” to the many, many people that have donated their time, their dollars and their support. It creates a sense of reassurance that what KRFY brings to North Idaho and the community is more than just music or some news clips, but rather an entity that lives its mission to promote vitality, collaboration, participation and education for an informed citizenry.

In the year just past, station manager Suzy Prez has stepped off to retirement after more than a decade at the helm, handing off her position to new station manager Brian Jacobs. He now shares the business side of station operations with longtime program director Jack Peterson.

For Jacobs, coming on board for the KRFY's 15th year brings a special significance.

“Fifteen years means we must keep learning from what got us here, while continuing to look forward,” said Jacobs. “In its current model KRFY is healthy and vibrant but that does not mean that there are not challenges ahead. Although more and more listeners are moving to streaming platforms, satellite radio, and an 'on demand' lifestyle, FM radio still remains relevant and a major resource for listeners in our country.” With that said, he observed, KRFY has its own healthy streaming channel available 24/7 at www.KRFY.org, as well as via Spotify and other platforms – and, the station intends to continue to grow and adapt to the times.

One of the main ways KRFY intends to stay on the radar – and on the airwaves – is by becoming ever more present in the community. A prime goal in 2026 is to create more events where local people can not only tune in and listen, but also come together and join these events live and in living color. After the notable success in December of the third annual “KRFY Holiday Spectacular” spearheaded by Peterson at the Panida Theater, it became evident that getting more involved with the local venues and other organizations and creating events that people can both attend in person or tune into over the air waves is a terrific opportunity to cultivate relationships with new supporters.

Said Jacobs: “The idea is that by meeting and greeting more and more of the community we will make connections with the underwriters and listeners who donate the funding that's critical to keeping us on the air – as well as a new era of volunteers that would like to become broadcasters. The support of both donors and volunteers is what will help us create more and more local programming.”

Here are some of the community-facing events that KRFY will be hosting this year for in-person gatherings as well live broadcast at 88.5 FM and streaming at KRFY.org:

• Little Live Radio Hour: Held every 3rd Tuesday February through November, at The Hive in downtown Sandpoint, from 7–8 p.m., this event features local musicians as well as others from around the Inland Northwest.  

• Candidate forums and community events: KRFY, in collaboration with the Daily Bee, Sandpoint Reader and Sandpoint Online plus the Selkirk Association of Realtors, hosts these important forums for voters to hear from the candidates in upcoming elections. For the May 19 Idaho primary, there will be two forums, both at the SHS audtiorium and broadcast live; on May 4 for candidates for the Idaho Legislature and on May 5 for Bonner County candidates. Additionally KRFY will co-host a forum in October for the general election, and often provides live broadcasts from town halls and community events.

• KRFY Summer Bash: This event is coming June 6 at Matchwood Brewing, 2-6 p.m. with live music, great food and great local brews.

• Fourth Annual Holiday Spectacular: Set for Dec. 12, 7-9 p.m. at the Panida Theater, this two-hour live variety show harkens back to the days when families would gather around the radio for comedy, song, spoken word … and who knows what else!

Finally, Jacobs offered an invitation to all in the community: “For everyone who is interested in being involved in our mission to build a true community radio station – whether as an underwriter or donor or as a volunteer – we would love to hear from you!” 

Tune in to the station at 88.5 FM, or visit www.KRFY.org to stream live and find more information.