KOOP (FM)

Infobox Radio station
name = KOOP


city = Hornsby, Texas, USA
area = Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area
branding =
slogan = "Community Radio for Austin, Texas"
airdate =
frequency = 91.7 MHz
format = Community radio
erp = 3,000 watts
haat = 26 meters
class = A
facility_id = 65320
callsign_meaning = Co-op
owner = Texas Educational Community Broadcasting
webcast = [http://koop.org/?page=streaming KOOP Live Feed]
website = http://www.koop.org/

KOOP (91.7 FM) (pronounced 'co-op') is a noncommercial community radio station owned and operated by its members.cite web |url=http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/archive/15music.html |title=Music: Sweet sounds reverberate throughout our city |date=2006-01-18 |last=Gross |first=Joe |work=The Austin American-Statesman |accessdate=2008-09-28] The station broadcasts in Austin, Texas, on 91.7 MHz with a power of 3000 watts, but is licensed to the small unincorporated community of Hornsby, just outside the Austin city limits. The station was assigned the KOOP call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on October 27, 1993.cite web |title=Call Sign History |url=http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=65320&Callsign=KOOP |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database]

The 91.7 frequency is shared with KVRX, the student radio station for The University of Texas at Austin. KOOP, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to the Board of Directors of the Texas Educational Community Broadcasting (d.b.a. Austin Co-op Radio), 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, licensed to The University of Texas, broadcasts during the remaining hours. KOOP streams online during broadcast hours.

Programming format

KOOP's radio format consists of 60 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 Chronicle" from 1992 to 2006. [cite web |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Guides/Location?oid=oid:46853 |title=KOOP 91.7FM |publisher=The Austin Chronicle] In 1994, the station shared the Austin Music Awards honor for "Best Thing To Happen in Austin" with KVRX. [cite web |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicAwards?Year=1994&mode=awards&MPCategory=Related%20Categories |title=1994-95 Austin Music Awards |work=The Austin Chronicle]

Fires

KOOP's building suffered two fires in early 2006. [cite web |url=http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=155136 |title=Artists look for new space after downtown fire |last=Vargas |first=Hermelinda |publisher=News 8 Austin |date=2006-02-05 |accessdate=2008-09-26] The first, on January 6, 2006, brought the radio station down for five days and forced it to begin searching for a new home. Before that search was complete, a second fire, on February 4, 2006, damaged all remaining studio equipment. KVRX broadcast during KOOP's broadcast hours until February 22, 2006, when KOOP began temporarily broadcasting from the studios of KMFA. [cite web |url=http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/Default.asp?vidcart=clear&ArID=165277&SecID=2&addvid=37025 |title=KOOP has big plans for a community radio station |last=Panek |first=Tracey |publisher=News 8 Austin |date=2006-06-26 |accessdate=2008-09-26]

On December 9, 2006, the station began broadcasting from its new facilities on 3823 Airport Blvd. [cite web |url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A429275 |title=Naked City |work=The Austin Chronicle |date=2006-12-15 |accessdate=2008-09-26] KOOP currently operates with all new, state-of-the-art equipment in its main studio and plans to have a second air studio operational by the end of 2007.Updateneed|date=September 2008 Its new location also includes two pre-production rooms and improved office and meeting areas.Fact|date=September 2008 While no longer located in downtown Austin, the new location is considered a huge improvement over the crumbling spaces the station broadcast from during its first 11 years.Who|date=September 2008

KOOP suffered from another fire on January 5, 2008. This fire was intentionally set. [cite news | url=http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2008/01/08/koop_fire_intentionally_set.html |title=KOOP fire intentionally set |work=Austin American-Statesman |date=2008-01-08 |accessdate=2008-09-29] According to an Austin Fire Department representative, a station volunteer is charged with starting the fire. [cite web |url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4211580 |title=Man Sets Station on Fire Over Playlist |publisher=ABC News/Associated Press |date=2007-01-29] The chief arson investigator claims that the station volunteer confessed after taking a polygraph test. [cite news | url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:589135 |title=KOOP Arson: The jazz behind the fire |last=Ward |first=Justin |date=2008-02-08 |accessdate=2008-09-29] The arson investigators also claimed that the arsonist caused two fires after office hours using a copied key. [cite web |url=http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/012808kvueKOOParrest-cb.6854c90e.html |title=KOOP-FM: 'We are shocked' |date=2008-01-28 |last=Tuma |first=Clara |publisher=KVUE |accessdate=2008-09-28] KOOP was off the air for nineteen days before resuming broadcasts using a facility donated by Entercom Communications.cite web |url=http://www.citizinemag.com/texas/0802_koopradio.htm |title=Fire Dept. Says They've Caught KOOP Arsonist |last=White |first=Thom |publisher=Citizine] The station moved back into its permanent studios and resumed broadcasting on the morning of September 26, 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/092508kvue_KOOP_moves_back-cb.af860cad.html |title=KOOP-FM moving back to Airport Blvd. studios |date=2008-09-25 |accessdate=2008-09-26 |publisher=KVUE]

References

External links

* [http://www.koop.org/ KOOP official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/koop917 KOOP at MySpace]
*FMQ|KOOP
*FML|KOOP
*FMARB|KOOP