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Spilyay Tymoo
January 31, 1986
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With the promise of a "happy day, all
day long," 100,000-watt KWSI FM hit the
airwaves January 17 following months
of delays and technical difficulties. The
station's debut was long in coming and
the anticipation was similar to that of a
first-born child when's it going to get
here and what will it be?
KWSI is one of two central Oregon
radio stations offering an "adult con
temporary" format, which is the second
most popular format, next to country and
western, in central Oregon. Listeners are
offered current top 40 hits, hits from the
mid-70s to 1984 and occasional "oldies,"
such as Elvis, Peter, Paul and Mary and
the Beatles. The station plays no hard
rock.
To date, there are seven announcers
on the air. Greg Partin, Ron Michaels,
Sue Matters and Ron Smith work weekdays
while Phillip David, Ken Millerand Delson
Suppah all share weekend air time. Each
has a definite air personality and sound.
While KWSI is off the air Sundays from
midnight to 6 a.m. on Monday, Smith and
engineer Jim Malloy maintain equipment,
either at the tower or at the studio. Once
the engineering duties slow down, Malloy
will have an airshift. David, Miller and
Suppah will move over to the educational
station KWSO when it goes on the air in
April.
Cody White and Steve Walker present
AP, CNN and local news and sports
hroughout the day. Every half hour for
hree-and-one-half-hours beginning at
5:30 a.m., White presents a concise look
at the news. At 7:30 a.m and 4 p.m. Walker
gives timely and exclusive sports updates.
News Beat spots are given on the hour
beginning at 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Cable
News Network News (CNN) headlines
and sports will be presented on weekends
when the satellite is put into place.
Because announcers mention Kah-
Nee-Ta several times in an hour, it is
anticipated that the listeners will be drawn
o the resort, thus increasing business at
Kah-Nee-Ta. Station manager Nat Shaw
stated that KWSI will "add to community
pride, eventually pay for KWSO and is
already offering new careers never before
ebuds after numerous delays
available to tribal members." It is also,
said Shaw, "another news source for
tribal members."
Of course, a commercial station wouldn't
be a station without commercials and
KWSI is no different. The sales team,
numbering three, plus manager John Partin,
has set up shop in downtown Redmond
from which they are working. Tribal
member Billie Jo McConville, David
Newton and Steve Moan have each been
scurrying to gain advertisers. It is of the
utmost importance that the station be
considered a "profit-making commercial
entity" as soon as possible, says Partin.
McConville's sales territory includes
the "north country" including Madras,
Warm Springs, Prineville, Pine Grove and
Maupin while Newton and Moan cover
Bend, Redmond and areas south.
McConville was the first sales repre
sentative to bring in an advertising con
tract. McConville is fairly new to sales,
but has gone through an intensive training
program including a two-day session
held at Kah-Nee-Ta with Darrell Soleberg
from South Dakota.
McConville has at her disposal over
360 potential advertisers. Because the
station was delayed, advertising sales
were hampered, but the overall response
has "been really good. "Charter advertisers
are currently being offered a special,
incentive program which is a package of
advertising at reduced rates.
Due to the nature of FM radio waves,
some areas of central Oregon don't receive ,
KWSI as well as others. To remedy that,
Shaw is proposing that two translators be
installed to boost the frequency into low
lying areas. However, it has been reported
that KWSI is reaching Goldendale,
Washington, Sandy, Salem and Sunriver.
Radio listeners near and far alike now
have a new and very promising FM station
to which to listen. Not only will this, the
Tribe's newest enterprise, aid in presenting
a clear and positive voice for Warm Springs,
it will also, within five years, be totally
self-supporting. What began in 1981 as
an idea is now a reality. And that reality is
sounding better and better with each new
day
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Billie Jo McConville, left, is just one of three sales representatives who works out of the
KWSI sales office located in downtown Redmond. With her is sales manager John Partin.
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Ron Smith not onlv announces but SDends time workina on Dromos i
located at the studios.
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n the production room Announcer Delson Suppah usually works the midnight to 6 shift but recently visited the
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Tina Aguilar, receptionist, coordinates efforts between the I
Text and Photos by Donna Behrend
Ken-Man Miller has developed a cool and laid-back style Steve walker checks the AP wire for the latest news,
unique among KWSI announcers. .
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