KEWU-FM
| |
Broadcast area | Spokane metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 89.5 MHz |
| Branding | Kool 89.5 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Oldies |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| Operator | Oldies Preservation Society |
| KPKL | |
| History | |
First air date |
|
Former call signs | KEWC (1950-1963)[1] |
Call sign meaning | Eastern Washington University |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 18391 | |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 10,000 watts |
| HAAT | 429 meters (1,407 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 47°34′42.6″N 117°17′53.7″W / 47.578500°N 117.298250°W |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
KEWU-FM (89.5 MHz, Kool 89.5) is a radio station licensed to Cheney, Washington, serving the Spokane metropolitan area. The station is owned by Eastern Washington University (EWU), and operated by the Oldies Preservation Society. It airs an oldies radio format.[3]. KEWU-FM has an effective radiated power of 10,000 watts.
History
The university station went on the air on April 7, 1950, as KEWC, a 10-watt AM station. On November 11, 1963, the station moved to the FM Band as KEWU-FM.[1]
In 1986, the station's transmitting power was increased to 10,000 watts, and its format was changed to jazz. Since then, KEWU had featured more than 150 hours of classic and contemporary jazz weekly, while also expanding its offerings to include related genres, such as Big Band, Latin Jazz, and Blues.
Over the years, the station had received recognition for the quality of its programming. In 2005 and 2015, JazzWeek magazine named KEWU the Best Small Market Jazz station in the U.S., while also honoring program director Elizabeth Farriss as the Best Small Market Jazz Programmer in 2005, 2009, and 2015.[1]
In the summer of 2023, the university announced it would cease operating the station in a process that would ultimately last into 2024, when the sale of the station's license was formally announced with an intended mid-2025 completion. In preparation, the university donated KEWU's music library to Spokane Public Radio.[4] On February 24, 2025, it was announced that an agreement was reached with the Oldies Preservation Society to aquire the station.[5] Oldies Preservation Society began programming the station on October 1, 2025.[3]
References
- ^ a b c Meany, David (August 29, 2023). "KEWU to Sign Off at Year's End". ewu.edu. Eastern Washington University. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KEWU-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b "September 2025 Newsletter". Oldies Preservation Society. September 24, 2025. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
- ^ Fortin, Daniel (December 4, 2024). "Eastern Washington University to sell KEWU Jazz 89.5 FM license". khq.com. KHQ-TV. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ Venta, Lance (February 24, 2025). "Oldies Preservation Society To Acquire KEWU-FM Spokane". Radio Insight. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
External links
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 18391 (KEWU-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KEWU-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- "Oldies Preservation Society".