View source for KCMP

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=January 2009}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name                = KCMP
| city                = [[Northfield, Minnesota]]
| country             = US
| logo                = KCMP sticker.png
| logo_upright        = .8 
| area                = [[Faribault, Minnesota|Faribault]]–[[Northfield, Minnesota]]
| frequency           = {{Frequency|89.3|[[MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| branding            = ''89.3 The Current''
| language            = [[American English|English]]
| format              = [[Adult Album Alternative]]; [[Public radio]]
| subchannels         = HD2: Carbon Sound
| affiliations        = [[Minnesota Public Radio|MPR]], [[NPR]]
| owner               = [[Minnesota Public Radio]]
| sister_stations     = {{hlist|[[KNOW]]|[[KSJN]]}}
| airdate             = {{start date and age|1968}}
| former_callsigns    = WCAL-FM (1968–2005)
| callsign_meaning    = <!--do not apply special formatting-->Current Minnesota Public radio
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| facility_id         = 62162
| class               = C1
| erp                 = 100,000 watts
| haat                = {{convert|234|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| repeater            = {{ubl|[[KPCC (radio station)|KPCC-HD2]]|[[Pasadena, California]]|[[KMSE]]|[[Rochester, Minnesota]]|[[KZIO]]|[[Duluth, Minnesota]]}}
| webcast             = 
| website             = {{URL|https://www.thecurrent.org/}}
}}
'''KCMP''' (89.3 [[FM band|FM]], ''89.3 the Current'') is a radio station owned by [[Minnesota Public Radio]] (MPR) that broadcasts an [[adult album alternative]] (AAA) music format including a significant rotation of songs by local artists. Licensed to [[Northfield, Minnesota]], and covering the Minneapolis-St. Paul market, the station's studios are located at the MPR Broadcast Center on Cedar Street in [[downtown St. Paul]], while its transmitter is located atop the Vermillion Highlands near [[Coates, Minnesota|Coates]]. The Current is also broadcast on stations in Rochester, Duluth-Superior, Pasadena-Los Angeles, translators around Minnesota, and online.

The Current, which has been broadcasting its AAA format since 2004, debuted after MPR purchased WCAL-FM, the radio station of [[St. Olaf College]] in Northfield, in 2004.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gage |first1=Amy |title=St. Olaf College reaches agreement to sell WCAL to Minnesota Public Radio |url=https://www.stolaf.edu/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsDetails&id=2438 |website=St. Olaf College News}}</ref> St. Olaf had put WCAL-FM on the air in 1968 as an extension of [[WCAL (Minnesota)|WCAL]], a part-time AM station established in 1922 and eventually shut down in 1991.

==Format==
[[File:BillDeVille.jpg|thumb|Bill DeVille wearing a shirt for the Current]]
The modern "third service" for MPR (the organization already operates "news and information" and classical music networks) programs a wide range of music. The KCMP "anti-format" was announced in December 2004, along with the station's new program director Steve Nelson and music director Thorn Skroch.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.citypages.com/2005-03-02/news/a-real-rock-n-roll-radio-station-for-your-pledge-of-just-10-a-month/2|title=A Real Rock 'n' Roll Radio Station... for Your Pledge of Just $10 a Month?|date=March 2, 2005|publisher=City Pages|access-date=March 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402164028/http://www.citypages.com/2005-03-02/news/a-real-rock-n-roll-radio-station-for-your-pledge-of-just-10-a-month/2/|archive-date=April 2, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> KCMP is modeled on noncommercial alternative stations established earlier, including [[KEXP]] (Seattle),<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Gene|title=Tiny Seattle station emerges as leading force in indie radio|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2005-10-16-kexp-radio_x.htm|access-date=June 22, 2016|work=USA Today|date=October 16, 2005}}</ref> [[KCRW]] (Los Angeles), the pioneering [[WXPN]] (Philadelphia),<ref>{{cite web|last1=Barton|first1=Jack|title=NON-COMM Strategies With WXPN PD Bruce Warren|url=http://fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1695344|publisher=FMBQ|access-date=November 2, 2016|date=February 12, 2010}}</ref>

==History==
===St. Olaf Era===
The station which would later become 89.3 FM began with [[physics]] experiments in 1918 when five students and a professor built a small radio transmitter at [[St. Olaf College]], which used a wire [[antenna (radio)|antenna]] strung between the campus chapel and the college's "Old Main" (the tallest nearby building). The college was issued a "Technical and Training School" license with the call sign '''9YAJ''' for the experimental operations,<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221816&view=1up&seq=545 "New Stations: Special Land Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', June 1, 1921, page 3. The leading "9" in 9YAJ's call sign indicated that the station was located in the ninth Radio Inspection District, while the "Y" signified that it was operating under a "Technical and Training School" license.</ref> which was picked up as far away as New Zealand.<ref>"American Amateurs Heard in New Zealand", ''Radio News'', June 1923, page 2104.</ref> On May 6, 1922, the college was granted a broadcasting station license with the call sign [[WCAL (Minnesota)|WCAL]]. It would broadcast two programs per week during the school year at 770&nbsp;kc. in the [[AM band]]. One notable achievement by the station in the next few years was the broadcast of [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[As You Like It]]'', apparently the first time a play had been broadcast on radio.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shannon |first1=Ed |title=Column: Solving the mystery of WCAL |url=https://www.albertleatribune.com/2001/04/column-solving-the-mystery-of-wcal/ |website=Albert Lea Tribune|date=April 13, 2001 }}</ref>

In 1924, a financial crunch meant that the station might be forced to close down. The St. Olaf senior class and local newspaper, The Northfield News, campaigned for donations. Money came in from across [[Minnesota]] and several nearby states. This made WCAL the first listener-supported station in the United States. From 1928-circa 1954, WCAL was entirely listener-supported and received no direct financial support from St. Olaf College. In 1949, the station's card file held the names and addresses of over 60,000 donors. The station's AM signal was heard as far as the western United States, Mexico, Florida, Alaska and Canada.

WCAL first experimented with FM broadcasts in 1948.<ref name="davidgleason.com"/> Broadcasts on 89.3 FM were officially launched on October 1, 1967<ref name="davidgleason.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1968/B%201%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201968.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=February 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206020436/http://www.davidgleason.com/Archive%20BC-YB/1968/B%201%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201968.pdf |archive-date=February 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as a sister to the established AM, which was one of the first radio stations in the state. A few years later in 1971, WCAL became one of 90 founding members of [[National Public Radio]] organized by the [[Corporation for Public Broadcasting]]. WCAL-FM was operated by St. Olaf for over 37 years and was known as "Classical 89.3" later in its history, playing what many considered to be "alternative" [[classical music]] along with a variety of [[religion|sacred]] music and religious programming.

Twenty-four-hour broadcasts began in 1984, and a new 100-kilowatt transmitter went on-air in 1991, meaning that the station could be picked up across most of the Twin Cities region (Northfield is on the southern edge of the area). The transmitter was placed on land owned by the [[University of Minnesota]] in exchange for WCAL turning over its time-share hours on 770&nbsp;kHz, which had been shared with [[KUOM]] for many years.  Because 770&nbsp;kHz is an FCC-defined [[clear-channel]] frequency occupied by full-time station [[WABC (AM)|WABC]] in New York City, it could not be used by other stations at night; as daytime-only stations, WCAL and KUOM each broadcast an average of about six hours per day. The shutdown of WCAL allowed KUOM to broadcast the maximum amount of time allowed by the license.

WCAL's [[radio format]] focused on [[European classical music]] [[radio programming]] and related musical genres. The "Christmas at St. Olaf" program was one of several annual events that were broadcast by the station. Over the years, the station regularly broadcast [[religious broadcasting|religious]] services, and expanded them into a number of different languages. Another first that WCAL takes credit for is the first play-by-play broadcast of a sporting event. The station eventually became affiliated with [[AMPERS]], the [[independent radio|independent]] [[public radio]] network in Minnesota.

===Sale of WCAL===
On August 11, 2004, St. Olaf College announced that it had decided to sell WCAL to enhance the institution's [[Financial endowment|endowment]]. At least eleven offers were reportedly received, but apparently only two were presented to the Board of Regents, including one from California-based [[EMF Broadcasting]], a non-commercial religious broadcaster which originates the [[K-Love]] network.

St. Olaf announced in August that it had decided to sell WCAL to Minnesota Public Radio.  MPR had made a bid for WCAL as early as 1971, shortly after NPR's formation. The station was now even more attractive to MPR, as it was the most powerful noncommercial signal in the state that wasn't a part of the MPR network. This prompted the formation of a group known as SaveWCAL that attempted to halt the sale to MPR. SaveWCAL argued that the station was a charitable trust held by St. Olaf, and the college should have at least asked a judge for permission to dissolve the trust before selling it to MPR. These efforts were unsuccessful.

The sale agreement for WCAL/KMSE was finalized by St. Olaf College and Minnesota Public Radio on Friday, November 19, 2004. The station ceased broadcasting from its Northfield studios at 10 p.m. two days later, and began [[simulcast]]ing Minnesota Public Radio's classical music stream. The two-day delay allowed for final broadcasts of Sunday religious services. A few WCAL employees were hired by MPR and some changes were made to MPR's classical music service in an attempt to appeal to former WCAL listeners. On February 1, 2005, the WCAL call sign was sold by MPR to the student-run [[college radio]] [[WCAL|station]] of California University of Pennsylvania.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205134248/http://wcal.cup.edu/] [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=63559]

Continued activism from SaveWCAL, however, resulted in a state district court judge characterizing the transaction [http://minnesotaindependent.com/view/donors-group-demands] as an illegal sale of a charitable trust by an irresponsible trustee [https://web.archive.org/web/20080617010607/http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2008/06/judge_in_wcal_c.php]. SaveWCAL has since requested that the [[Minnesota Attorney General]]'s office declare the sale void [https://web.archive.org/web/20090422005520/http://savewcal.net/2008/06/12/savewcal-demands-ag-enforce-minnesota-law/] and filed a Petition To Redress Breach of Trust [https://web.archive.org/web/20081021120051/http://savewcal.net/2008/09/25/savewcal-files-petition-redress-breach-trust/] in Rice County District Court on September 24, 2008. However, in 2009, another court ruled that SaveWCAL had waited too long to go to court.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101012213503/http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2009/12/appeals_court_r.php]

===The Current===
MPR launched the new format at 9 a.m. on January 24, 2005, changing the [[call sign]] in the process. "Say Shh", by the Minneapolis-based [[hip-hop]] group [[Atmosphere (hip hop group)|Atmosphere]], was the first song to air under the KCMP banner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/cftp-thecurrent-2005-01-24|title=Crap from the Past - Bonus: 89.3 FM/Minneapolis flips from WCAL (Classical) to KCMP (The Current), January 24, 2005|date=January 24, 2005}}</ref> The station had an immediate impact, and after just three months, was voted "Best Radio Station" by readers<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citypages.com/bestof/2005/award/best-radio-station-3009/|title=BEST RADIO STATION Minneapolis 2005 – KFAI|date=March 31, 2007|work=citypages.com|access-date=August 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216031316/http://www.citypages.com/bestof/2005/award/best-radio-station-3009/|archive-date=December 16, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> of the local ''[[City Pages]]'' [[alternative weekly]] newspaper.  However, a March 2008 ''City Pages'' article criticized the Current for repetitious programming and losing touch with the format that endeared listeners during its first two years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citypages.com/2008-03-26/news/the-current-shrinks-its-playlist/full/|title=The Current shrinks its playlist|author=Matt Snyders|date=March 25, 2008|work=citypages.com|access-date=August 21, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131013821/http://www.citypages.com/2008-03-26/news/the-current-shrinks-its-playlist/full|archive-date=January 31, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==HD Radio and Web Streaming==
KCMP is licensed by the [[FCC]] to broadcast in the [[HD Radio]] format.<ref>https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=16 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111081609/http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=16 |date=January 11, 2017 }} HD Radio Guide for Minneapolis-St. Paul</ref>

The Current operates several other music services, including "Purple Current", which offers music inspired by [[Prince (musician)|Prince]] and music that likely inspired him; The Siren (women's music and content); Local Current, focusing on Minnesota-made music; Radio Heartland (Americana and roots music); and Rock The Cradle, a children's music stream.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Current |url=https://www.thecurrent.org/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=MPR/The Current |language=en-US}}</ref> On June 16, 2022, the Current debuted another streaming service, "Carbon Sound", focusing on black music including hip-hop, R&B, afrobeat, and related genres. The new service streams online and is available on the HD 2 subchannel of KCMP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minnesota Public Radio Launches The Carbon Sound |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/228963/minnesota-public-radio-launches-the-carbon-sound/ |access-date=June 16, 2022 |website=RadioInsight |date=June 16, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Notable presenters==
* [[Mary Lucia]]
* [[Steve Seel]]
* [[Mark Wheat]] (January 2005 – June 2, 2020)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecurrent.org/feature/2020/06/02/mark-wheat-says-goodbye-to-the-current|first1=Mark|last1=Wheat|first2=David|last2=Dafar|title=Mark Wheat says goodbye to The Current|website=thecurrent.org|access-date=June 11, 2020}}</ref>

==Broadcast reach==
The Current is heard on 89.3 FM in the [[Twin Cities]] metro area, reaching into western [[Wisconsin]]. The service is also heard on 88.7 FM [[KMSE]] in [[Rochester, Minnesota|Rochester]] and in [[Duluth]] on [[KZIO]] at 104.3&nbsp;MHz and 94.1&nbsp;MHz. In addition, it is carried on an APM-managed station, [[KPCC (radio station)|KPCC]] in [[Pasadena, California]] via an [[HD Radio]] subchannel of that station. Additional translators have been periodically added in other cities. The Current's programming originates from St. Paul; the other stations break away during one-minute windows throughout the day for local underwriting and weather, along with legal IDs at the top of each hour. KZIO has a small amount of locally-originated content.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Simulcast stations
! [[Call signs in North America|Call sign]]
! data-sort-type="number" | [[Frequency]]
! [[City of license]]
! data-sort-type="number" | [[Effective radiated power|ERP]]<br />W
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| {{rh}} | [[KMSE]] || 88.7 FM || [[Rochester, Minnesota]] || 850 ||
|-
| {{rh}} | [[KNSR]] || 88.9 FM [[HD Radio|HD-2]]|| [[Collegeville, Minnesota]] || 100,000 || On HD2 subchannel
|-
| {{rh}} | [[KPCC (FM)|KPCC]] || 89.3 FM [[HD Radio|HD-2]]|| [[Pasadena, California]] || 600 || On HD2 subchannel
|-
| {{rh}} | [[KZIO]] || 104.3 FM || [[Two Harbors, Minnesota]] || 50,000||
|-
| {{rh}} | [[KGAC]] || 91.5 FM [[HD Radio|HD-2]] || [[St. Peter, Minnesota]] || 8,500 || On HD2 subchannel
|}

{{RadioTranslators
| callsign = The Current
| call1        = K228XN
| city1        = St. Peter, Minnesota
| freq1        = 93.5
| watts1       = 60

| call2        = K237ET
| city2        = New Ulm, Minnesota
| freq2        = 95.3
| watts2       = 250

| call3        = K280EF 
| city3        = Austin, Minnesota
| freq3        = 103.9
| watts3       = 9

| call4        = K286AW
| city4        = Mankato, Minnesota
| freq4        = 105.1
| watts4       = 10

| call5        = W248AS
| city5        = Hinckley, Minnesota
| freq5        = 97.5
| watts5       = 55
| fid1        = 143176
| fid2        = 152814
| fid3        = 42931
| fid4        = 150348
| fid5        = 141828
}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* (2002). 80 Years of WCAL: Did five physics students imagine ''this''? WCAL. Retrieved November 20, 2004.
* (December 16, 2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20050120022112/http://access.minnesota.publicradio.org/press_releases/releases/20041216_wcallaunch.php Minnesota Public Radio to Launch New Music Station in the Twin Cities.] Press release, Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved December 16, 2004.
* Deborah Caulfield Rybak (December 16, 2004). A different beat for WCAL's successor. ''[[Star Tribune]]''. Retrieved December 16, 2004.
* (January 21, 2005). [http://access.minnesota.publicradio.org/press_releases/releases/20050121_893launch.php The Twin Cities' Newest Radio Station — 89.3 The Current — Takes to the Air at 9 a.m., Monday, January 24 ] (press release). Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved January 21, 2005.
* Amy Carlson Gustafson (January 21, 2005). KCMP goes on the air Monday. ''[[Saint Paul Pioneer Press]]''. Retrieved January 21, 2005.
* Jeff Miller, editor (December 30, 2004). [http://members.aol.com/jeff560/chrono1.html A Chronology of AM Radio Broadcasting 1900–1960.] History of American Broadcasting. Retrieved January 21, 2005.
* {{cite news |first=Matt |last=Snyders |work=City Pages |title=The Current shrinks its playlist; Slogan aside, 89.3 limits its list of songs |url=http://www.citypages.com/news/the-current-shrinks-its-playlist-6684298 |date=March 25, 2008}}
{{Refend}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{officialwebsite|https://www.thecurrent.org/}}
{{FM station data|62162|KCMP}}

==Further reading==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051124165650/http://minnewiki.publicradio.org/index.php/Minnewiki_Home Minniwiki-The MN Music Wiki]
* [https://archive.today/20080929053217/http://savewcal.net/ SaveWCAL: The story of the first listener supported radio station in the USA: weblog of a group opposed to St. Olaf College's selling of the WCAL charitable trust assets]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100610041025/http://fusion.stolaf.edu/naha/ Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) – search "WCAL" collection of historical files related to WCAL (list of documents only; records are not online)]
* [http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/stolaf?q=WCAL&image.x=0&image.y=0&hq=inurl:www.naha.stolaf.edu Norwegian-American Historical Association (NAHA) collection of historical files related to WCAL (list of documents only; records are not online)]

{{Minneapolis-St. Paul Radio}}
{{Minnesota Public Radio}}
{{NPR Minnesota}}
{{Northfield, Minnesota}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|44.689|N|93.073|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}

[[Category:1968 establishments in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Adult album alternative radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Minnesota Public Radio]]
[[Category:NPR member stations]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1968]]
[[Category:Radio stations in Minnesota]]