(Originally posted October 2019) — It is well documented that KNHC went on the air as a very low power AM station, broadcasting with 100 milliwatts on 1210 kHz, in December 1969. It turns out that this low power AM station has a history of its own that began several years earlier that QZVX readers might enjoy.
Back in those innocent pre-internet days of 1967, I actually sent a letter to the FCC asking about rules pertaining to my station. I am including a picture of the response I received from the FCC.
During my senior year at Nathan Hale High School, KFUN gained some notoriety when the school newspaper, The Sentinel, ran a story about my extracurricular activity. During electronics class I worked as a student assistant to Mr. Larry Adams, Nathan Hale’s electronics instructor, who had the idea of starting an FM educational station. Knowing that getting an FM license would take some time, and being aware of my home station, Mr. Adams asked if I would move KFUN to the school and rename it KNH. I agreed of course, since it meant I’d then be able to play around with the radio station during school hours.
KNH immediately had a schedule of student announcers on the air. The following school year Seattle Public Schools received its FM license for KNHC 89.5. Even though I had already graduated (class of 1970), Mr. Adams invited me to return to do a show just for fun on KNHC which I appreciated.
I am also including an article about KNH that appeared in the Northgate Journal in January, 1970.
Do you know if Larry Adams is still alive? I graduated from Nathan Hale in 1974, and we are preparing for our 50th reunion later this year. We are trying to find status for all the staff. I appreciate your help!
I graduated from NHHS in 1974, and we are preparing for our 50th reunion next year. I am trying to find out the status of the staff that were at Hale that year. Can you tell me if Larry Adams is still alive? I am having a hard time finding anything about him for the last several years. Thank you for your help with this.
I graduated in 77. How is Mr Larry Adams. I think about him everyday.
Hey Sam, just tripped over this on the net. We used to hang out together, although I was not a senior. I too was at the station and was able to spend a couple years at KIRO Radio, thanks for a position Mr. A was able to get. Your code name on the CB radio side of things was “Potted Plant”. Good times back then, simple life. I went on to KBIQ FM, KGDN AM and lastly KISW FM, sitting across the hall from KJR AM. Fun bits on the air with Emperor Smith. Fun compared to the FM side that was not truly discovered until later. Some considered it to be underground radio. Had some wonderful experiences in broadcast and miss the easy days of living.
Sam, just found this article and it brought memories of my time with KNHC and Mr Adams from 1969-71. I was the station manager 1970-71 and would like to hear from you to chat about those times!
Steve Koski
Just added history this station has had on so many of us. Glad to see Eric’s Heroes/KOMO TV grab time to expose this great Icon of Seattle and the Northwest. I too had a one day radio project when in High School (Nathan Hale only place we could pull it off). I was asked to be part of a Student Panel to discuss/interview the current Seattle School Superintendant and Board members on current issues in the late 70s (a first at KNHC). That one day was another key ingredient among few in figuring out how to find a path in radio that I have now followed 42 years!
Mark Christopher-KOMO Newsradio/Talk Radio 570 KVI
Sam, when you and Larry Adams launched KNH at Nathan Hale, I was a ninth-grader across the street at Jane Addams Junior High and was involved with the school paper, the Addams Apple. I was very intrigued that Nathan Hale actually had its own radio station, so I went across the street and interviewed Mr. Adams and wrote a story about KNH for our school paper. The following year was my sophomore year at Hale, where I ran cross-country for Coach Brock Hogle and graduated in 1973. Wish I still had a copy of the story so that I could post it here, but after all, it has been a half-century…:-)
Great story, Sam! I was attending Queen Anne High in the early 70’s and was so jealous of students at Hale because they could work on KNHC. When we worked together I don’t think I knew of your history with KNHC.
Hi Sam,
KNHC FM is turning 50 years old this month. We’d like to talk with you about the very early days. Could you email me? david at c895.org
Regards,
David Shield
KNHC class of ’74
Member of the Board of Directors
Hello. I attended Edmonds Senior High School from the fall of 1968 to Spring of 1971. During my senior year, 70-71 we build a micro-power FM station with the help of our electronics instructor Mr. Carroll Clark. With scrounged hi-fi equipment, home built a mixer and used a unique FM wireless module from Radio Shack. Our xmtr was placed on the roof of the shop building with a wire about cut to the frequency, which after 50 years I don’t recall. “KESH” covered what we thought was just around campus. Oophs, not! About 2 miles south is the Crista Campus and the home of the old KGDN/KBIQ.
The “Q” engineer and an FCC inspector heard our signal from there. The inspector visited and shut us down. He was very polite and was surprised about our coverage. We did not get into trouble, thank goodness. We set up a carrier current AM after that incident.
I remember Sam walking around the block where he lived with his transistor radio checking the distance of his broadcast signal during the summer of 1969. A few months later I was on the microphone of KNH during my sophomore year at Hale. I enjoyed working on KNHC until I graduated in 1972.