It was more money than KSPS Public Television raises from listeners in a year. Most amazingly, most of the KPBX board wanted to remain a community licencee, without the protection of a large public institution. A community service would ideally mean free reign in program content, since no one hand holds the pursestrings. We wanted to maintain independence, keep it a true community station, Schoengold says. Spokane was, and is, very white-bread.
People still aren t exposed to other cultures very often.
KPBX was to be a home for the people, not for the intelligencia. We were trying to build a radio station that was a resource to the community. The Spokane Public Broadcasting Association members of the board struggled with the grants, technical details about equipment, smoothing out challenges. The plans took solid form when the board hired Marvin Granger as the general manager and program director in early 1979. A couple of volunteers were also utilized.