New KCLU Radio Station launches in Santa Ynez Valley
SOLVANG, Calif. – Anyone living in or driving through the Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc, Highway 10, 154 and 246 can now dial into the new KSYV radio station on 96.7 FM.
"The Santa Ynez Valley is beautiful, but it's really hilly. So we really wanted a station that would provide a clear signal. And this is exactly what the region's been waiting for" said Mary Olsen with KCLU.
A kick-off ceremony was held Hotel Corque in Solvang on Tuesday.
The channel was recently donated to KCLU from Knight Broadcasting, a family owned station.
"When we came to have to decide what to do with the stations after he passed, and we knew that, you know, NPR and KCLU had been working in the community for years and years already. It just really seemed like a no brainer to just help make that connection, to make sure that 96.7 lives on and continues to serve the community" said Carson Knight from the Knight Broadcasting Family.
The non-commercial station offers news, weather and traffic.
"You're going to be able to hear breaking news and so many stations don't have news teams exclusively focus on local news" said Olsen.
KCLU services radio across Ventura, Santa Barbara and Southern San Luis Obispo Counties.
"We're really seeing how hard it is for local news media to get by and to be self-supporting and to keep providing news that is catered to and specific to a small community like the Santa Ynez Valley. It is so important to have people that really care and that really want to continue providing that news, because it's not an easy thing to do by any means. They could go do something else that's far more profitable, but instead they're here serving the community" said Carson Knight.
You can also listen online at kclu.org
