PORT TOWNSEND — KPTZ 91.9 FM Radio Port Townsend will celebrate its first anniversary Saturday.
The first broadcast of the community radio station based at Mountain View Commons and staffed entirely by volunteers was May 14 last year.
That was marked with a launch party.
Now, organizers feel it’s time to celebrate again.
The party and fundraiser will be from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Oscar Erickson Building at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4907 Landes St.
Mix and mingle
Local music lovers, fans of the station and their families, disc jockeys and volunteers can mix and mingle for an evening of fun and music, which includes live bands with interludes of tunes spun by listeners’ favorite KPTZ DJs.
There will be a bar, snacks, a dance contest and door prizes.
Tickets are on sale at the Port Townsend Food Co-op, 414 Kearney St., or at the door for a suggested donation of $20. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free.
KPTZ program Director Larry Stein said the station is planning to expand its news and public affairs programming in the coming months.
“We want to fill the time between noon and 1 p.m. and 6 [p.m.] and 7 p.m. with informative local interviews and discussion,” Stein said.
Additionally, Stein points to KPTZ’s expansion of its live performance capability.
This will require some re-engineering of the performance studio. Listener donations will help pay for the upgrade.
KPTZ started an on-air fund drive with special programming and information Tuesday.
The fundraising goal is $15,000.
Proceeds will go toward equipping the studio with air-conditioning to protect the equipment, boosting the signal for better reception and purchasing more professional sound equipment for the live performance studio.
To pledge, visit the website at www.kptz.org or phone 360-554-4430 between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The First Anniversary On-Air Fund Drive will continue through May 5.
For more information, phone 360-379-6886 or visit www.kptz.org.
