PORT TOWNSEND — One of the two new Port Townsend radio stations scheduled to hit the airwaves this spring is seeking a slogan that sums up the unique Port Townsend spirit that it intends to include in its broadcasts.
KPTZ 91.9 FM, a community-based radio station, is looking for a slogan to use on announcements, in marketing materials and in advertisements to encourage the public to tune in and listen.
The station has turned the slogan search into a contest and is encouraging anyone with an idea to submit it for consideration.
Since the station is run predominantly by volunteers, the winning entry will get an appropriate prize: a one-day sponsorship where the winner can deliver a 20-second message of his or her choice throughout the day.
This can be a birthday greeting, a plug for a nonprofit or a cheerful message, but it cannot have commercial or political content.
Examples of slogans include the serious — “A World of Music and Ideas” from KBCS Radio in Bellevue,
Another came from an unnamed California radio station: “Coming at you over the airwaves like a giant flying burrito.”
The contest doesn’t have a lot of structure.
It is calling for “something serious and poetic or fun and witty . . . and we may choose multiple taglines if more than one hits the spot.”
The deadline is Friday, Feb. 18, even though the station’s debut date is uncertain.
Program manager Larry Stein said there is no definite on-air date but hopes to begin broadcasting “sometime in the spring.”
This uncertainty has also plagued the area’s second new radio station, KROH 91.1 FM, which plans to broadcast religious programming.
“The FCC gives you three years to construct a station from the time you get a permit, and I always thought that would be more than enough time,” said KROH board Chairman Glenn Gately.
“But it’s been nearly two years since we got our permit, and there is still a lot we have to do.”
Even with these surprises, Gately said, he has no doubt the station will get on the air within the required time and is also shooting for a spring debut.
Gately said the station’s next milestone is the building of its broadcast tower, which he hopes will occur within the next two weeks.
Anyone with a slogan idea for KPTZ should send it to contest@kptz.org or P.O. Box 2091, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
The winner will be announced Tuesday, Feb. 22, on the station’s website, www.kptz.org.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
