PORT TOWNSEND — Set your radio dial.
Port Townsend community radio KPTZ 91.9 FM will go on the air at 8 a.m. Saturday, program coordinator Larry Stein said.
The signal from the 190-foot broadcast tower at the north end of Jacob Miller Road will blanket the east and central Strait of Juan de Fuca region — from Sequim to Whidbey Island — with a diverse mix of music and information.
A kickoff party for the station will be held at the Port Townsend Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., on Saturday from 8 p.m. to midnight.
The suggested donation for the party, which includes live music, food and a no-host bar, is $25.
Donations also can be made at the station’s website, www.kptz.org.
The KPTZ tagline — “eclectic, authentic community radio” — describes the type of programming listeners can expect, Stein said.
The first block of programming will feature music from all over the world and a half-hour literary program called the Bookclubber’s Cafe.
The all-volunteer staff will air original programming from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and repeat the shows from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.
After the initial launch, Stein said, there will be a “sea trial” for volunteers to figure out the day-to-day operations.
Stein and the other volunteers have been working this week to get the studio finished.
Snippets of wire were scattered around the offices Monday.
“Anytime you do a startup, like a restaurant or software company, it’s always a scramble at the end to get the loose ends tied up,” said Stein, who has been involved in public radio since the 1980s.
“This is a very complex networking and wiring project.
“It’s going to be awhile before we’re completely finished with every bit of the functionality at the studio,” Stein said.
The broadcast booth has been soundproofed to eliminate ambient noise or the occasional siren from the police station next door.
The KPTZ 91.9 FM studio is located in an annex building near Mountain View Commons, 1919 Blaine St., Port Townsend.
For more information, visit the website or phone 360-379-6886.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
