New Affiliate, KQRU, Welcome to the Network!

KQRU. One Tough Climb.

Lynne Plambeck and Louis Paparozzi finally have a radio station. After 10 years filled with planning and setbacks, the studio for the newly developed LPFM station is up and running. KQRU, as they are known in Santa Clarita, CA even enjoys kindly rent in an office building where the landlord is a fellow radio enthusiast.  Louis makes jokes about their humble beginning.  “The studio is a table that Lynne donated,” he says. 

In 2018, KQRU fought through great strife to earn its existence.  A week after their first broadcast, the station’s antenna was blown over by the Santa Ana winds.  It was a large setback.  Lynne had been planning for this radio station since 2011.  But as the President of the non-profit that sponsors the radio station (SCOPE), Lynne knew she had people in her corner who were “radio buffs who would not let it go away.”  The trouble was, they only had one year until the license expired, and they had already gotten an extension.  Lynne had been planning for this radio station since 2011.  She is the President of the environmental advocacy non-profit that sponsors the radio station, called SCOPE.  She is also the president of the board for the KQRU.

The station went silent while they tried to fix the antenna.  To make matters worse, while off the air their signal was overrun by commercial radio.  KQRU needed a new site for its antenna.  This is when Lou, who is now the station manager, got involved. 

KQRU. Changing the World From a Garden Shed.

Louis joined Henry Urick (retired from radio/tv), along with the assistance of Google Maps, in hiking for a new site.  They came upon the property of a woman, who noticed them milling about in her driveway.  It seemed to be a good spot for the antenna, and they explained this to the woman.  She was kind enough to allow them to use her land.  Not soon after, Louis went to Lowes and bought a garden shed.  Basically, they were “broadcasting from a garden shed, with an antenna mounted on top, which contained a computer,” says Louis.  It was a week from the deadline when they were back on the air.  August 14, 2019.

Lynne and Louis credit the core group of radio enthusiasts for helping them get off the ground.  “These guys know how to plug in the wires and aim the dishes,” says Louis.  He also considers the fact that they might not be there at all if it weren’t for the woman who talked with two radio men on her driveway that day.

Now Lynne and Louis are excited to get up and running.  They have a platform to share with the creative people in their pocket of the world.  Today Lynne is the president of the station board.  “We really want to be a voice for the community and have local programming as well,” says Lynne.

Today, from the office rental, they are reflecting on how they have moved up from a garden shed.  Louis gives a lot of credit to Lynne for her efforts.  “It costs $50,000 to get a station together and you guys did it for 6 or 7,” he says.

 “We are going to change the world,” Lynne says.