Email the Station Manager for other Station business: kcuw@ctuir.com

Want to develop a program for KCUW?

No radio experience is necessary - we will train you!

KCUW welcomes program proposals that entertain, inform and engage the Umatilla Reservation community. We hope KCUW will help facilitate community dialogue and inform citizens of Reservation issues, projects and people.  KCUW seeks to support innovating, inclusive and impartial programming.
Download and fill out our Program Proposal Form

Anyone interested in volunteering at KCUW should contact Debra Croswell, CTUIR Communications Director, by phone at 541-966-2033 or via email at kcuw@ctuir.com or Tara Burnside at 541-966-2035 or via email TaraBurnside@ctuir.com or Jiselle Thompson at 541-966-2542 or via email jiselle@kcuwradio.org.

Memberships

As a new form of community support, KCUW is starting a membership program. We have 3 levels of support.

 
For $10 you can join KCUW as a “One Feather” member
(your gift is a set of portable earphones with KCUW logo). 

For $20 you can support KCUW as a “Two Feathers” member
(your gift is a KCUW t-shirt packaged in boombox shape)

For $50 you will become an elite “Three Feathers” member
(your gift is a unique KCUW radio cooler).

Benefits of being a KCUW Member: In addition to receiving one of our logo gifts, you will be added to our membership email list to receive notices about special events, new programs and other station happenings, and our members will be eligible for our 2009 concert and event ticket giveaways.

Download our membership form or stop by KCUW or the Public Affairs Office to sign up.

We are a non-profit entity and cannot sell advertising as a non-commercial, low power station. We can accept donations, however, from individuals, organizations and businesses. If you would like to donate to KCUW to support our operations, please send your check or money order to KCUW, PO Box 638, Pendleton, OR 97801.

If you are a business and would like to donate, we can recognize you on the air as an underwriter (much like Oregon Public Broadcasting or National Public Radio do for their supporters). See our underwriting agreement information sheet and form, and for more details, contact Debra Croswell at 541-966-2033.

Happy 5th Birthday KCUW!

KCUW celebrates five years on the air with open house Feb. 26, 2009

At KCUW's 5th Birthday Party held in February, KCUW Operations Manager Jiselle Thompson interviews Ronnie Washines and Ryan Craig from KYNR Radio (Yakama Reservation). Washines is president of the Native American Journalists Association.	The Nixyaawii Community School Eagle Boyz Drum performed live at KCUW's 5th Birthday Party. The group is lead by Fred Hill Sr.
The Nixyaawii Community School Eagle Boyz Drum performed live at KCUW's 5th Birthday Party. The group is lead by Fred Hill Sr.	Tribal elder Kathleen Gordon was one of the guest speakers at KCUW's 5th Birthday Party held in February. Gordon is one of the master speakers at the Confederated Umatilla Tribes' Language Program.

Programming

We are a proud
affiliate of
Native Voice One

 

 

Our Program Schedule (quick view version)

Our Program Schedule - printable PDF fileOur Program Schedule is a PDF file, viewable with Adobe Acrobat Reader
(available for free at the Adobe web site)

 

Local Shows

At the Cross
Sunday school show that allows children to hear about Jesus Christ from local Pastor Rod Skeen.

C-Bear Revivals - Cindy Halfmoon
Is a nostalgic rewind of the 60’s thru the 90’s sampling top 40 classics interlaced with hits of the 2 millennium. Feature Fridays spotlight cowboys and Indians, Disco/Funk, Rock, R&B Soul, Latin, soundtrack and a variety of artist. C-Bear also gives local event and public service announcements with emphasis on health and safety to better tribal community.

Classic Rock n’ Soul with Michael
Michael Jackson plays classic rock, blues, blues rock and old school soul. Spanning 3 decades --60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

CUJ Hour with Bill Young
Audio rendition of the award winning Confederated Umatilla Journal

Friday Fix @ 4
DJ Big Wspr - Friday unwind, hip-hop mix show.

Have Your Say community talk show
Weekly talk show that allows community groups and Tribal departments a chance to talk about what they are doing for the community and for others on the reservation to get to know them.

It Takes All Kinds - Tara Burnside
Is a variety music show that plays it all, funk, country, punk, rap, rock, pop and what ever else feels right that day. Also featuring community news, event information and public service announcements.

KCUW Music and News
News, sports, area events and other information provided for the community.  We carry stories from the Northwest News Network (regional) as well as National Native News (national).

Tha Mish Mix with Jiselle
Is an eclectic mixture of music ranging from Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock, Alternative, & classic rock. It’s packed with unparalleled music, public service announcements and information on local events.

Native Jams - Marlene Stevenson
A contemporary Native American music including rock, blues, gospel and alternative.

The Quiet Storm with Daisy
Daisy Minthorn presents a showcase of the best slow jams of yesterday and today.

 

National Shows

American Indian Living
The broadcast encompasses a broad range of health issues, viewed in a holistic context in keeping with traditional Native American perspectives.  The program provides practical material for everyone in Indian Country.  Special attention is given to topics of current interest: e.g., applying traditional First Nation health practices today; Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome as it relates to mistreated people groups; diabetes treatment (as well as preventing diabetes among Native American youth); new hope for addictions; cultivating mental health when faced with difficulties; environmental health; and the value of tribal communities in promoting health.

 

Art of the Song
Art of the Song is a one-hour independently produced radio show with music and interviews exploring inspiration and creativity through songwriting and other art forms. Learn why songwriters and artists create, how they become inspired, and how you can tap into that creative source in every aspect of your life. Art of the Song is not just for songwriters and musicians, as it explores universal truths common to all creative expression. We talk with writers of folk and roots music as well as novelists and visual artists. Our mission is to inspire listeners to find and express their unique creative voices, and to connect and grow the worldwide community of creative people. The show is hosted by performing songwriting duo John & Viv and originates in the Creative Heart of the Land of Enchantment, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

Beale St. Caravan
Beale Street Caravan,® the most widely distributed Blues radio program in the world, attracts more than 2.4 million listeners each week. Produced in The Home of the Blues - Memphis, Tennessee - Beale Street Caravan covers the world with the heartfelt sounds and colorful stories of the Blues and its music makers. Each week, Beale Street Caravan® takes its audience the greatest Blues venues in Memphis and around the US. The world's best Blues artists are featured in intimate performances and recorded the way the Blues were meant to be heard - burning up a stage in front of a Blues-loving audience.

 

Bluegrass Review
The weekly show includes Bluegrass classics as well as the current wave. Commentary links the songs together by reflecting on artists’ styles, song lyrics, or Bluegrass history, as appropriate to the selections. The Bluegrass Review is a music show that includes produced segments and in-depth interviews that adds insiders’ knowledge about Bluegrass music.   

 

 

Calling All Pets – Each week zoologist Trisha McConnell and Larry Meiller team up to help listeners bring out the best in their pets. Your listeners will get down-to-earth advice about pet problems, big and small, and fascinating information about wildlife, too. And they'll howl at Trisha and Larry's off-beat banter!

Classical Guitar Alive!
Classical Guitar Alive! is a unique program that celebrates the classical repertory of the world's most-played musical instrument in a wide variety of musical settings, from solo guitar, to guitar with orchestra, to almost every imaginable combination in between. The one-hour weekly program is hosted by Tony Morris, an award-winning performer who combines his passion for the music with his knowledge of the instrument and its history. The music is presented with fascinating, yet brief, historical/background information designed to increase the listener's enjoyment and understanding.

 

 

 

Earthsongs
Each week, Earthsongs gives Public Radio and Net listeners the chance to explore the Native influences that help shape and define contemporary American music.  Host Shyanne Beatty (Hangwichin Athabascan) provides knowledgeable commentary, weekly artist features and a smart music selection in a way that is unexpected, warm and culturally authentic.

 

Groove Central
Brutus Baez, or Big-B, is the music director of KWSO 91.9 FM in Warm Springs, Ore. He hosts his own mixshow, "Groove Central," which showcases Native hip-hop and R&B artists. Big-B is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. KWSO radio shares Groove Central with KCUW.

 

 

Native America Calling
NAC is a one-hour, live call-in program, bringing listeners together for a thought-provoking national conversation about issues specific to Native communities. Each program engages noted guests and experts with callers throughout the United States and is designed to improve the quality of life for Native Americans.

 

 

 

 

National Native News
As the only daily newscast focusing on issues that impact Native Americans, it covers pressing issues that impact Natives and non-Natives such as, health care, cultural preservation, education and more. The program also commissions reports from Capitol Hill focusing on how Congress impacts Native Americans.

 

 

 

 

Parent’s Journal
The Parent's Journal with Bobbi Conner is an award-winning, national radio series for parents, grandparents, and others who care for and about children. This is not a program that dispenses "quick-fix" solutions on childrearing, but rather a program designed to help parents understand how children develop intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically. TPJ gathers information from renowned child development experts, pediatricians, educators, and child psychologists, as well as from parents.

 

 

 

 

Rezervations with Dawn Karima – The show features lively, insightful discussions with fascinating Native American artists, authors, musicians, educators, media professionals and thinkers.  Each episode features interviews with individuals who are active in media, arts, culture and education.

 

Sounds from the Global Village
A radio show featuring traditional, folkloric, and contemporary music from around the world. You will hear everything from scratchy field recordings made during the early 20th century to the latest fusions of music and culture from around the world.

 

 

Undercurrents - "American Music With A Passport" - A thoughtful yet playful freeform music mix especially well-suited for unattended operations. Based in AAA, the mix includes Rock, Folk, Blues, Reggae, Dub, Electronica, HipHop, World and Roots music, and an excellent selection of contemporary 1st Nations artists.  Host Gregg McVicar (Tlingit) began broadcasting in 1972 in the heyday of freeform radio and dives deep into an expansive music library of favorites and new finds. Old School meets Cool School.

Voices From The Circle - This weekly program highlights Native news, music, issues, entertainment and storytelling from reservations and urban communities.  Co-hosts Jim DeNomie (Bad River Chippewa), Barbara Jersey (Menominee/Potawatomi) and Shadow (Radio Dog) bring you traditional and contemporary Native music, entertainment, storytelling, poetry, pow wow trail information, calendar of events with an emphasis on the Western Great Lakes, Canada and North East.

 

 

 

Wisdom of the Elders - WOTE has produced three series of radio programs in recent years, each one an hour long American Indian cultural magazine programs with various themes. The programs feature tribal elders, historians, storytellers, artists, song carriers and environmentalists from thirteen native nations living along the western side of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

 

 

Women in Music with Laney Goodman
A weekly, one-hour radio series with an eclectic mix of the best music of female artists from around the world.

 

 

 

KCUW is a low power (100 watt), non-commercial radio station broadcasting from the Umatilla Indian Reservation. KCUW is owned by the CTUIR and operated primarily by volunteers, under the leadership of the CTUIR Public Affairs Office.Our Mission

KCUW-LP FM Radio is a project of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The CTUIR sees KCUW-LP FM Radio as a new and creative means of reaching out to, and giving the Umatilla Reservation community a strong and active voice. KCUW-LP FM strives to provide high quality local news, health and lifestyle information, music and entertainment, sports, community events, discussions on issues of local interest, and other programs of interest to the Umatilla Reservation community.

 

Background -- Community Radio

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants licenses to two types of radio stations: commercial and non-commercial. Commercial radio stations are licensed to a group of investors who make money on station profits. Non-commercial radio stations are licensed to a variety of non-profit entities ranging from state agencies to school boards, universities, and community groups. Historically, most non-commercial stations were owned, operated, and financed by educational institutions. But since 1949, when the first Pacifica station was founded, non-commercial licenses have been granted to non-profit corporations of community individuals. These are community radio stations. KCUW-LP is a non-commercial community station.

 

Background -- KCUW-LP FM

In January 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules creating a new, low power FM radio (LPFM) service. Under these rules, small community groups are allowed to reach out via ordinary radio signals to listeners in local areas. In April 2000, the Commission began soliciting for applications from community groups who wished to start stations under these new rules. Applicants were to be non-commercial, local groups.

CTUIR applied for a 100-watt station from the FCC in 2001. A construction permit was issued to the CTUIR on Aug. 6, 2002. The license is held by CTUIR. KCUW-LP FM broadcasts at 104.3 FM (before Feb. 25, 2009 it broadcast at 101.1 FM). The station has 100 watts of effective radiated power (ERP) and broadcasts to the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Pendleton, Oregon. It is a non-profit, non-commercial station, supported by its listeners, underwriters and CTUIR.

The call letters -- KCUW -- represent the three tribes that make up the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation: Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla.As a project of CTUIR, KCUW-LP FM is operated by the CTUIR Public Affairs Office and is supported at a grass roots level with a team of volunteers.

Funding is contributed by businesses, organizations, and individuals throughout the communities we serve.KCUW's startup budget was comprised of funds from the CTUIR, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, and grants from the Oregon Community Foundation and the Wildhorse Foundation.The operating budget will be raised by seeking grants, underwriting donations from businesses, donations by individuals/members, and other funding sources.

Our FCC Construction Permit

Our FCC License

KCUW Volunteers Fred Hill and Lisa Minthorn broadcast the Nixyaawii Community School basketball game at the district tournament in Umatilla, Oregon.

KCUW volunteer Fred Hill interviews a student at the district tournament basketball game.

Thanks to...