Brief by Jane Carpenter
Media – February 2009 – Colorado Central Magazine
Six years ago, the dreams of a hundred hard-working people came to fruition when KHEN-LP went on the air at 106.9 fm in Salida with 19 new local disc jockeys and some syndicated programs from around the country.
The station was located in refurbished offices off a downtown alley, and when it started, it didn’t have a single computer. Democracy Now! and Alternative Radio were downloaded at various homes and brought to the station, sometimes via bicycle, to be played on weekdays at noon and 6 p.m.
Volunteer disc jockeys brought in music they loved and shared it with all who could pick up the 100 watt station which broadcast from atop a two-story building. The shiny new transmitter was funded by a grant from the Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado.
CD players and amps were scrounged from the basements and closets of folks eager for diverse programming. It was a radio station by and for the people who live and work here.
Now webcasting at www.khen.org and broadcasting from the top of Tenderfoot Hill high above town, KHEN has computers that help run the station 24 hours a day — and the station still holds regular classes in the Art of Community Radio for anyone interested in sharing their talents with the community via the airwaves.
KHEN will celebrate its sixth birthday with an open house, cake, snacks and live music on Sunday, Feb. 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. Everyone is invited.
For more information, check out their website or call 719-539-1069. A programming schedule can be picked up around town or found in this magazine.
