Happy New Year

Let me first thank everyone for making 2010 an awesome year here at KMXT. It is a privilege and an honor for me to get to participate in this station, and I really can't say enough about the positive role I believe KMXT plays in the Kodiak community. I'm certainly looking forward to all 2011 has in store for the volunteers, the station and the community!
It was suggested to me several years ago that in lieu of making resolutions for the new year, a more affirmative alternative is to look back on the coming year as though it were New Year's Eve of the following year. So I'm jumping ahead to December 31, 2011 and reflecting on what a good 2011 we had.
KMXT's Volunteers came out swinging in 2011!
From day one of this year, the On-Air Volunteers were in top form. We trained a record number of new volunteers this year, and got lots of additional production training for veterans. We're solidly into producing awesome local programs for HD-2 and HD-3, and KMXT 100.1 FM is thriving with stronger-than-ever shows. We even had a music show get picked up nationally! Well played!

KMXT's 35th Year one for the record books!
Building on the momentum of our Fall/Winter 2010 Membership drive, KMXT's fund raising efforts in 2011 have been the best we've ever seen. More segments of the community are taking pride and ownership in KMXT, and every day this year brought new ways of meeting our mission:
...to educate, entertain, enlighten and empower the public; to foster a deeper understanding of events, ideas and cultures in a fair and responsible manner; to provide a communications and emergency link; and to encourage public participation in this mission...
Thanks to everyone for participating!
The historic programming during the year was excellent. It was super cool to hear snippets from our history as a station as well as our history as a community.
We had top-billed entertainers stop by the station and perform live, in addition to their shows in town. Pam's tour with Lindsey Buckingham was a smashing success!
KMXT's News team at the top of their game!
The KMXT News Team continues to be unstoppable. Jay, Jacob, and Maggie received many accolades and awards from their fellow broadcasters and national news organizations, not to mention Jay's Nobel Peace Prize and Jacob's Nobel Prize for Chemistry. And we get to hear them every day! The Alaska Fisheries Report celebrated its 25th year and continues to be a bright spot on radio stations across the state! And who could forget the news of the year, Jock-of-the-Rock won a Peabody Award! Well done guys!
Infinite thanks to YOU for making 2011 our best year yet!
This station doesn't happen without you. Thank you for all you do! Here's to a great 2012!


When you look back on this coming year, what do you see yourself and the station having accomplished? Post your thoughts in the comments below. Happy New Year!

This is the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Greetings to you wonderful volunteers and readers of the volunteer blog.
Glancing down at the date of the previous entry to this blog, I notice it's been a few weeks. So here goes, getting back on track.
I'm still hearing about what a great fund drive we had, and how much people enjoyed folks' "Pick 5" songs. And thanks cannot be given enough to each person who supported us and continues to support public radio in Kodiak!
December has always been an important and enjoyable month for me. As I stated before, I love Christmas and the music that comes with that. That's been the case since childhood. More recently, however, my wife and I began our courtship in December several years ago, we were married in December, my nephew (the first of the immediate family) was born in December, and now 2 more birthdays are added. On December 12, my wife gave birth to our first two children. Aldous James and Ivy Adele were born at 8:31 and 8:32 a.m. respectively, a few weeks early, but healthy as can be. They went home together 2 days later. Many thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff at PKIMC for taking such good care of Heather, Aldous, and Ivy. So that's where my focus has been the last 2 weeks. This experience has been a vivid example of how supportive and awesome this Kodiak community is. Thanks to everyone for everything!
Many thanks to Mike, Pam, Jay, Fred, Jacob, Maggie, and you, volunteer, for picking up my slack here at the station while I was gone. I'm glad to be back at my desk and looking forward to working with you to meet your goals as a volunteer. There's now a KMXT Volunteer Twitter feed (@KMXTVolunteers), so click on over and follow for short and sweet volunteer updates.

Happy Holidays to you and your friends and family!

Matthew T

Membership Drive Redux

Wow!

That's about sums it up. This week was all kinds of fun and the pace was at times hectic. If you haven't checked out our Facebook page in the recent past (i.e. the last 7 days) do that now. There you'll find photos of all the folks who participated in our Pick 5, as well as their song list. Stay tuned to our website, all of the Pick 5 interviews will be put up there soon. This couldn't have been possible without our volunteers and the support of our listeners. I think we all heard some songs we haven't heard in a while (or ever), and it was a nice glimpse into the psyche of the Pickers.

December is shaping up to be a busy month! I suppose that's no surprise. Skate with Santa is coming up on Saturday, December 18, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Baranof Ice Rink. Ron and Sally will once again be spinning some holiday tunes for your skating pleasure. I'm looking forward to it. Tell your friends, and have them bring their children. Let's make this the most well-attended Skate with Santa yet!

Matthew T

December 1

Welcome December!
Seems like just yesterday it was November. I'm one of those people that love this time of year. I always have. Around the Martens household, in Pasadena, Texas in the 1980s, there was a rule that no holiday music could be played until Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure my mom would have started playing the Carpenters Christmas albums around Halloween otherwise. So there's a special place in my heart for holiday music. The album that seems to have always started our season was Light of the Stable by Emmylou Harris.

As young children, my brother, sister, and I thought the cover was odd, but then we'd hear the pop and scratch of the needle settling into the groove, and that familiar tune of the first song on Side A: "Christmas Time's a Comin'" would flood our senses. This album  and this song in particular have stayed at the forefront of my holiday music selection as I've progressed into adulthood. I bought the cd, and it had 3 additional tracks! Sweet.

Speaking of holiday music, it's beginning to trickle in here at the station. You can find it on the new music shelf in the studio, on the lower left corner. You'll know it by the red & green tape on the cds, and the little sign above it. :)

How about this Pick 5 train? The station has been a busy place, with lots of people coming in and going out, and meeting and mixing in the lobby. It's quite the example of "Getting to know KMXT" and how KMXT keeps us all connected. Wow! Folks have been donating their money to support what happens here, and we crossed the halfway point sometime yesterday! Our phone and on-air volunteers are donating that most valuable of resources: their time! Many thanks to you all for your continued investment in KMXT. Without you, this radio station doesn't happen! Keep up the good work, and here's to a happy holiday season!

Matthew T

First Day of the Winter Membership Drive

It's been quite active around the station today! 

Many thanks to all who have pledged today, in addition to all of the members who took advantage of the early pledge option. Congratulations to Peggy & Chuck Morris who won the 20,000 Alaska Airlines miles drawing for early pledgers. Be sure to pledge and pay to get into the 60,000 Alaska Airlines miles drawing that takes place after the membership drive wraps up.
There have been lots of fun and interesting "Pick 5" songs today. It's always interesting to hear what songs mean something to other folks around town. We've heard tunes ranging from Hank Williams to Nine Inch Nails. It is a truly eclectic group of folks who support your local public radio station. Including our excellent volunteers! Thank you for your continued dedication and support! Keep listening!
Matthew T

Space Age Pop Big Band

Just received this album here at the station. Hope to hear it in a Spotlight soon, or maybe on another show. The debut album in Mr. Ho's Exotica for Modern Living album series. Stop by and take a listen.

Happy Thanksgiving

Here we are, and it's the Wednesday preceding Thanksgiving. My hopes are that each volunteer has a most enjoyable Thanksgiving day. We're here at the station all day today, so stop on by and say hello. I look forward to putting a face with each name on the volunteer list. There are still plenty of spots available for phone volunteers next week. Answering the pledge phones is a fun way to get to talk to some fellow supporters of local public radio! Good times!
I grew up in Houston, Texas, and it was a public radio station there that I first heard Arlo Guthrie's epic "Alice's Restaurant". It was played in its entirety on Thanksgiving day. Thus began the Martens family's yearly listening to "Alice's Restaurant." And what to my wondering ears should appear... tomorrow afternoon on KMXT, we're broadcasting In Search of a Song, and Arlo Guthrie is a guest. He's also riding a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow. So for a song that mentions the Thanksgiving holiday in passing, Arlo Guthrie has become a Thanksgiving institution. I don't mind. My dad and brother went to see Arlo Guthrie & Family in Houston and said it was one of the best shows they've seen. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and don't litter.

Matthew T

Thank you to KMXT’s 2010

Run the Rock Sponsors

Marathon Level

* Mack’s Sport Shop

* A Balanced Approach * Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center

* Kodiak Community Health Center * Kodiak Print Master

Half Marathon Level

* Kings Diner, Inc. * Creighton Chiropractic

10-K Level

* KANA * Kodiak Daily Mirror

5-K Level

* Cost Savers * Kodiak Marine Supply * Kodiak Athletic Club

* F/V Miss Gina * Clarion Company * Java Flats

* Kodiak Island Medical Associates * Kodiak Island Brewing

* Safeway * Healing Harbor Body Therapy, Ron Gibbs

* Alaska Food for Less * Wells Fargo * Jim Arneson, DDS

* Skinny Raven Sports

* Arctic Physical Therapy * Walmart

* Cactus Flats Natural Food Store * The Rookery

* Orion’s Mountain Sports * Kodiak Diesel Services

* Cy’s Sporting Goods * Linda Butrey, OTR/L

Volunteer of the Year, Ron Sears

The Annual Meeting was a wonderful success. Thank you to Mrs. Kim and her staff for preparing another wonderful meal for the Kodiak Public Broadcasting Corporation membership. This is the 14th year the 2nd Floor has hosted our event.
Special recognition at the meeting went to Jim (Cowboy) Cobis, long time host of "The Peace Train" every Monday morning between 9 and 10 a.m. He will be relocating in the spring. Mark Herrick, on-air host and engineer extraordinaire was also thanked for his dedication and hard work. He has put in numerous hours working on our new HD program, being called in to help at all hours. Mark, Joe Stevens and Mike Wall have been working very hard to keep things going smoothly. We apologize for any gliches, the system is a work in progress.

Morning Announcer Mike Murray is moving on. He will be leaving the island and we wish him the best on his new island. Lori Siebe (me) is also moving on, heading south to spend time with family. I will be back on the island one day, and look forward to hosting a show every now and again then.

New to the staff, Jacob Resneck joins the news staff. Ron Sears is KMXT's Volunteer of the year for 2009. Ron serves on KMXT's Board of directors as well as filling in as host of Island Time and Jock of the Rock, this boy deserves a medal. Thanks Ron for your support of the station on the air and behind the scenes. (Pictured top Mike Murray and Bill BBQ masters at 2008 Run the Rock, Mark Herrick in the Engineering room at KMXT)

Present & Future KMXT Volunteers!

KMXT Volunteer Kevin Andresen hosted a marathon show over the Labor Day Weekend.
He got some help from future volunteers:
ChellaRae, Lacey & Taylor! You GO GIRLS
(....and you too Kevin...) !

A big, giant, humongous thanks to the volunteers who pulled shifts over the Labor Day Weekend. And more big, giant, gargantuan Thanks also to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make a big success of the KMXT Waffle booth at the State Fair! Its no small thing to give up your time to make Frito Pies for your public radio station.... KMXT is LISTENER POWERED!