COMMUNITY

KNCT-FM LOCAL CONTENT & SERVICES REPORT

January, 2019
KNCT-FM’s approach to identified community issues.

KNCT-FM runs Public Service Announcements on-air every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and also utilizes Facebook to share PSAs online so as to extend our reach via social media. We provide announcements for non-profit organizations within our listening area as well as fundraising events that are supporting a need within the community. Our station is located on the campus of Central Texas College, a community college that places special emphasis on reaching non-traditional students, in particular those in or retired from the military, and we often partner with them to spread awareness of continuing education opportunities, including ESL classes, and other campus and educational activities. Our mission is to provide quality programming, news, and local coverage of events of interest to our listeners.

Key initiatives and partnerships.

KNCT-FM broadcasts a couple of locally produced weekly Public Service Programs for the sportsmen and seniors in our audience. We additionally broadcast at least 25 high school sporting events. Students of all ages visit our station, receiving tours and information on how the station operates, the opportunities that public broadcasting has to offer, and the degree programs offered at Central Texas College that will prepare them for employment within the industry. We provide the public with information about local happenings involving our community, such as blood drives, health walks, outreaches, school events, job fairs, and any other event that would benefit the wellbeing of our audience. Our station also helps to host (and has for the past 11 years) 2 free Kid’s Football Camps in the Austin and Killeen, providing the youth of Central Texas the chance to work with real NFL football players who motivate them to stay healthy and active, stay in school, and to stay focused on their goals and dreams and not be distracted by drugs, gangs, and violence.

Meeting the needs of a diverse audience.

KNCT-FM enjoys a special relationship with students of Central Texas College, one of our state’s most diverse campuses in what is likely Texas’ most diverse city, providing us with access to student talent from multiple ethnicities and backgrounds as well as students from active duty and veteran military families at Fort Hood (located across the freeway from our studios). Our plans for the coming year include: forming a closer relationship with our largest local school district (Killeen ISD), providing more military news from the Fort Hood Public Information Office (PIO), and implementing a continuing effort on behalf of our homeless population (sponsoring donations for food and warm clothing). We also broadcast an on-air HD channel, 91.3-2, that provides classical music 24 hours a day, in addition to our student internet radio station, “The Krave”, which is programmed and run by the students.

Impact of CPB funding on KNCT-FM’s community service.

As the only public radio station in Killeen-Temple-Belton-Copperas Cove (Bell & Coryell Counties), we are a trusted source for easy listening music, news, local PSAs regarding area events, and most especially local weather, an area in which we excel. We produce and air regularly updated forecasts and storm tracking in partnership with an accredited and highly respected local meteorologist. If we did not receive our CPB grant, these important broadcasts would not be possible. In addition, we would not be able to serve our audience with severe weather warnings, emergency updates, senior news, or military news. Without our grant, our special music programming such as beautiful music, big band music, and Saturday night oldies would go away, and our unique and diverse audience would not be served. If our grant were to vanish, Central Texas College would lose a valuable asset for the future broadcasters and producers in our area.