You are listening to KOSW Ocean Shores, WA, 88.9 FM. KOSW is a full power class A radio station. KOSW is ‘The Sound of the Shores’, an all-volunteer, non-profit community-oriented station with the mission to inform and entertain our listeners in Ocean Shores and the North Beach areas… and beyond.”
We can be heard most anywhere, WORLDWIDE streaming at www.koswradio.com
Our FCC license is owned by The City of Ocean Shores, Washington. KOSW airs 24/7, bringing you up-to-date community information and a variety of your favorite music and talk. All of our programming is made possible thanks to the many hours of service from our dedicated volunteers and the generous donations from our listeners and supporters.
Connected to the Emergency Alert System, KOSW is the area’s official emergency information station. As we are in direct contact with local emergency dispatchers, KOSW is where you want to be listening in order to get official news and information. Keep fresh batteries in your portable radio and have it tuned to 88.9 FM to be in-the know!
KOSW RADIO BOOSTS SIGNAL TO 1,200 WATTS,
CHANGES FREQUENCY TO 88.9 FM
KOSW is Now a Full-Power Class A Non-Commercial Educational FM Radio
Station with Expanded Signal Fully Covering the City of Ocean Shores and
Reaching Communities Beyond Westport and Grayland to the south, Seabrook,
Moclips and Tahola to the north, Humptulips to the northeast, and Portions of
Hoquiam, Aberdeen and Cosmopolis to the southeast, along with other areas of
Grays Harbor County
OCEAN SHORES, WASHINGTON — JANUARY 08, 2024 — KOSW-FM Radio 88.9 —
The Sound of the Shores — is now a full-power radio station broadcasting with a far-reaching
1,200 watts. Since its inception, KOSW has been a low-power or “LPFM” station broadcasting
within Ocean Shores with only 76 watts of power. The power boost allows KOSW-FM to reach
even more listeners throughout Grays Harbor County. The station’s programming is and will
continue to be available via live streaming at www.koswradio.com.
Back in November of 2021, The City of Ocean Shores filed an application with the Federal
Communications Commission for a new Non-commercial Educational FM station on 89.5 MHz.
In order to avoid conflicting applications on that frequency, a modification was submitted in
January 2022 specifying 88.9 MHz. The FCC promptly granted a construction permit in July
2022 for 1,200 watts of power at a hilltop tower site east of Copalis Beach. The elevation of the
tower site is well above a Tsunami inundation zone, which will help keep the station on the air
for emergency information in such an event.
“We are beyond excited about going full power. This project has been in the works for nearly
three years, and it is the culmination of tremendous effort of the part of KOSW and its
volunteers, Marty Hadfield, the City of Ocean Shores, and numerous others who have
contributed in many ways,” said Carl “Butch” Larson, KOSW program manager. “Now we can reach all of Ocean Shores and North Beach and entertain, inform, and educated many more
people through a medium that is near and dear to all our hearts.”
Local resident and KOSW volunteer, Marty Hadfield, a retired professional broadcast engineer
and the former chair of the KOSW Ocean Shores Radio Board, guided the project to completion
and serves as a technical resource for The City of Ocean Shores.
“When I met with then-Mayor Crystal Dingler in early 2021 to discuss the FCC filing
opportunity, she understood the importance of improving the KOSW-LP signal for reliable news
and emergency communications to the citizens of Ocean Shores. KOSW as a LPFM station had
only partially covered the City of Ocean Shores peninsula with a reliable FM signal. The
improved signal provides coverage to other communities in the North Beach area, including
Pacific Beach, Seabrook, and Moclips, helping cement the important role of KOSW-FM’s
mission to provide Emergency Alert System messaging and locally shared safety information
from Police, Fire and EMS resources for more of our neighbors. Such an upgrade opportunity
had not been available from the FCC for over 10 years,” Hadfield said. “When a major disaster
does occur, providing our citizens and visitors with breaking local news and information is
paramount and KOSW-FM 88.9 FM strives to provide that service.”
Broadcasting from a small but well-equipped studio located at 189 Ocean Lake Way, KOSW-
FM is a community radio station licensed to The City of Ocean Shores and is operated entirely
by a staff of dedicated volunteers. The station’s primary function is to provide emergency
information to Ocean Shores and North Beach residents. The station features numerous music
shows, formats, genres, and personalities, and also serves as The Voice of the North Beach
Hyaks, broadcasting North Beach High School football games, and boys’ and girls’ basketball
games.
“I have been with KOSW for 10 years I am extremely excited about this accomplishment. We
have grown exponentially since I first started and finally becoming a full-power station is a
tremendous achievement for an all-volunteer community radio station,”], said Trey Smith,
KOSW operations manager. “For those of us who believe in the medium, this helps us keep the
dream and importance of terrestrial radio alive in western Washington.”
KOSW’s personalities hail from all walks of life and locales, and programming includes music,
news and sports programs, and classic radio shows. KOSW also airs topical news programming
and podcasts on a variety of subjects, and broadcasts city council meetings live. Station
personalities also DJ and emcee the numerous local festivals and events held in Ocean Shores
year-round.
