In August 2024, Boise State Public Radio will have ongoing power reductions (quasi-daily) on KBSU 90.3 FM and HD, as well as KBSX 91.5 FM.
During the summer, and other times of good weather, we and other broadcasters work to make repairs and improvements to our broadcast infrastructure, including antennas and equipment on the broadcast towers. This summer, Sinclair Broadcasting, who operates KBOI-TV channel 2 (CBS) and KYUU TV channel 35 (CW), has been replacing their main transmit antenna on the same tower that KBSU, KBSX and other broadcasters transmit from Deer Point, above Boise near Bogus Basin.
When climbers are on any tower at the Deer Point site, we must reduce transmission power for their safety. This work has been ongoing for several weeks and is currently expected to be completed mid- to late-August. We are just as eager as you are to be transmitting at full power full-time once again.
Where's my KBSU-HD2 Jazz (Treasure Valley) and 95.7 Jazz (in Stanley)?
When the transmitted power must be reduced to levels for climbers on the same tower KBSU 90.3 is transmitting from, the power must be reduced to lower than what the transmitter capable of generating the digital signals for the HD Radio broadcast can be reduced to. During these times KBSU 90.3 operates in FM-only mode.
95.7 FM in Stanley is a translator of KBSU 90.3 HD-2, and when the HD-2 is not broadcast, the 95.7 FM Jazz translator in Stanley is off the air until the HD-2 on 90.3 returns to service.
Additionally, there is damage to the shared Master FM antenna used by KBSU, KBSX and another broadcaster. This damage prevents the stations from broadcasting at their normal 100% power levels until repairs can be made. KBSU operates at 59% power when there are no tower workers present.
The exception is KBSX, which can compensate for the reduced antenna capacity and transmit at 100% of normal power when tower workers are not on nearby towers. We anticipate the repairs to the antenna system will be completed in late September or early October after the replacement parts are delivered and a tower crew can be scheduled.
In the very near term (starting mid-August, continuing until completion, expected mid-late September) BSPR Engineering staff will be making substantial changes to our broadcast facilities in Salmon and Challis. There will be times of one or both signals are off the air. When the dust settles, the broadcast lineup will look like this:
Salmon:
BSPR News - 90.1 FM KBXS
BSPR Music - 88.5 FM KBXM
BSPR Jazz - 91.9 FM K220CG
Challis:
BSPR News - 89.7 FM KBXC
BSPR Music - 91.3 FM KBXU
BSPR Jazz - 88.1 FM K201JC
If you're experiencing a problem with any of our stations, have a question for our engineers, or would like to leave a comment, please call 208-426-3615 to reach an engineer or leave a voicemail for our engineering team. If you leave a voicemail, please leave details including what location you are listening at, and what frequency your radio is tuned to, and what time it was when the issue occurred. You can also send us information about a problem by using this form.
