Author Description

Whether it was the devastating 49er Fire of 1988, or the crippling snowstorm of 1990, KNCO was on the air informing Nevada County California residents of the status of their neighborhoods. The history of this award winning small town radio station in Grass Valley, California tells of the four year struggle for an FCC license. Included are short biographical sketches on over 70 employees and highlights of the various locations of the studio starting with the historic Holbrooke Hotel. A full chapter is dedicated to the forest fire and snowstorm. It also contains chapters on advertisers, community celebrations, some behind the scene shenanigans, and a staff roster of over 200 employees who worked there during the years 1978-2008. Over 250 pictures, mostly color, provide visual perspectives. Small town radio stations provide a wealth of services to their communities. In addition to some nationally syndicated programming; local news, weather, high school sports, public service announcements, swap shop, birthday announcements, and even lost animal reports are an integral part of KNCO's broadcast day. Over the past 25 years, many truly "locally owned" stations have been bought out by regional or national organizations. Some are able to maintain a local flavor, but others have succumbed to satellite programming. This book will give you a glimpse into this "vanishing breed."