April 11, 2008

GRCC’s Radio Program Receives Major Scholarship Endowment

by John Ramsey


Director of Public Information
The exterior and interior of the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 bus.
Tom Evans Krause (center) accepts a $25,000 scholarship endowment check on behalf of Green River Community College from Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. in Nashville recently. Making the presentation are Bill Mayne, CRB Board Scholarship Committee Chair, and Becky Brenner, CRB Board President and KMPS-FM Program Director.

Green River Community College’s broadcast program has been awarded a $25,000 scholarship endowment from Country Radio Broadcasters, Inc. (CRB).

“To have the CRB recognize Green River Community College with a $25,000 endowment is an incredible honor,” said Tom Evans Krause, head of Green River’s Broadcasting Department. “Our broadcasting students are the big winners as this endowment will provide scholarships for years to come.”

Green River is the first community college to receive the award since it was established in 1999. It is also the first college on the west coast to be so honored.

“I have personal experience with the Green River Community College broadcast program,” said Becky Brenner, president of the CRB and program director at KMPS-FM Seattle. “CBS Radio Seattle has found many terrific interns and several full-time hires from the Green River program. This school is truly carrying the torch for radio broadcasting and producing talented, professional team players,” she added.

CRB is a Nashville, Tennessee-based educational organization founded in 1969 to bring together country music radio stations and the country music recording industry.

“Our mission statement at the CRB is ‘Growth through Sharing.’ What better way for our industry to grow the educational experience than providing support and encouragement for students with a career ahead of them in broadcasting,” said Bill Mayne, CRB Board Scholarship Committee Chair. “The CRB is pleased to continue our commitment with this endowment to the students of Green River Community College and their superior broadcasting curriculum,” he said.

Past recipients of scholarship grants from CRB include Central Michigan University, Middle Tennessee State University, Belmont University, and the Broadcast Education Association.

Program Information

Green River Community College’s broadcast program includes two radio stations: KGRG-FM 89.9 and KGRG 1330 AM. The FM station was established in 1974. It will celebrate 20 years of “Today’s Rock” a popular modern rock / alternative format the station pioneered in 1989 playing groups such as Nirvana, which played a concert at the Auburn college May 1989, before the band was signed to a national record label. The AM station bills itself as the “alternative past” playing alternative artists from the 1980s and ‘90s. 

KGRG alumni have established radio careers in markets across the country. Seattle radio personalities, who got their start at KGRG-FM, include Tony Miner (KIRO), Marty Reimer (KMTT), Charlie Harger (KOMO), DJ No Name (formerly of KNDD), Steve Rauch & Kevin Jacober (KISW’s Metal Shop), and Ryan “Big Daddy” Michaels (KMPS). Around the U.S., KGRG alums include Julie Pilat and David Styles (KIIS-FM/Los Angeles), Candy Hagen (WLNK/Charlotte, NC), Derek Hoffman (KITS/San Francisco), Grant Ruby (KENZ/Salt Lake City), and Trent Edwards (KEDJ/Phoenix). Scores of other former KGRG students work behind the scenes in radio sales, programming, news, promotion, production, and engineering in Seattle and around the country.

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