KLCC-FM Records, 1968-2006

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lane Community College (Eugene, Or.)KLCC-FM
Title
KLCC-FM Records
Dates
1968-2006 (inclusive)
Quantity
40 cubic feet, (32 record boxes, 5 document boxes, unwrapped banners and signs)
Collection Number
A-055
Summary
The KLCC-FM Records document the administrative, news and music broadcasting, marketing, public relations, and fundraising activities of the radio station. The collection includes audio and video recordings from the news, music, and advertising departments and also posters and banners. KLCC began broadcasting in 1967.
Repository
Lane Community College Archives
4000 East 30th Avenue
Eugene, OR
97405
Telephone: 5414635466
archives@lanecc.edu
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions. The collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

KLCC 89.7 FM is a public radio station licensed to Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. In addition to the main transmitter in Eugene, the station has translators in four communities throughout Western and Central Oregon (Cottage Grove, Oakridge, Riddle, and Sisters), and five sister stations which broadcast KLCC programming -- KLBR in Bend, KLFO in Florence, KLCO in Newport, KLFR in Reedsport, and KMPQ in Roseburg.

One-third of KLCC’s broadcast week is devoted to news and talk programs, covering local, regional, national and international topics and issues. The remaining hours are filled with music programs including jazz, blues, folk, world, reggae, Celtic, electronic, singer/songwriter, R&B, Latino, and women's music.

KLCC went on the air in February 1967 as a project of the Electronics Department at Lane Community College. During its first few years of existence, KLCC was a training ground for technical and on-air students, and students were actively involved in the programming of the station. In 1977 KLCC became an independent department of LCC and the radio station became a non-instructional service of the college, operated by a professional staff. The decision was made for KLCC to become a public radio station and in 1971 KLCC became a charter member of NPR (National Public Radio).

In 1974 KLCC studios moved into the Forum Building on the LCC main campus. After nearly 41 years on the LCC campus, KLCC moved to a new home at 136 W. 8th Street in downtown Eugene in 2008.

Fundraising events include the Radiothons and Thonbusters, KLCC in Bloom: Tour of Gardens, the annual garden tour beginning in1994, and the Microbrew Festival beginning in 2002. KLCC has broadcast from community events such as the Eugene Celebration, Oregon Country Fair, and Willamette Valley Folk Festival.

In 2009, the KLCC staff included 20 paid employees, and over 70 volunteers from the community. Steve Barton began as assistant engineer 1977, became chief engineer in 1978, and General Manager in 1987. Don Hein was hired as News & Public Affairs Director in 1977 and became Program Director in 1988. Other administrative staff members are Michael Canning, Music Director since 1984; Paula Chan Carpenter, Development Director since 1980; Kris Lindstrom Fox, Continuity Director 1981-1988 and Membership Director since 1988; and Gayle Chisholm, Marketing Director since 1986 and webmaster since 2000.

Tripp Sommer began as a volunteer in 1981 and was hired as Morning Edition host in 1986. In 1988 he became News Director and host of Northwest Passage, a local and regional newsmagazine, offering newscasts, feature reports, arts and book reviews, interviews, commentary, and analysis of local and regional issues.

Former longtime staff/volunteers include: Gavin "Rooster" Fox (1948-1999), the host of Blues Power, Tropical Beat and Fresh Tracks, 1977-1999; David Joyce (1946-2003),co-host with Lotte Streisinger of Visible City during the 1990's; Carolyn Spector (1937-2001), book reviewer on Northwest Passage, 1990-2001; Peter Wotton (1933-1996) host of Elderberry Wine commentaries, focusing on issues of interest to older people, 1982-1996; and Alan Siporin, commentator and host of Live Wire and Critical Mass, 1981-2003. For more information about the history of KLCC see “Milestones” on the KLCC webpage http://www.klcc.org/index.asp

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The administrative records of KLCC include correspondence and memos, advisory board and staff meeting records, FCC ownership records, construction grant records, and financial records. Also included are records kept by Cheryle Hawkins who was a KLCC board member 1976-1987, and “The Earlier Days at KLCC,“ a personal memoir about KRVM and KLCC written in 1982 by Roger J. Houghlum, founding director of the station.

The records of the public relations department include press releases, publicity and promotion records, program guides and brochures, and surveys. Marketing and fundraising records include newspaper and television advertisements, radiothon and thonbuster fundraising campaigns, event records including the KLCC Garden Tour, Eugene Celebration, Oregon Country Fair, Microbrew Festival and special broadcasts or concerts by the Grateful Dead and Garrison Keillor and others.

The Program Logs and News Department Records contain a sampling (seven daily logs per quarter, most often from a week in January, April, July, and October, but sometimes other months) of program and station logs, 1996-2006. Program logs are daily inventories of programs broadcast from sign-on to sign-off. Station logs are records kept by station engineers concerning checks on equipment, lights, and power and radio emergency broadcast tests.

News Department Records include audience data, calendars, correspondence by Alan Siporin, and schedules, scripts, and Oregon Country Fair records kept by Trip Sommer.

The Audio and Video Recordings contain a rich and varied collection of cassette and reel-to-reel recordings of news, music, and advertising and promotional audio and video recordings. The news recordings include compilations of news stories from 1985-1994 as well as individual recordings.

Northwest Passage began broadcasting in 1985 with Don Hein as the host. Since 1988 Tripp Sommer has been host. Northwest Passage is a local and regional newsmagazine with newscasts, feature reports, arts and book reviews, interviews, commentary, and analysis of local and regional issues. The cassette tape recordings include interviews and news stories about local events such as the Kip Kinkel-Thurston High School shooting, local political events and candidates, community events and topics, the Rajneeshpuram, a controversial cult/community in north-central Organ in the 1980s, forestry, and music and musicians.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

There are no use restrictions.

Preferred Citation

KLCC-FM Records, 1968-2006, A-055, Lane Community College Archives, Eugene, Oregon

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is divided into five series:

A. Administrative Records, 1968-2006

B. Marketing, Public Relations and Fundraising Records, 1974-2006

C. Audio, Video and CD Recordings, 1980-2006

D. Program Logs and News Department Records, 1989-2006

E. Posters and Banners, n.d.

Location of Collection

Lane Community College Archives, Center Building, Eugene, Oregon

Acquisition Information

Records were transferred from KLCC-FM to the college archives in thirty accessions between 1985 and 2007.

Processing Note

The records in the thirty accessions from KLCC-FM were consolidated into one collection when they were processed by Elizabeth Uhlig in 2009.

Related Materials

For additional records relating to KLCC, see: Guide to Instructional Services Office (Rasmussen, Belcher, Ellison, Warford) Records, 1966-1997.

For additional records relating to KLCC, see: Guide to President's Office Eldon Schafer Records, 1965-1985 (A-036)

The National Public Broadcasting Archives at the University of Maryland include the records of the major non-commercial broadcasting organizations in the United States, such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), and the personal papers of individuals who have made significant contributions to public broadcasting. See: National Public Broadcasting Archives

Archives of KBPS, 1923-1995 – The KBPS Archives, housed at the University of Maryland’s National Public Broadcasting Archives, contain the records of KBPS-AM, a radio station run by Benson Polytechnic High School students enrolled in the radio broadcasting program in Portland, Oregon. See: KBPS Archives

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Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
Boxes 1-3 Series A: Administrative Records
2.5 c.f.
The administrative records of KLCC include correspondence and memos, advisory board and staff meeting records, FCC ownership records, construction grant records, and financial records. Cheryle Hawkins was a KLCC board member 1976-1987 and records she collected such as correspondence, meeting records, newspaper clippings, and program guides are included. “The Earlier Days at KLCC“ is a personal memoir about KRVM and KLCC written in 1982 by Roger J. Houghlum, founding director of the station. Container List for Series A, Administrative Records. Contents List for Series A, Administrative Records.
Collection is open to the public.
1968-2006
Boxes 3-18, 38 Series B: Marketing, Public Relations and Fundraising Records
15.5 c.f.
The records of the public relations department include press releases, publicity and promotion records, program guides and brochures, and surveys. Marketing and fundraising records include newspaper and television advertisements, radiothon and thonbuster fundraising campaigns, event records including the KLCC Garden Tour, Eugene Celebration, Oregon Country Fair, Microbrew Festival and special broadcasts or concerts by the Grateful Dead and Garrison Keillor and others. Contents List for Series B, Marketing, Public Relations and Fundraising Records.
Collection is open to the public.
1974-2006
Boxes 19-32 - 5 small document boxes, 9 record boxes – containing 153 audio cassettes, 31 video cassettes, 20 audio CD’s, 2 video CD’s, and 151 reel-to-reel audio recordings Series C: Audio and Video Recordings
11 c.f.
The Audio and Video Recordings contain a rich and varied collection of cassette and reel-to-reel recordings of news, music, and advertising and promotional audio and video recordings. The news recordings include compilations of news stories from 1985-1994 as well as individual recordings. Northwest Passage began broadcasting in 1985 with Don Hein as the host. Since 1988 Tripp Sommer has been host. Northwest Passage is a local and regional newsmagazine with newscasts, feature reports, arts and book reviews, interviews, commentary, and analysis of local and regional issues. The cassette tape recordings include interviews and news stories about local events such as the Kip Kinkel-Thurston High School shooting, local political events and candidates, community events and topics, the Rajneeshpuram, a controversial cult/community in north-central Oregon in the 1980s, forestry, and music and musicians. Contents List for Series C, Audio and Video Recordings.
Collection is open to the public.
1980-2006
Boxes 33-37 Series D: Program Logs and News Department Records
5 cf
This series contains a sampling of program and station logs, 1996-2006. The sampling includes seven daily logs per quarter, most often from weeks in January, April, July, and October, but sometimes other months. There is a complete run of Station Logs from 2001-2004 and incomplete records from other years. Program logs are daily inventories of programs broadcast from sign-on to sign-off. Station logs are records kept by station engineers concerning checks on equipment, lights, and power and radio emergency broadcast tests. News Department Records include audience data, calendars, correspondence from Alan Siporin, and schedules, scripts, and Oregon Country Fair records kept by Tripp Sommer. Contents List for Series D, Program Logs and News Department Records.
Collection is open to the public.
1989-2005
Container 39 Series E: Signs and Banners
6 c.f.
Collection is open to the public.
undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • College radio stations--Oregon
  • Community colleges--Oregon
  • Public radio--Oregon
  • Radio programs--Oregon
  • Radio stations--Oregon
  • Radio in higher education--Oregon
  • Universities and colleges--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Sommer, Tripp

Corporate Names

  • KLCC-FM (Radio station: Eugene, Or.
  • Lane Community College (Eugene, Or.).KLCC Radio station

Form or Genre Terms

  • Sound recordings