Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Frequently Asked Questions About Community Radio

1. When will KWTF be on the air?

We are! KWTF went on th air at 88.1FM in Bodega Bay in 2014. Our intial antenna site limits our broadcast quite a bit. We are working hard to secure a better broadcast site that will reach central Sonoma County. If you would like to help with this project please email info@kwtf.net

2. What kind of programming does KWTF have?

KWTF brings a unique form of community radio to Sonoma County. We focus on high quality grassroots public affairs in the morning followed by long form genre music shows until the 5pm evening news hour with free form local radio from 6pm to midnight. You can see our full schedule here.

3. How does KWTF cover its costs?

Our current monthly expenses are $2000. We are building a supporting membership to cover these expenses. If you want to support KWTF click here.

The bulk of our funding comes in small monthly donations. We have received grants from the Redwood Justice Fund, held special events, and tried a few crowd funding campaigns. Grants, events, underwriting, and major donors all contribute to KWTF, even added together these sources barely equal the support we’ve received from small individual donations. When you support KWTF you’re contributing to a valued and engaged community resource.

4. How do I get a program onto KWTF?

If you wish to host and/or produce a program, just let us know. The best place to start is by becoming a member. Then submit a program proposal form.

We’ll help you with training and access to the equipment needed to get your show on the air! Programs from unheard or under-represented voices; programs that build community; programs that engage, empower and/or inform our listeners; and programs with a local focus are especially welcome.

5. KWTF has a full power FM license. What does that mean?

Our current FCC permit is to broadcast at 88.1 FM with a 100-watt transmitter from the vicinity of Tannery Creek Lane in Bodega. That signal will travel about 5 miles. This means many in our area will be listening on the internet at www.kwtf.net. 50% of the people listening to the radio today do so over the internet, and we expect that percentage to increase. Even many automobiles today have internet access. With better transmitter location and a minor modification to our broadcast permit our signal could reach Sebastopol and western Santa Rosa.

KWTF has a class-A full power license. Without lapsing into a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo what this means is that we have first priority to broadcast on 88.1fm in the area of Bodega Bay and over the years as we improve our service and signal our broadcast area will grow. More information about the station can be found on our Online Public File here.

6. Radio is dead why should I listen to KWTF?

KWTF brings a much younger and more diverse group of programmers to the air than is typically found on radio. Our music directors are committed to curating the best in new genre music from College Rock to World Music to Americana. We’re actively looking for folks to curate Punk Rock and Hip Hop libraries. We do regular live simulcasts of cultural events all over Sonoma County from backyard mini-festivals, to the reunion shows of hometown hero at the internationally esteemed Phoenix Theater, to major civil rights trainings from the Arleen Francis Center for Spirit Art and Politics.