KNDD

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KNDD

City of license	Seattle, Washington
Broadcast area	Seattle, Washington
Branding	107.7 The End
Slogan	Seattle's Alternative
First air date	1991
Frequency	107.7 (MHz)
Format	Modern rock
ERP	57 kW
Class	C
Owner	Entercom Communications
Website	http://www.1077theend.com

KNDD, also known as 107.7 The End, is an alternative rock station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Corp. Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle. The station switched to an Alternative music format on August 23, 1991, around the time the Seattle Grunge Music scene gained national attention. On December 18, 2003, the station gained notoriety for shifting the focus of the station toward a more classic alternative sound and local groups.

KNDD ended up being a major player in developing the Seattle music scene and is still active in the promotion of local bands by providing airplay and sponsoring shows.

Contents 1 History 2 The Alternative Declaration 3 Air Staff and Programming 3.1 Current DJs 3.2 Former DJs 3.3 Programming 3.4 Discontinued programming 4 Controversy 5 Trivia 6 External links

[edit] History

The station began its life in 1962 as non-commercial KRAB, founded by Lorenzo Milam and eventually owned by the Jack Straw Memorial Foundation. KRAB broadcast an eclectic mix of Pacifica radio features, world music, jazz, and much more. But the station was also dangerously close to insolvency. Its management realized the station could be sold to a commercial broadcaster and an endowment created, allowing the Foundation to broadcast in the non-commercial part of the radio dial, which exists between 88.1 mhz and 91.9 mhz. The owners of KRAB originally applied to share time with KNHC, owned by the Seattle Public Schools. However, this action was seen by the school district as a hostile take-over bid. Ultimately, the owners got a license for 90.7 mhz in Everett, Washington. KRAB's legacy remains on the air at KSER.

The first commercial station signed on in 1985. It was KMGI, also known as "Magic 108 FM." The station was a Gold-based Adult Contemporary station and had limited success for four years. But under the ownership of Noble Broadcast Group, the station refocused as a Hot AC station beginning in 1990 and called itself "i-107.7." KMGI brought together the morning team of Kelly and Alpha, who remained with the station throughout its days as i-107-7. Today, they remain together at WSB-FM in Atlanta, Georgia.

On August 23, 1991, the station changed its name and call letters. The station known as "The End" was born, and it referred to its music as "The Cutting Edge of Rock." This positioning statement borrowed directly from its San Diego/Tijuana sister station XETRA-FM. The station's sign-on came at a particularly fortuitious time in both the Seattle and national music scenes. Within six weeks of the KNDD's first broadcast, three albums by local artists, Ten by Pearl Jam, Nevermind by Nirvana and Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden, were released. These albums helped come to define the sound known as grunge, and as Seattle's role in music history was cemented, the station quickly became one of the major stations in alternative rock radio.

In May 2006, long time program director Phil Manning announced that he was leaving the station. Lazlo, of KRBZ in Kansas City, was named the new program director on June 1. In a highly controversial move, he fired veteran Seattle broadcaster Dick Rossetti in order to place his own Kansas City simulcast in the weekday timeslot. As of November 27, 2006, he hosts afternoons with his former KRBZ co-workers Afentra (his wife) and Slim Fast under the "Church of Lazlo" moniker. His show has thus far proven unpopular with local Northwest listeners.

[edit] The Alternative Declaration

In conjunction with the station's remodeling, KNDD introduced the Alternative Declaration in 2004, presented as 11 rules for guiding the way the station presented itself on-air. Curiously, although the list was originally available on their website, it can no longer be found there and it is no longer mentioned on station promos.

1) Music: It's about the music.

2) We Listen to You: We will listen to our listeners and treat them with respect.

3) Artist and Title of Every Song: We will tell you the title and artist of every song we play.

4) Support Local Music: We will support local bands' music and shows.

5) Never Talk Over the Songs: We will respect the music and our listeners by never talking over the songs.

6) New Music: We will seek out and support new music.

7) Knowledgeable Deejays: We are dedicated to constantly learning and living the music we choose for you.

8) Musical Diversity: We believe in diversity and will be open-minded about the music we play.

9) More Than Just Hit Singles: We will play any good song on the album, not just the "hit" single.

10) Surprise You: We will surprise you with the songs you haven't heard in a while.

11) More Songs Less Often: We will play more songs and repeat them less often.

[edit] Air Staff and Programming

[edit] Current DJs

• Jim Keller
• harms
• Chris Travis
• Paul Nelson
• Neal the Midnight Cowboy
• Jason Anfinsen
• Rob Femur
• Tommy Hough
• DJ No Name (previously The End's morning show host, but was dismissed on December 27, 2005; came back on September 5, 2006 and took Jim Keller's weekday timeslot)
• Lazlo
• Afentra
• Slim Fast

[edit] Former DJs

• Marco Collins
• Bryan Jones
• Jason Hughes
• John Richards
• Andy Savage
• Steve the Producer
• Jodi Brothers
• Bill Reid
• Jennifer White
• Timberlake
• Matt McCart
• Dick Rossetti

[edit] Programming

• The Adam Carolla Show
• Church of Lazlo
• Loveline
• Gabba Gabba Hey

Punk rock from the 1970s through today. Hosted by Rob Femur.

• The New Music Show

As the title would suggest, the newest music in alternative, ranging from the newest singles by top artists, to album tracks (occasionally whole albums will be played), to local music. Hosted by harms.

• The Young & the Restless

Alternative music from the Pacific Northwest.

• Resurrection Flashback Sunday

Four hours of music from the beginning of alternative rock, going from the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s. One artist will be selected as a featured artist for the show and usually has several songs played during the program. Hosted by Jim Keller.

• What's Next

A song never-before-played on The End, aired every weeknight at 7:30.

• People's Choice Countdown

The top ten most requested songs of the day.

[edit] Discontinued programming

• The Daily Special

Formerly, The End's all-request lunch hour, the music played was generally wrapped around a central theme. While Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays had fixed themes (1990s music, Resurrection Flashback, and general all-request, respectively), Tuesday and Thursday's themes were essentially wild cards and could range from an hour's worth of music by one artist, to songs whose titles or content all have something in common. The feature was discontinued when DJ No Name replaced Jim Keller as midday host.

• Resurrection Flashback Lunch

Replaced the all-request lunch hour for a time. Fridays had a fixed theme.

• Endsession Song of the Day

A song from The End's collection of intimate Endsession concerts, aired every weekday at 3:30pm

• You Don't Know Dick

Dick Rossetti quizzes callers for prizes

• La Mesa Grande

Bill Reid hosted this short-lived call-in discussion show, aired Mondays 12:00am. Guests and topics were often non-music related.

• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Jim Keller's original title for Resurrection Flashback Sunday. Aired 6 to 10:00am.

[edit] Controversy

According to the radio playlist database "Yes.com" KNDD played the song "Amish Paradise" at 2:55pm on Monday October 2nd 2006, just hours after Charles Roberts killed 5 young girls in a Pennsylvania Amish schoolhouse. There has been no comment from the radio station regarding this decision.

Update: As of October 6, Entercom Seattle Vice President Jerry McKenna issued the following statement. DJ No Name was "less respectful of the event than he should have been. We are dealing with it internally." (Source: Seattle P-I)

[edit] Trivia

• The first song broadcast under the alternative rock format was "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", by R.E.M..
• KNDD was the first commercial station to play the band Weezer. In June of 1994, the station played Undone (The Sweater Song). Its success with listeners prompted Geffen Records to promote the band nationwide.
• KNDD was featured on the MTV program "The Real World: Seattle." The residents of the Real World house worked at KNDD.
• harms has been called "the voice of 107.7 the End."
• KNDD was the first commercial station to play the song You Know You're Right by Nirvana. In September of 2002 the station debuted this song resulting in a cease and desist order from Geffen Records. In response the station continued to play the song every hour on the hour for several days, and prompted Nirvana fans to email Geffen Records saying that they want their Nirvana.

[edit] External links

• 107.7 The End
• A brief history of seattle radio
• The Alternative Declaration