KEMB-LP (94.1 FM) Radio

• What is Low Power FM?
• Locally Powered
• Community Driven
• Getting an LPFM station

Emmetsburg’s radio station 94.1 FM - KEMB-LP celebrated its first birthday on November 1, 2005! Having been without a local radio station for some time, Emmetsburg area residents are enjoying the advantages of a local station.

What is Low Power FM?

In January 2000, the Federal Communications Commission created LPFM to allow non-profit groups the ability to broadcast with a low power transmitter (100 watts or less) as an educational non-commercial radio station to serve a specific community. This means it broadcasts over a short distance only. The FCC limited the number of licenses and gave a short window of opportunity in each region of the country for organizations to apply for these licenses. There are around 50 organizations in the state of Iowa authorized by the FCC to obtain a LPFM license.

Locally Powered

As a non-commercial radio station, there are no commercials that break up the flow of programming. It’s a refreshing break to enjoy radio programming without the abundant and obtrusive commercials you may hear on other stations.

What you will hear are quality community programs, music, and low-keyed announcements acknowledging businesses and the KEMB listener supporters whose contributions make the programming on 94.1 FM KEMB-LP possible.

Community Driven

As a radio station on a limited budget, the station relies on talented community volunteers for on-air announcing, programming and behind the scenes support. There is always a need for new and innovative ways to serve Emmetsburg through our broadcast service. Anyone who would like to volunteer or who has any comments or suggestions, please feel free to let us know 712-852-5362.

Programming: The programming is community driven. Listen to 94.1 FM for community news and daily weather on the top of the hour and the weather forecast at the top and bottom of each hour.

Other regular programming includes:

• Tuesday Night Blues with Rich Hall and Lori Martinez, who highlight a blues album each week at 7 p.m.
• Saturday nights from 4 to 7 p.m. and Sunday mornings feature Contemporary Christian and Gospel music.
• Celtic Connections, a program that focuses on music from the Celtic traditions, airs at 2 p.m.
• Big band and swing music can be heard Sunday afternoons from 3 to 7 p.m.
• Live coverage of E’hawk sports and school concerts
• Events with a community interest, such as November election returns, casino presentations and the commission’s announcement awarding a casino license to Palo Alto County and Wild Rose, and Santa’s arrival in Emmetsburg
• Community Activities, such as St. Pat’s Celebration; 4th of July Celebration; and the Palo Alto County Fair.
• Interviews with local, state and national leaders, including Jack Kibbie, Marcie Frevert, and General Wesley Clark
• KEMB-LP will continue to broadcast many more community interest events and programs. Stay tuned!

Listening via the Internet: KEMB-LP saw a need to reach a broader listening base, such as reaching those outside the immediate broadcast area, and keeping past Emmetsburg residents in touch with the community. KEMB-LP is now using a technique called webstreaming, which is a method of allowing the radio broadcast to be sent over the Internet. Anyone in the world can listen and stay connected to Emmetsburg!

Anyone who has an Internet connection can hear KEMB-LP’s broadcast by going online to www.emmetsburg.biz, or www.emmetsburg.com and click on the KEMB-LP button to hear the live webstream of KEMB-LP.

Multiple electronic media channels. Today, Emmetsburg has multiple electronic media channels covering the community through the Emmetsburg Chamber of Commerce. The cable-based media cover most homes in the city limits, while the LPFM essentially covers all of Palo Alto County.

They include:

• KEMB-LP radio
• the LPFM, and its webstream on the Internet,
• the Chamber Channel and its video component, the Roll Up.

The generous support of all contributors to KEMB-LP is greatly appreciated. Please give your continued support by listening and contributing to KEMB-LP!

Getting an LPFM station

KEMB-LP is an effort on the part of the Chamber of Commerce and interested Emmetsburg business and professional people to re-create a totally local radio station in the community.  While we still have Hot-100 licensed to Emmetsburg, this group was of the opinion that a truly local station with local studios and a narrow interest in Emmetsburg would be a big advantage for the town.

Initially Greg Hoyman and John Schad started looking into a low-power station.   They realized that an application would have to be prepared quickly to meet a 5-day application window established by the FCC.  That initial paperwork was filed in 2001.  Since the process would require several years, they established an interim service with the Chamber Channel.   Greg donated a computer and headed up the efforts to start the Roll Up on the cable Channel 3.

In the meantime, a committee was formed which has subsequently grown into our current radio sub committee of the Chamber.  The effort attracted many people to early meetings.  Eventually a fund raising campaign was started by Greg and administered by Kris Ausborn.

In December 2003, the FCC awarded the construction permit to the Emmetsburg Chamber of Commerce for KEMB-LP.  Fund raising efforts produced sufficient revenue to allow the board to move forward with construction by September of 2004.  The official sign on for the station was November 1, 2004.

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City of Emmetsburg
2021 Main St
Emmetsburg, IA 50536
(712) 852-4030