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“YOURS FOR WESTERN ALASKA”

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Christ’s Light in the Darkness

Davis, Lauren, Margaret, Tyler, and Karen stand in front of their retreat cabin.
During their beginning-of-year orientation retreat, our 2016-2017 volunteers spend time with the person who recruited them. Left to right: volunteers Davis Hovey and Lauren Frost, outreach coordinator Margaret DeMaioribus, and volunteers Tyler Stup and Karen Trop. Photo: Robyn Woyte, KNOM.

Western Alaskans most anticipate the return of light during Advent: our celebration of the birth of Christ is accentuated by the winter solstice, when days begin to brighten. KNOM programming reflects this time of birth, hope, and light, too. Even the studio tower beams light from the KNOM Christmas star, high above the dark Nome skyline.

Each year, KNOM hosts callers on the air to send Christmas greetings to loved ones in the region. Radio plays produced by 5 decades of volunteers are re-broadcast each afternoon and evening. On Christmas Day, listeners without a local priest can join in Mass, aired live from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Nome.

The volunteers will decorate a willow bush for Christmas (pictured below) and create their own traditions. Since they’ll be far from family, they’ll join staff families for Christmas turkey and pies and exchange gifts. Before sitting down to the table, we remember and thank God for you, who make all things at KNOM possible.

Christmas ornaments on a willow tree inside KNOM's studio lobby.
In Nome, where pine trees cannot take root, willow plants often stand in for Christmas trees. Photo: David Dodman, KNOM.

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Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that KNOM Radio Mission is located on the customary lands of Indigenous peoples. 

Based in the Bering Strait region, KNOM broadcasts throughout the homelands of the Iñupiaq, Siberian Yup’ik, Cup’ik and Yup’ik peoples.