June ’87: Fixes at the transmitter site
June 8, 1987 Chief engineer Timothy Cochran and general manager Tom Busch extend the 120 ground wires at the AM transmitter site to 320 feet, 1/4 wavelength at KNOM’s frequency. Because of a shipping error back in 1971, the ground wires had been a hundred feet short for 16 years, but the money is finally in place […]
April 1982: New stations in the neighborhood
April 11, 1982 This month, Tom Busch and pioneer Alaska broadcaster Augie Hiebert discover plans by the Canadian government to construct new AM stations that would virtually destroy long distance radio reception in the Alaska bush. They research options that will eliminate this threat.
December 1986: Under a coat of ice, the tower is near collapse
December 3, 1986 A storm this week deposits ice the thickness of cucumbers on the KNOM tower and its guy wires, which sag dangerously. The tower is in imminent danger of collapsing. Tower expert Rod Ewing immediately flies in from Wasilla, Alaska to supervise Timothy Cochran and Tom Busch as they strain to keep the […]
November 1970: Waiting for the weather for tower construction
November 22, 1970 After three weeks of blizzards and winds, the weather has briefly cleared. Volunteers John Pfeifer and Tom Busch are belted to the AM tower at the 95-foot level, and eight others on the ground hoist the microwave receive antenna, which the pair install. Weather closes in again, and work can’t resume for […]
Remembering Tom
The temperature is dropping, and the days are getting shorter. Although Thanksgiving is weeks away, we continue to count our blessings and be thankful for our amazing KNOM family. Two years ago, we bid a sad goodbye to longtime KNOM general manager Tom Busch. The following was posted November 1st on our Facebook page by […]
October 1984: A new class of radio station
October 25, 1984 After nearly two years of lobbying, frequent intervention by Senator Ted Stevens, and five inches of paperwork, the FCC grants KNOM and fifteen other high-power Alaskan stations protection against interference that is beyond what is afforded large Lower 48 stations, by creating a new class of station, 1-N (“N” for north). It […]
Construction underway!
Construction of the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios has begun! The pilings are in place, and the contractor will arrive soon to build our super-insulated addition. Please pray that more supporters come forward to make this last dream of the late Tom Busch a reality. We are so thankful for your gifts and for […]
September 1970: Dynamiting into the permafrost
September 21, 1970 Volunteers Tom Busch and John Pfeifer and dynamite expert Sam Tucker put in another day, melting holes into the permafrost with red-hot chisels and heavy hammers. Sam’s dynamite blasts excavate an average of about a foot a day on the main hole for the tower, as well as the three smaller holes […]
August 2009: Transmitter trouble
August 23, 2009 The transmitter fails this morning, just as the automated remote control commands the increase to daytime power. From Anchorage, Tom Busch talks general manager Ric Schmidt into coaxing it to operate at very low power, about 2,000 watts. After flying to Nome, Tom discovers that a jumper cable 100 feet above ground […]
July 1989: A visit to Provideniya
July 4, 1989 Walking on the main street of Provideniya, USSR, general manager Tom Busch encounters a young English teacher who recognizes his voice from the radio. “Everyone in Provideniya knows you!” she exclaims. Tom and son Steve are part of a Cub Scout field trip to the Soviet Union. They and the thirty others […]