Beloved Seattle dance radio station C89.5 faces federal budget cuts
C89.5 faces federal funding shortfall
For more than 50 years, C89.5 has brought dance beats and fresh talent to the airwaves of Seattle. Broadcast from Nathan Hale High School in North Seattle, the station is one of the longest-running dance music radio stations in the country and high school students assist in running it.
SEATTLE - For more than 50 years, C89.5 has brought dance beats and fresh talent to the airwaves of Seattle. Broadcast from Nathan Hale High School in North Seattle, the station is one of the longest-running dance music radio stations in the country, and high school students assist in running it.
But proposed federal budget cuts are threatening the future of this unique educational program and the platform it provides for aspiring broadcasters.
"We play great music. It’s dance music, it’s fun, it’s energetic," said Bruce Wirth, C89.5’s membership director. "It’s the kind of stuff you listen to at a party, when you want to feel good."
The backstory:
The station is more than just music. It has been a launching pad for international stars and a learning ground for local youth. Over the years, it gave some of today's biggest names their first airplay — including Lady Gaga and Rihanna, who both visited the station early in their careers.
C89.5 operates as a Career and Technical Education program, giving students hands-on experience in broadcast radio. Students manage daily programming tasks like promotions and gain real-world experience in a professional studio environment.
"Every day of the week, students have different tasks," Wirth explained. "They’re here to actually do radio. You graduate from this program and you can get a job in broadcast radio."
Founded in 1971, the station has garnered national attention, including a feature in Rolling Stone Magazine.
But now, C89.5 faces financial strain as the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to slash funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which helps support stations like C89.5.
"For C89.5, federal funding accounts for about 11% of our budget," said Wirth.
He estimates that’s approximately $175,000 — funding that covers licensing fees, community events and supports five full-time staff positions.
"What are we going to do? What are we going to cut?" he asked. "We don’t have a lot of wiggle room in terms of staffing."
Beyond the impact on C89.5, Wirth warned the proposed cuts could have broader consequences for public services.
"Let’s say you’re in Texas and you want emergency alerts about flooding — who provides those alerts? That’s the emergency alert system," Wirth pointed out. "That is funded and managed by CPB. So you cut government funding, you lose services that not only are fun like C89.5, but also really essential like local news, weather alerts."
The Source: Information in this story came from original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
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