What Happened to KVRU and What We Need

Last week, someone broke into KVRU’s transmitter room and stole our transmission and Emergency Alert System equipment.

We were able to borrow a transmitter to get back on the air, but it’s temporary. We’re working on a permanent solution and need community support to make it happen.

What Was Taken

Someone took our transmitter hardware that broadcasts our signal and our Emergency Alert System (EAS) hardware. The transmitter is what gets KVRU’s signal out to about 200,000 people across South Seattle. The EAS system is how we send out emergency alerts during severe weather, public safety incidents, and other emergencies.

The break-in also damaged the transmitter room itself: doors, walls, locks, conduit, cable paths, power cables and connections, and ventilation systems all need repair or replacement.

Why KVRU Matters to South Seattle

KVRU is a platform for South Seattle voices. Local people tell local stories and connect with each other here. We broadcast in multiple languages, cover what’s happening in your neighborhood, and provide a community space on the airwaves.

Emergency information is a major part of our service. When something urgent happens, we make sure everyone in the community can get that information, including people who don’t have smartphones or reliable internet.

We operate from an affordable housing building run by SouthEast Effective Development (SEED). The residents in this building are our neighbors and part of our audience. When the station is threatened, it also affects them directly. They rely on the station for information, are a part of our programming, and this security breach (and others) has happened in their building.

For the broader South Seattle community, KVRU fills gaps that commercial media doesn’t. We reach about 200,000 people in areas that have historically been underserved by mainstream media and don’t always have access to other sources of hyperlocal news and emergency communications.

We love our location, we love the people here, we love being a convening space, and we want to continue to serve the people here!

The Impact

Without our permanent EAS system, we can’t reliably send emergency alerts. That puts people at risk during the next severe weather event or public safety incident.

The damaged security in the building is a problem for the residents who live here.

There’s also the FCC license issue. The loaner equipment buys us time, but without securing quickly securing replacement equipment, we could be off the air and lose our license.

What We’re Working On

Here’s what needs to happen:

• Replace the stolen transmitter and EAS equipment. Some of what was stolen isn’t manufactured anymore, so we need newer equipment that does the same job.

• Repair all the damage to the transmitter room: doors, walls, electrical, ventilation, everything that got broken or compromised.

• Install security upgrades and system monitoring so we can prevent and immediately respond to problems.

The loaner transmitter keeps us on the air for now, but we need to secure permanent equipment and repairs.

How You Can Help

Keep listening at 105.7 FM and streaming at KVRU.org.

Spread the word about what happened. Tell people in your community why KVRU matters.

If your elected officials ask what matters to you, mention KVRU. Community voices help.

Your direct financial contributions also help. You can donate via our website or our GoFundMe.

What’s Next

We’re doing everything we can to secure the funding and equipment we need. The support from the community since this happened has been huge—your calls, emails, and messages mean a lot.

KVRU was built by this community to serve this community. We’re going to keep it going.

You can find us at 105.7 FM and KVRU.org.

—The KVRU Team