KSER's roots trace back to 1962, when KRAB signed on at 107.7 MHz. This
Seattle radio station, later owned by the
Jack Straw Memorial Foundation, provided an
eclectic mix of
jazz,
world music,
Pacifica radio features, and much more. The station was also dangerously close to insolvency. Its management realized the station could be sold to a commercial broadcaster and an
endowment was created, allowing the foundation to broadcast in the non-commercial part of the radio dial, which exists between 88.1 MHz and 91.9 MHz. The owners of KRAB originally applied to share time with
KNHC, owned by the
Seattle Public Schools. However, this action was seen by the school district as a hostile take-over bid. Ultimately, the owners got a license for 90.7 MHz in
Everett, Washington. The Seattle frequency was sold and became KMGI (now today's
KNDD). Six years later, on February 9, 1991, KSER signed on from its studios at a small retail space in
Lynnwood, Washington. By 1994 the foundation sold the station to its current owners, the KSER Foundation. The station built a new transmitter in western
Lake Stevens in 1997 that allowed them to increase power to 5,800 watts and improve coverage to most of
Snohomish County. KSER relocated from its Lynnwood studios to a new space in
Downtown Everett on February 25, 2004, after the acquisition and renovation of a former lawyer's office and dental laboratory. Although its signal also reaches
King County, coverage is limited due to signal coverage from
KVTI:
Tacoma, which broadcasts adjacent at 90.9 MHz. KVTI could not be heard in most of Snohomish County, Washington. In the fall of 2013, the KSER Foundation signed on a second signal: 89.9 KXIR, Freeland. The second tower is located on Whidbey Island in the town of Freeland. At present, KSER and KXIR simulcast programming. As of 2014, KSER has a board of directors, staff, and over 100 volunteers. KSER's programming consists of news, public affairs, talk and diversified music shows and world news from the
BBC. == Jack Straw Foundation ==