Tune in to KNHC-FM (89.5) and help outfit new studio

LOCAL public radio station KNHC-FM (89.5) is influential enough to be one of six stations nationally that help pick the Billboard's Top 40 in the Rythmic Contemporary Hit radio format.

Think Morgan Page and Michelle Williams, both of whom will be featured at the station's Dec. 5 listener appreciation concert.

But unlike the other five stations that weigh in — big-time stations like ClearChannel in New York and the Cox station in Miami — KNHC is run by students at Nathan Hale High School with help of Gregg Neilson, general manager and journalism teacher, and three other full-time staff members.

After 37 years of local and national kudos and a devoted audience that pledges for twice-yearly fund drives, the small station is in a year of transition.

KNHC is kicking off its first-ever capital campaign this week after improving its sound quality by converting to high-definition radio. The yearlong, $1 million campaign coincides with construction of the station's new studio, expected to open next fall as part of the Seattle School District's major upgrades to Nathan Hale.

About $800,000 will go to outfit the studio with everything from consoles to software to amplifiers to microphones. Another $100,000 will set up a scholarship fund for worthy students — in almost every one of the past 15 years, a Nathan Hale student has won the Washington Area Vocational Educators scholarship. The remaining $100,000 is earmarked for creating a long-term development plan.

This is a worthy investment in a small high-school program that has helped shape the Seattle music scene — all while teaching a couple of generations of kids skills in radio.