Seattle Opera Welcomes Classical KING FM 98.1 at New Opera Center Home

Seattle Opera is thrilled to welcome 98.1 Classical KING FM as a new resident of The Opera Center at Seattle Center. At 11:01 pm on Friday, February 21, 2020 KING FM listeners heard the first notes of Beethoven's, Consecration of the House Overture announced by KING FM host Ted Askew. This marked the very first broadcast from the listener-supported radio station's new home on the second floor of the Opera Center.

The two organizations began talks about sharing space in 2017 when KING FM learned its 20-year-home near Key Arena was slated for demolition. At a time when Seattle rents are soaring and arts groups are struggling to make budget, these two non-profit arts organizations banded together to support each other by entering into a space-sharing arrangement. Two years of careful planning meant listeners didn't miss a beat and will enjoy expanded programming in the coming months.

Soundproof studios and state of the art upgrades were woven into a construction plan and a long-term lease agreement with Seattle Opera. Approximately 30 staff, 25,000 CDs and 260 pieces of equipment (including 5 antennas, 11 microphones, 4 mixer consoles and an emergency generator) are all currently in place. Although most of the music played over the airwaves today is stored on hard drives, KING FM's impressive library of classical CDs were all moved into a place of honor inside the new studio lobby.

KING FM and Seattle Opera operate within a similar classical landscape; they share similar goals of sustainability and growth by attracting younger diverse audiences. Currently KING FM reports over 46,000 listeners under age 35 and 7,600 listeners under age 11. KING FM also has a diverse audience, with a large number of listeners who self-identify as African American and LatinX.

The public can expect announcements about exciting collaborations and innovative programming from inside the Opera Center studio spaces in the coming months. Details on for the April 16th Public Radio Music Day, will be announced soon. KING FM's complete programming schedule is available at www.king.org. Interviews with KING FM CEO Brenda Barnes, as well as TV/Photographer studio tours, are available upon request by contacting Jennifer Rice (contact info listed above).

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