Volunteer’s interest began as a boy, continues today

Radio has always interested Floyd McDaniel.

“As a kid, when we went to Grand Junction, I went into a station to see what they did and how they did it,” the longtime Parachute resident said as he sat in front of the control board at KSBP-FM in the Battlement Mesa Activity Center.

“Every place we ever were, I’d want to see a radio station,” he said. “So when they started this station, I came over to see if I could help and here I am.”

Known as KSUN Radio, the low-power community radio station reaches residents in Battlement Mesa, DeBeque and some areas of Rifle. Low power stations are limited to either 10- or 100-watt transmitters, and McDaniel said since the station’s FM signal, which is line of sight, doesn’t have many mountains to the west, some areas of Grand Junction and Fruita can pick it up.

McDaniel reads the news and weather, what happened in history and a trivia question between 7-8 a.m. each weekday. He’s been a volunteer with the station for the last three years.

The KSUN annual dinner takes place tonight, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. in the activity center. Tickets are available at the front desk for $15 and can be reserved by calling 285-9480.

Some people may not know it, but most radio stations today broadcast music and even announcers off satellites or computer discs. Gone are the days of live announcers, except for the morning drive time hours. At KSUN, a computer database holds some 20,000 music selections, McDaniel said, ranging from bluegrass and country music to rock and roll and classical.

“About the only thing we don’t have is hip hop or urban music,” he said.

Besides McDaniel’s hour-long shift each morning, KSUN features a pre-recorded show of 1960s to 1980s music, a half-hour children’s story and song show, Sunday religious shows, old time radio and syndicated public radio-type shows. Grand Valley High School football and basketball games are also heard.

KSUN is funded through grants, local underwriting, memberships and donations, he said.