KRPO

Welcome back to KRPO-FM All-Service Radio, keeping you all entertained and informed out in the Big Green.

— Cal Gray's rendition of the KRPO slogan

KRPO, affectionately nicknamed "Kerpo" by the locals, is a medium-power radio station based out of Pinereach, CA, and is the only radio station (except the NOAA weather station on AM) in the Lassen National Forest region. It is an all-purpose channel, with segments of news, talk, and music arranged on the whim of its host, a certain Cal Gray.

Activity

The station's broadcast hours are primarily dependent on the operations of the nearby Hat Creek Observatory, which requires a radio-silent sky to function properly. As such, KRPO and observatory coordinate off-air periods according to the array's research observation schedule. For example, during the summer months, the 88.5 MHz band is inactive during the hours of 12 AM - 8 AM daily, to allow the Allen Telescope Array to survey the galactic core.
The station has also been known to go silent or loop a music mix for a day or more at a time; as a largely family-managed operation, Kerpo usually shuts down during family events (or when Calvin needs a break). In the last three years, Cal has set up a way for him to manage the station remotely from his phone, allowing him to DJ even when not in the studio.

City

Pinereach

Broadcast area

Lassen National Forest region

Callsign meaning

Redding-Pinereach Open broadcast

Branding

KRPO-FM All-Service Radio

Frequency

88.5 MHz

First air date

Aug. 14, 1959 (60 years ago)

Format

Variety (music, news, & talk)

Power

25,000 watts (analog)