The Iowa Channel came about when KCCK began offering digital "HD Radio" a couple of years ago. Like with digital TV, the new technology enabled us to not only offer a CD quality version of the main jazz channel, but let us "split" the digital stream in to three distinct program streams.
Only question was, what should we put on the new stream(s)? Jazz is a pretty narrow niche, and it didn't make sense to split our existing audience by playing a different kind of jazz, or just rebroadcasting our existing jazz shows. What could we do that would be different, and maybe attract a different audience?
Well, one thing we have always done on the jazz side is play a lot of music from local and regional artists. Plus, we air a lot of live concerts and festivals that take place in our little corner of Iowa. Iowa-based arists and bands have achieved national and international notoriety in jazz, blues, latin, reggae and rock. What if we started a station that just played Iowa artists?
It would be like if you could go to Pandora and type in Iowa and get all this cool music.
So, in 2009 we launched the Iowa Channel on the air. A webcast soon followed. In 2010, we developed the Iowa Channel iPhone app, and the stream is also compatible with all other mobile platforms. Check out the listen page for your particular phone or device.
Honestly, in modern broadcasting terms, the format of the Iowa Channel is kind of a train wreck. Who ever heard of a channel that broadcasts a mishmash of vocal and instrumental jazz, blues, reggae, rock, latin, big band and folk? Well, we think it's kind of cool that you don't always know what to expect. I hope you do, too.
So, the Iowa Channel is a work in progress, there's nothing else like it in the state, and not many in the country. And, it's kind of a "hobby" project for us right now, I work on it in my spare time. But, I think there's a lot of potential.
We'd be thrilled to hear your feedback on the station, both positive comments and suggestions on what we might improve. Use the comments field below or email feedback@iowachannel.org. If you're an Iowa musician with music you'd like to get on the channel, send it to me! Our mailing address is on the home page.
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