For over four years, Bainbridge Islanders living near Manitou Beach have experienced unexplained malfunctions with computer equipment and smart home devices, dropped calls and degraded internet speed.

When people started picking up KKOL 1300 AM radio on their home speakers, Salem/Inspiration Media, which broadcasts from radio towers in the North Madison/Manitou area, was identified as the source of interference.

KKOL airs a conservative talk radio format. The station did not respond to numerous attempts for comment.

Blanketing interference occurs when stations broadcast a signal over a large area. When electronic devices are close to a transmitting antenna they may experience interference. The Federal Communications Commission requires stations to resolve interference within a certain distance from their transmitters in an area called the blanketing contour. KKOL’s blanket contour covers Manitou Beach to Suyematsu Farm and Miller Road to Rolling Bay.

When the city of BI sent postcards to 1,600 residents asking them if they were experiencing any issues with their electronic devices, more than 75 people attended a community meeting Sept. 13 at BI Fire Station 21 to learn more.

City manager Blair King said the event was intended to bring the community together, “So we can have a grassroots community action to communicate with the FCC.”

KKOL has a history of complaints dating back to 2001, including losing their lease at the Port of Tacoma in 2017 due to interference issues. After moving to BI, KKOL began broadcasting at 50,000 watts from a 187-foot tower in Murden Cove.

Soon after that, interference issues started to occur. In 2018, the BI City Council began working to protect the community from interference by notifying the FCC, and KKOL was ordered to reduce its transmission to 35,000 watts during daylight hours and 3,200 watts from sunset to sunrise.

In 2022, the city hired a Washington, DC, attorney to oppose the renewal of KKOL’s license because it wasn’t operating in the public interest. However, the FCC renewed the license through 2027 with the condition it mitigate interference.

When community organizer David Knight asked the audience if anyone was experiencing interference, about 30 people responded.

“This problem is so profound and so inherent with AM broadcasting that over fifty years ago, the FCC embodied it in its regulations,” radio expert David Schutz said. The regulation identifies blanketing interference as creating a public nuisance and places a responsibility upon radio broadcasters to resolve complaints. Schutz added there are no known health effects related to such interference.

“The reason KKOL came to Bainbridge Island is very simple. They were evicted for blanketing interference in the industrial zone at the port of Tacoma,” Schutz said.

Schutz and Knight said their objective is to get KKOL to reduce its transmission to 1 kW, which is enough to service its Seattle listeners.

“That’s what the other station, KNTS (1680 AM) broadcasts at from here in Murden Cove. It’s licensed to the city of Seattle. At night, it broadcasts with 1,000 watts, non-directional signals in all directions. It complies,” Schutz said. “KKOL can comply with the requirements for the service to the city of Seattle with 1 kilowatt.”

Knight and Schutz encouraged residents to file complaints for every suspected blanketing interference incident because that caught the attention of the FCC, which then forced changes on KKOL. By replacing wires with shielded wires or even replacing appliances entirely, KKOL must pay all the costs.

“The FCC is listening to us, and it’s in the order that they (KKOL) have to cover any electronic devices,” Knight said. “They have three business days by FCC order to respond to you, evaluate the problem, and then work with you to mitigate it. If they fail to mitigate it, they can be in trouble.”

According to FCC rules, any correspondence to a radio station from the public must be kept in a publicly available electronic file. To ensure that KKOL is receiving complaints, posting them, and responding in time Knight asked that residents send a copy of all complaints to BainbridgeKKOL@gmail.com so they may track them, too.

A “How to” document for sending complaints to Salem Media and the FCC is available by contacting Ann Knight at bainbridgeKKOL@gmail.com.

COBI courtesy image Map of blanket interference contour.