PRAISE 106.5 is broadcasting from a new home!
The CRISTA Media radio station celebrated the culmination of weeks-long moving and organizing with the first broadcast from their new studio in Bellingham’s Barkley Village on March 21. The new space brings the radio station to the heart of Bellingham, a big move for the station that has broadcast out of Lynden, Wash. since its start 35 years ago.
“When KWPZ PRAISE 106.5 began many decades ago, the station served a smaller geographic area, and now PRAISE 106.5 is the most listened to radio station in Whatcom County according to Nielsen Ratings,” said John Randolph, General Manager of KWPZ. “Our new location matches the reality of PRAISE 106.5’s strong listenership in Whatcom, Skagit, Island Counties and Vancouver, BC.”
PRAISE 106.5 moved into over 3,000 square feet of studio space on the first floor of the Dorothy Haggen Building in Barkley Village. As a part of Barkley Village, PRAISE 106.5 will join a mix of residential, retail, office and civic spaces.
“PRAISE has continually stayed on the cutting edge of technology and has been a model for many other broadcasters both secular and Christian,” Randolph said. “Staying on the cutting edge requires space and personnel, and moving to Barkley Village reflects these realities.”
The new space gives the station the opportunity to host artists in their studios, provide intimate concerts and, most importantly, allows room for future growth.
Listener support played a large role in helping KWPZ secure the much-needed studio space, with PRAISE supporters providing the final 20% of funding needed to make the move possible. These loyal listeners, whether in Lynden, Bellingham, or Vancouver, B.C. can continue to count on the programming they find encouragement from PRAISE each day, now from its new home in Bellingham.