KEWU 89.5 FM

About KEWU

Jazz 89.5 KEWU-FM is a non-commercial, educational radio station serving Eastern Washington University and the surrounding Cheney/Spokane metropolitan area. The station has an extensive and illustrious broadcasting history in The Inland Northwest. KEWC (as it was originally identified) first hit the airwaves on April 7, 1950.

KEWU has undergone many changes throughout the years. In 1986, the station increased its transmitter output from 10 watts to 10,000 watts and the station format was changed to straight ahead Classic and Contemporary Jazz.

KEWU is managed and operated by a mixture of Eastern Washington University faculty, students and broadcast communications professionals. Station announcers are paid student employees.

Recognition

Elizabeth Farriss was named Best Small Market Jazz Programmer for 2009 & 2015 by Jazz Week Magazine.

KEWU was also named the 2005 Best Small Market Jazz station and Program Director Elizabeth Farriss was named Best Small Market Jazz Programmer for 2005 by Jazz Week Magazine, the definitive jazz radio resource.

Philosophy

KEWU believes in the importance of promoting the music of contemporary jazz artists who—while staying true to the art form—are exploring and pushing the limits of the music. It is these artists who keep the music moving in a forward direction. KEWU strives to maintain a potent balance of music past and music present, playing a prodigious amount of classic jazz in its many incarnations: traditional, Dixieland, big band, swing, and bop. KEWU also features specialty programming such as The Old School Show, The Friday Night Blues Show, Nightfall, and Jazz Omnibus.

Staff

Drew Ayers, PhD
General Manager
Associate Professor, Program Director of Film
dayers5@ewu.edu

Tom Alderson
Chief Operator, Broadcast Technician II
talderson@ewu.edu

Elizabeth A. Farriss
Program Director
efarriss@ewu.edu

KEWU Office
509.359.4226

Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.