The History of Idaho Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. has announced the purchase of a historical building in Nampa in which the group plans to build a radio and television broadcasting museum and education center.
The building, at 1024 12th Avenue South, is the former studios of the once-popular KFXD AM and FM radio stations.
“It has always been our mission to build a permanent and living repository for the preservation of the history of radio and television broadcasting within the State of Idaho,” said HIBF President Art Gregory, a former Boise-area radio station owner and manager.
“After all the 2017 pledges come in, we will still be short $4,828,” he pointed out. “However, we were able to obtain temporary funding to make the down payment. We are hopeful the remaining funding to reach $25,000 will arrive early this year.”
Organizers say the Center will help bring to the community a broader knowledge of how Idaho broadcasting pioneers impacted communications in the state, as well as providing a training facility for future radio and television broadcasters.
“We realize this is huge undertaking. We have studied how other organizations have successfully done this in Chicago and in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we will model our museum after theirs,” said Gregory.
“Our goal is to celebrate and honor past and present broadcasters from across Idaho. We also wish to include every broadcasting station in the state,” he said. “Our ultimate mission is to stimulate in people of all ages -- especially the young -- a recognition of the practical and real contributions to our quality of life that radio and television broadcasting has provided, and continues to provide, to the people of Idaho.”
The building was originally constructed in 1937, at a cost of over $100,000. “In today’s dollars, the building would cost almost two million dollars,” Gregory pointed out.
The group does not yet have an opening date for the museum and education center.
If you would like to donate, you can contact the Idaho Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. office at 208-853-7756 or e-mail the organization at HIBF@Q.com.
(Also, check out the photo gallery of Boise radio/TV memories throughout the years!)
