KHSU General Manager Ed Subkis said “This is a totally new radio station for Humboldt County. KHSU’s current format of NPR news, diverse music and local public affairs programming will not change, and KHSU reception will not be lost by anybody who currently receives KHSU.”
According to Subkis, this station is branded as "KHSU-BBC" to identify it as an additional service of KHSU.
The key to the KHSU-BBC network is KHSM–a new radio station recently authorized to broadcast in McKinleyville at 103.3 FM. KHSM is the result of a partnership between the Humboldt State University Advancement Foundation, which holds the license to KHSM and KHSU, and the U.S. Coast Guard. KHSM will operate the new network out of space made available by the Coast Guard on a tower it owns near McKinleyville.
KHSM will bring BBC programming to northern Humboldt County, while KHSU’s Ferndale station on 90.1 FM will be re-engineered to air BBC programming in central Humboldt. KHSU programming in the Eel River Valley will continue to be heard on KHSU’s Ferndale translator at 88.7 FM.
KHSU-BBC, a new service is fully automated and will place little additional operational or financial burden on KHSU. Programming is produced by the BBC in London and distributed in the United States by American Public Media.
KHSU-BBC will cover the coastal area from the Humboldt-Del Norte County line south to Redcrest. Approximately 140,000 people will be served by the network.