Two Harbors Community Radio Presents Cabin Fever Reliever

The seventh “Cabin Fever Reliever,” a celebration of local musical talent and community radio, will be held Sunday, March 12, 4:00 pm, at the Two Harbors High School auditorium. The community celebration will benefit radio station KTWH in Two Harbors.

The two-hour program features nine performing acts and will be co-emceed by the one-man band Steve Solkela, and flutist and KTWH Beat Farm host Leslie Black.

The show’s producer, Kim Leon, is a long-time volunteer working with KTWH. She and husband Jose Leon, who own and operate Two Harbors Media, came to Two Harbors in 2012. She began organizing this event in November. Kim is an on-air volunteer at the station and works to showcase highlights of the music and artists in the region. 

Kim is excited to bring a live performance to the stage this year. “Due to the pandemic, Cabin Fever Reliever was not done live the last two years,” Kim said.

Local crowd favorite, THUG (Two Harbors Ukulele Group), is the “one of a kind house band” for the performance.

KTWH is a radio station created after the US Congress passed legislation in 2010 authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue low power FM licenses to community based non-profits. Current board member Fran Kaliher presented KTWH as an idea to fellow board member and co-founder Leo Babeu. The two leaders organized broad community support and filed the license application. The station went on the air in September 2015 and broadcasts over 5,000 hours of programming every year. 

KTWH’s low-power community radio license is limited to 100 watts, which allows coverage of a three to ten-mile radius from its antenna in downtown Two Harbors, depending on weather and topography.  The station has applied for and received a construction permit to build a full-power station, up to 20,000 watts, to expand its reach along the north shore. Board chairman Babeu says that engineering studies have been done, a budget is in place, and a campaign to “Raise the full power antenna” is underway. When completed to full power, the station will reach up the shore past Silver Bay and inland.

“We call ourselves ‘Radio with a lake view,’ Babeu says. “With 320 square miles of coverage, half of it is on Lake Superior.”

KTWH is a volunteer-run radio station. “It’s a labor-of-love all around,” Babeu says. “We have 50 or more volunteers helping out.”

Board chairman Babeu specifically acknowledges “Electron Bruce” Holmen who is the volunteer operating engineer making sure all the technology works to get programming on the air. Bruce (the Moose) Eckland runs daily operations at the station. Activities Manager Mychele Anderson coordinates the many volunteers working on the air and behind the scenes. 

KTWH can be found at 99.5 on the FM dial, and you can listen live from anywhere and anytime with internet access at KTWH.org. 

KTWH is always looking for volunteers, including for on-air talent and programming ideas. Contact information is on the website.