Photos Provided
Station Manager Matt Shannon smiles while DJing Live 95’s morning show.
By Sigourney Orstad
For the C-C Chamber of Commerce
If you live in Lewis County, you’ve likely turned on your car radio and tuned in to Live 95 or KITI. While Live 95 was established more recently — celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer — KITI has been around since the 1950s. Live 95 plays top hits from the past 40 years, while KITI features familiar oldies.
“KITI is the greatest hits of all time — so a heavy catalog from the ’70s and ’60s,” said station manager and owner Matt Shannon.
What sets Live 95 and KITI apart from many modern radio stations is that all their DJs broadcast live. While prerecorded segments have become the norm elsewhere, these stations keep the tradition of live radio alive. One such segment is “The Drive at Five” on Live 95, hosted by Shannon, where listeners can call in and request songs during their evening commute.
Another distinguishing feature is local ownership. Unlike many stations now operated by out-of-state corporations, Live 95 and KITI remain locally owned — a rarity today.
“Premier Broadcasters, which is me and somebody else, is a Centralia company that purchased KITI in 1977,” Shannon said. “It’s the last of the locally owned radio stations. As time went by, corporate America kind of gobbled the locally owned radio stations up.”
Sales Manager Kari Driver and Account Executive Cara Legg pose in front of Live 95 and KITI lobby sign.
For Shannon, radio runs in the family.
“I started on the air in 1992. My dad was one of the owners at the time. I was in high school, and the program director — who had worked with my dad — said, ‘Well, you sound enough like your dad, so we’ll give it a shot,’” Shannon said.
He continued working at KITI, and when Live 95 launched in 1995, he transitioned to full time. He’s been a DJ at both stations ever since.
For those who haven’t yet discovered the stations, Shannon has a simple invitation.
“If you haven’t listened to either of the stations, I’d say, ‘Hey, listen to one of them for half an hour and see what you think.’ If you’ve moved into town or you’re in the mood to hear something different, tune in and see if you like it,” he said.
Live 95 broadcasts at 95.1 FM, and KITI airs at 100.5 FM, 92.9 FM, and 1420 AM. For more information, visit live95.com.
