The Ocean Shores Radio Advisory Board learned that the Federal Communications Commission granted a construction permit on Aug. 29 allowing KOSW to relocate its transmitter into Ocean Shores, a change the board’s engineering adviser said could substantially reduce the station’s current lease costs.

The permit gives the station until Aug. 29, 2028, to build the new facility and is intended to protect the proposed relocation while the board pursues zoning, environmental review and lease negotiations. Marty (technical consultant and board adviser) told the board the move would return the transmitter “physically in the city,” improving in-town coverage and potentially reducing the station’s tower lease from roughly $3,600 a month to an estimated neighborhood of $500 a month.

Why it matters: KOSW currently pays a multi-year tower lease that the board described as a significant recurring expense. A relocation could improve signal coverage within Ocean Shores, reduce operating costs and align the station with other local emergency communications planning.

Board discussion and next steps
Marty, identified at the meeting as the board’s technical adviser, said, “we actually filed an application with the FCC so that we could determine whether or not the tower site at the IGA... on August 29, they granted a construction permit for us to relocate KOSW's transmitter.” He added the permit “buys us some protections. It buys us time and an opportunity to seek relocation.”

Board chair Patrick Wendland and operations volunteers pressed practical questions about the current lease and the timeline. Don (meeting participant) read lease details he had seen, noting the original contract began on June 1, 2023, carried a five‑year term with renewal options and a 4% annual escalator; the board said that has produced today’s higher monthly cost. Marty said the engineering cost to file the FCC application was about $1,000, and that a later filing to convert the construction permit into a license would be roughly $800.

Legal and logistical constraints
Marty cautioned that the station has “several years left on the existing lease” and that relocation will require coordinating exit terms with the current tower owner and the city. He also noted environmental and permitting steps—SEPA review and zoning—will take time. Board members raised a separate, short-term concern: an osprey nest visible on the prospective tower site. Marty said the nest is a seasonal constraint that would be handled by the tower owner in consultation with state wildlife authorities and that it should not be an insurmountable obstacle outside of nesting season.

Formal direction recorded
The board did not take a formal vote to terminate the existing lease. Instead, members agreed to pursue information and negotiation: the board asked Butch (operations volunteer) to raise exit options with the city manager during a Thursday meeting; Marty offered to be available by phone during that discussion.

What remains unresolved
The board does not yet have a signed lease for the new site, and no early-termination clause for the current American Tower lease was presented at the meeting. Marty said his $500/month figure is a working estimate, not a signed offer. The permit itself expires in three years unless the relocation is completed; failure to build would leave the permit dormant but could affect future filings by other stations.

The board agreed to follow up with the city manager, review the existing lease language and report back at the next meeting.