KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge

What KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge does

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge is a 30-watt, non-commercial educational radio station operating at FM 88.9 MHz from studios at Mercer Island High School in Mercer Island, Washington. Founded in 1973 and FCC-licensed for over 50 years, it is the only FM service licensed to the City of Mercer Island and serves as one of the city's primary emergency communication methods. The station is entirely student-run, with 150+ students participating daily across six daily class periods under faculty advisors with professional broadcast backgrounds at KISW, KZOK, KJR, KEXP, and KALW.

Its core products include live FM radio broadcasting, podcast production and hosting (distributed via Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Podcasts), live sports play-by-play of Mercer Island High School athletics, and a daily morning show ("Breakfast on the Bridge"). Supporting technology consists of a 30-watt FM transmitter, digital streaming via TuneIn, a dedicated iOS mobile app, an OnlineRadioBox playlist feed, and a Squarespace-hosted website. The station has accumulated 100+ national awards, including consecutive Best High School Radio Station in the Nation honors from the John Drury Radio Awards (2024) and Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (2025), plus multiple New York Times Podcast Contest and NPR Student Podcast Challenge wins.

KMIH operates as a non-commercial entity owned by the Mercer Island School District. Revenue is generated entirely through community donations, a vehicle donation program, and the Bridge Boosters parent support organization; no advertising is sold and all programming is free to listeners. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with audience growth driven by student word-of-mouth, local event participation (Seafair, farmers markets, school board meetings), an annual 12-hour broadcast, and global digital distribution that the station claims reaches listeners in 50+ countries.

Name

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge

Legal name

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge

Website

https://889thebridge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge is a student-run, non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Mercer Island High School in Washington, broadcasting at 88.9 MHz since 1973 and reaching 50+ countries via FM, streaming, and podcasts. It trains 150+ students daily in broadcast media and is funded by community donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPABACAH

University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Local Broadcast Stations & Affiliates (TV & Radio)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAE

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

Keywords

• Educational radio station
• Student broadcasting program
• Fm radio broadcasting
• Podcast production
• Community radio

Headquarters

HQ city

Mercer Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Community Support: As a non-commercial educational radio station, KMIH relies on donations from the community, vehicle donations, and general support to operate. The station does not sell advertising.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge is a 30-watt, non-commercial, educational radio station operating at FM 88.9 MHz, owned by the Mercer Island School District and located at Mercer Island High School. The station is fully student-run, offering FM radio broadcasting, podcast production and hosting, and live sports broadcasting of school athletic events, while providing hands-on broadcast and media training to students through a multi-level curriculum.

Product overview

KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge operates as a student-run non-commercial educational radio station with a multi-product offering centered on FM broadcast radio, podcast production, and sports broadcasting. The core service is 88.9 FM radio broadcasting providing music, news, and conversation content. Supporting this are podcast production and hosting services (distributed via Spotify, SoundCloud), live sports broadcasting of MIHS athletic events, and the 'Breakfast on the Bridge' morning show. An educational radio training program with three levels (Intro to Radio, Advanced Radio, ABRO) develops student broadcasters. The station also offers a vehicle donation program for fundraising and an official mobile app for on-the-go listening.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 88.9 FM Radio Broadcasting Student-run non-commercial educational radio station broadcasting at FM 88.9 MHz with a 30-watt transmitter, providing music, news, sports, and conversation content to local Mercer Island listeners and a global streaming audience. FCC licensed for over 50 years and serving as one of the primary emergency communication methods for the City of Mercer Island.
• Podcast Production and Hosting Student-created podcasts covering diverse topics including news, culture, sports, fashion, food, and local stories, distributed via Spotify, SoundCloud, and other podcast platforms. Includes award-winning productions recognized by the New York Times Podcast Contest and NPR's Student Podcast Challenge.
• Sports Broadcasting Student-run live broadcasts of Mercer Island High School sports including soccer, wrestling, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and football, with play-by-play commentary and sports talk shows. Award-winning sports programming recognized by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System and John Drury Radio Awards.
• Radio Broadcasting Training Program Multi-level educational program with three tiers: Intro to Radio (beginners), Advanced Radio (intermediate), and ABRO (Advanced Broadcasting and Radio Operations for third/fourth-year students), taught as for-credit classes at Mercer Island High School. Provides hands-on training in audio production, on-air delivery, interviewing, podcasting, and station operations.
• KMIH Mobile App Official iOS mobile application for KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, available on the Apple App Store, allowing users to listen to live radio broadcasts and access station content on mobile devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ students trained daily through 6 classes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of Mercer IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Mercer Island is a key partner of KMIH. The station is the only FM service licensed to the City of Mercer Island and serves as one of the primary emergency communication methods for the city.
• Mercer Island School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKMIH is owned by the Mercer Island School District with studios located at Mercer Island High School. The district provides institutional support for the educational radio broadcasting program.
• SeafairminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKMIH partners with Seafair, transforming into 'Log Boom Radio' for the annual Seafair festival. The station broadcasts from local farmers markets and community events.
• KMIH Bridge BoosterscoreOthersParent group that provides financial assistance for certain KMIH expenses and plans activities to provide a positive radio and educational experience for students. Supports annual trip to New York for National Radio Broadcasting Awards, volunteers at events, connects students with community mentors, and organizes station-wide events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KOAC (Oregon Public Broadcasting affiliate): Regional public radio network providing emergency communications and educational programming in the Pacific Northwest, overlapping with KMIH on community broadcaster role and emergency-information mandate.
• KALW (San Francisco): Bay Area public/community radio station where Lauren Schechter previously produced and edited. Comparable non-commercial educational mission with news, music, and community programming, but at NPR-affiliate scale.
• WAMU (American University Radio): Major NPR-member public radio station operated by American University. Comparable as a university-affiliated non-commercial broadcaster with educational mission and award-winning news programming, though at much larger scale.
• KEXP (Seattle): Major Seattle community/independent non-commercial radio station where KMIH advisor Lauren Schechter previously produced. Overlaps in non-commercial educational ethos, music-discovery mission, and digital-first distribution, though at vastly greater scale and listener base.

Regional players

• KUOW (Seattle): NPR-member public radio station serving the greater Seattle/Puget Sound region including Mercer Island. Comparable as a non-commercial educational broadcaster covering the same geographic market, but at much larger scale and with professional news staff.

Direct peers

• WHRB (Harvard Radio Broadcasting): Student-run non-commercial educational radio station with a tiered training structure and award-winning programming. Directly comparable as a prestigious collegiate model that KMIH's award trajectory parallels at the high school level.
• C89.5 (Nathan Hale High School): Seattle-area high school radio station where KMIH advisor Lauren Schechter previously worked. Directly comparable as another student-run, non-commercial educational FM station in the same region with similar training-program structure.
• KCSB (UC Santa Barbara): Long-running non-commercial educational college FM station with a comparable student-run structure, training pipeline, archival programming, and emphasis on local/community content.
• KZSC (UC Santa Cruz): College/community radio station where KMIH advisor Lauren Schechter began her radio career. Comparable as a non-commercial educational broadcaster with student involvement, archival programming, and community focus.
• KGRG (Green River College): Non-commercial educational college radio station where KMIH Chief Engineer Jon Kasprick also serves as Chief Engineer. Closest operational peer — same FCC-licensed non-commercial educational model, similar scale, and overlapping technical staff.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/889thebridge
• YouTubesoundcloud.com/user-612714891-829626791
• Facebookfacebook.com/889thebridge
• Instagraminstagram.com/889thebridge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kmih-88-9-fm-the-bridge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KMIH 88.9 FM The Bridge