[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 179 (Thursday, December 10, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE FIRST BROADCAST AND GRAND OPENING OF KEXP'S NEW HOME AT 
                             SEATTLE CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 10, 2015

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the first broadcast 
from KEXP's New Home in Seattle, and to salute the station as it 
prepares for the Grand Opening of its new home for music discovery in 
April of 2016.
   Since its founding in 1972, KEXP has always been a champion for 
music discovery. With a radio broadcast and online stream that reaches 
over 200,000 people per week as well as a video channel that reaches 
750,000 more, KEXP has provided music lovers with decades of trusted, 
curated music discovery experiences, and introduced a global audience 
to new artists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
   As a public radio station with vibrant community support, KEXP 
empowers its DJs to make bold choices and push themselves creatively, 
introducing audiences to new artists, and putting music in context by 
sharing stories, connecting musical threads, and juxtaposing today's 
emerging artists with the seminal artists that inspire them.
   KEXP provides bands from the Pacific Northwest a stage from which 
they launch their music careers. KEXP connects thousands of artists to 
millions of music lovers. KEXP connects talent to record labels, 
promoters, and the music industry. The result is powerful; a thriving 
population of artists and bands who have the opportunity to 
successfully perform and present their art. KEXP is invigorating the 
community by helping arts and culture thrive in the Pacific Northwest.
   With the opening of its new home at Seattle Center, KEXP will be 
able to serve the community in exciting new ways. It will host free 
live performances, create new educational partnerships, create public 
engagement spaces, and house cutting-edge broadcast and production 
technology.
   As we tune in and celebrate the first broadcast from this state-of-
the-art facility, I would like to convey my congratulations to KEXP on 
the opening of its new home as well as the growing number of 
opportunities it will create to bring great music into the lives of 
those in the 7th Congressional District and around the world.

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