KEEW/Portland still quiet - An update

On June 9, All The Excess! reported that Nurthcomm Soft AC KEEW/Portland was either off the air, or as the station claimed, "stunting with silence." More than one month later, the situation is the same.

Our reporters have been following the progress of KEEW through whatever transition it's going through...format change, sign-off, whatever. We have confirmed that there is no carrier on KEEW's 92.7 frequency, and that all KEEW staffers but one have been let go. The remaining employee is receptionist Amber "Moon Unit" Grainwaves, with whom we've become quite familiar. She is there to answer calls Monday through Friday, and insists to callers that the station is indeed still on the air.

Grainwaves offers a litany of reasons why nothing can be heard on 92.7 FM. Here are a few we've received as we've repeatedly called KEEW seeking an explanation for its silence:

June 15: "Y'know how all TV stations just went digital? So did we, so you need to buy a converter box."

June 18: "We're tracking a Shields and Yarnell album right now."

June 23: "We're HD radio now. Only people with HD radios can hear us. I've never seen one, myself, nor do I really know what HD radio is. I just tell you what I'm told."

July 3: "We're airing callers who have an opinion on the resignation of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin."

July 6: "It's still a holiday, damn it, and I only picked up the phone because I thought it might be my boyfriend."

July 10: "Today we're featuring the greatest public speeches given by President George W. Bush."

When we asked Amber Grainwaves what questions she gets most, she answered, "Mostly it's 'Why can't I hear your station?' After that it's 'I miss my morning 'EEW, when are they coming back?' and my favorite, 'Is your refrigerator running?' Then they answer 'Well you better go catch it.' It's hysterical!"

All The Excess! will continue to follow this bizarre developing story.