KAOS (89.3 FM) is a hybrid college–community radio station licensed to the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. It broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 1.25 kilowatts, and streams via the internet. The station offers radio broadcasting training to students of the college as well as members of the local community.
History
Dean Katz of The Evergreen State College founded KAOS. When he traveled to Seattle to apply for the station license, his official papers had the radio station's call letters as KESC (for "Evergreen State College.") However, unbeknownst to his adviser and almost everyone else, Katz substituted the initials of the fictional spy agency in the TV show Get Smart. The license was granted under his surprise application, and broadcasts began on January 8, 1973.
The station has been a mainstay in Olympia's local music scene, including a famous early appearance by Skid Row (Nirvana) on May 6, 1987 (their fourth public appearance and first-ever radio broadcast) and a Kurt Cobain solo acoustic performance on September 25, 1990 (both included on the Nirvana box set With the Lights Out).