David Purdy had many dreams. One of them was to create a community radio station. In 2013, the opportunity arose to apply for an FCC license to build a low-power station.  David and his wife,  Ellen Stewart, would need a non-profit agency to sponsor the project. Tuolumne County Arts Alliance agreed to be the sponsor.

TCAA Executive Director Connie O’Connor helped orchestrate partnerships with Sonora High School District and the Sonora Area Foundation to provide initial start-up support for the fledgling station, as well as space for the station in the basement of the historic Sonora Dome, a visual icon in the community since its construction in 1909.

In February 2014,  KAAD was issued an FCC Permit to Construct and for the next few years, Purdy and Stewart, with the help of an Advisory Council, designed the station.

In 2016,  the call went out for people to participate as volunteer programmers and engineers.  A variety of trainers offered their services to teach the technology necessary to run the station and to create programming for it.

In January 2017,  a team of enthusiastic individuals began broadcasting to the local community and streaming around the world, wherever there is an internet connection. Since that time, programmers have created many music and talk programs, live and pre-recorded, in studio and remotely.  Cassina High School students have participated in audio technology classes, and most recently, a second studio on the Cassina High campus has been built for meetings, training, and recording theatre projects, bands and community forums.

In 2020,  KAAD received its own non-profit status with its own Board of Directors. We are now Mother Lode Community Radio – KAAD-LP.

In the years since, KAAD-LP’s programs and volunteers have grown in numbers and scope. Projects such as “The Diggins” Columbia Street Musician Documentary project and the expansion of youth programs to serve Sonora High and the Motherlode Juvenile Detention Center have established our station as a vibrant and entertaining addition to the community.

The recent successes of our student driven Youth Broadcasting Club and financial gains made through our Old Time Radio Show Holiday Fundraiser point the way toward a future where radio broadcasting thrives. We continue to be extremely grateful to our community for supporting our mission and contributing to the ongoing success of our station. We look forward to strengthening these relationships with our community and maintaining a platform where local voices can be heard.