Seattle’s Classical KING 98.1 FM has moved its studios to lower Queen Anne Hill in Seattle from its KING Broadcasting building home of many years, but that’s just a part of a plethora of happenings at the area’s only classical station.

Their on-air hosts welcome speaking engagements as part of a new free speaker’s bureau. On-air hosts and Program Director Peter Newman will speak at corporations, schools, arts groups and professional associations on a variety of subjects including "Why the Arts Matter," "The Role Classical Music Plays in Stress Management," "The Importance of Keeping Classical Music Alive," and more. "If you have something in mind that fits in with your business, or school curriculum, just ask us and we’ll be happy to help any way we can," elaborates Newman. "We welcome the opportunity to come to your group."

Also, right in step with fall election fever Classical KING FM 98.1 is having its own election. Entitled "The Great 98" listeners vote for their favorite classics of all time. "Beethoven’s 9th always wins," said Newman. "We want to see if ol’ Ludwig can be unseated this year." Election details can be found at www.king.org,

Other new features include King’s state-of-the-art studios featuring a live performance area complete with a baby grand piano. "We can accommodate up to 30 musicians as we lend additional support to non-profit groups. It’s fun, it’s live, it’s local, and there’s interaction with the host – all of which makes for exciting radio," enthused Newman. In addition to live performances on Mondays and Fridays, on-air host Miss Marta has a live concert regularly to showcase young, local talent, as part of "Classic Kid FM."

The classical stations has also instituted regular programming with Mondays and Fridays reserved as "Live by George" with host George Shangrow; Tuesdays are Symphony Night; Wednesdays are Festival Night, featuring festivals in the area; and Thursdays are historical recordings.

For the holiday season starting this month, Classical KING FM 98.1 is working with Union Gospel Mission on a "Home for the Holidays" project. Various concerts in the area will be promoted on the classical music station and attendees will be asked to contribute toiletry items for the Union Gospel Mission.

"KING FM is the only area radio station that broadcasts traditional holiday music. It’s our gift back to the community," explains Newman. "We’re asking listeners to ‘take us home’ by tuning in wherever ‘home’ is, and we are delighted that our holiday season programming will also tout the wonderful work of the Mission."

Cellular phone users with text messaging have another added bonus: KING FM is the first radio station in the Northwest that has the technology to list what song is playing now, and what song will play next. Better yet, it’s free. To sign up, go to www.king.org

KING FM’s award-winning Internet studio is the most popular classical radio web site in the world, and the most popular radio web site of any format in the Northwest, according to Alexa Internet who monitors more than 130 million web page views monthly.

The station even touts that they can "see you on the radio."

KING’s on-air hosts now can also see listeners as they pass by their ground floor studio at 10 Harrison Street, just west across the street from Key Arena. They urge, "When you’re in Seattle, hold up a sign and say hello!"

The station’s listener line (206-691-2987) has been revamped and is updated daily with information about concerts, contests, and more.

KING FM is owned by Beethoven, the nonprofit organization whose members are the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and the Corporate Council for the Arts. Since its founding in 1995, KING FM has given more than $3 million to the arts.