Now go read the whole strip and be prepared to laugh (or cry).

Mississippi Radio Station Donated to College

The owner of commercial radio station WKZB in Stonewall, Mississippi is donating the station to Meridian Community College. The “classic hits” station, dubbed 106.9 “The Buzz,” is part of a local network of radio stations in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana owned by Clay Holladay under the auspices of Mississippi Broadcasters, LLC (and branded as “The Radio People“).

According to an article in the Meridian Star,

“Clay and Laura Holladay of Mississippi Broadcasters have gifted a full power FM commercial radio station to the MCC Foundation. The station – WKZB 106.9, one of the most popular radio stations in the market – will be operated by the college’s broadcast communication technology students in cooperation with MCC’s Productions Center.”

Although there is currently no paperwork on file with the FCC regarding this station transfer, the article states that the transfer is expected to happen by early September:

“MCC will move into a building stage for the studio, which will be housed on campus. The construction is estimated to begin in about six weeks. The classics format the station broadcasts will remain in this market possibly on another frequency, according to the MCC Production Center. No long-term programming has been set for 106.9 at this time.”

I am amazed by this story and it’s exciting to see that a commercial network would actually consider donating a radio station to a college campus. That’s a trend that I’d like to see more of. Of course, it will be interesting to see what the plans for the station are and if it will continue to operate as a commercial station or if the college will opt to run it as a non-commercial station. The school currently has a Broadcast Communication Technology Program, so no doubt the addition of a radio station will be a huge plus for students and faculty.

By the way, this radio station donation is part of a bigger series of deals involving commercial stations and a religious broadcasting network. Clay Holladay’s Mississippi Broadcasters, LLC is also buying 5 commercial radio stations from Clear Channel that were being run by URBan Radio and turning 2 of those stations over to New South Communications (owned by family members Frank and Ann Holladay). In addition to that, Mississippi Broadcasters is selling another station (WMLV 93.5 FM) to religious broadcasting behemoth Educational Media Foundation (owner of K-LOVE and Air 1). So, amidst all of this money changing hands (I haven’t seen any FCC filings yet, so am not sure of the amounts), the broadcast network will also get a nice little tax write-off for their donation to Meridian Community College.

Signage at KEAR-AM in Oakland (Photo: J. Waits)

Time and time again we are reminded of the vital importance of terrestrial radio following a natural disaster. Just this week, six commercial radio stations in Joplin, Missouri have stepped up following the horrific tornado there.

As was the case after the recent tornado in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and after the hurricane in Haiti; radio has become one of the primary methods of communicating news both before and after the storm. Zimmer Radio, Inc., which owns six commercial radio stations in Joplin, began non-stop coverage of the impending tornado beginning an hour and a half before it hit town on Sunday. As residents lost electricity and Internet access, listening to terrestrial radio became the main way to keep in touch with news about the storm. According to a CNN article:

“KZRG, part of Zimmer Operations’ six radio stations — two that are news and four, music — began its wall-to-wall coverage an hour and a half before the tornado twisted through town Sunday. It hasn’t stopped. For the first 24 hours, there was no electricity. Both cell phones and land lines were out, as was Internet service. All that people in Joplin had were battery-powered transistors.

The tornado missed the station building by a few blocks. So Zimmer Programming Manager Chad Elliot’s staff cranked up the generators and turned off the music. They even canceled the commercials. All they did was provide vital information to people who had lost everything.

Elliot said it was the first time the stations had stopped all else to provide 24/7 information, though he had learned the power of radio two years ago during a jumbo ice storm. ‘We’ve had this situation before, when radio becomes the only way of communication,’ he said. Immediately after Sunday’s killer tornado, Elliot said emergency crews drove to the station to provide information for broadcast. The station began telling people where to go for medical help. Or what number to dial for information about the missing. Or where they could buy gas or where there was still a Walmart standing.”

In addition to sending information out to listeners, the stations in Joplin also served as clearinghouses for callers offering aid or requesting assistance. According to a piece in the Los Angeles Times:

“The stations, based in a one-story building in Joplin, have transformed their staffs into impromptu public health experts and unofficial public information officers, consolidating multiple broadcasts into a single feed of nonstop disaster coverage under the call letters KZRG.

Classic-rock jocks and news talk-show hosts have become on-air first responders.

‘All of a sudden, it turned into people looking for loved ones,’ said [radio host Rob] Meyer, assistant operations manager. ‘ And we just let it grow.’

On late Tuesday night and early Wednesday, questions on the show focused on logistics. Where do I get a permit to enter damaged areas? How do I make a FEMA claim? Callers also passed along the latest survivor tips or staked righteous attempts at fighting misinformation, including one woman who called to say that she and her family were not dead — as had apparently been rumored on Facebook.

Spontaneous charity was rampant. A McDonald’s employee called host Randy Brooks, 40, to take an on-air order: three Quarter Pounders for the hosts and a Happy Meal for Brooks’ daughter. Another caller offered to bring clothes.”

Again, it’s important to realize the areas in which terrestrial radio excels and the key role that it can and should play in its local community. Every time there’s an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or similar disaster and local radio heroically responds; we should all stop and pause and think about who will help save us in our own home towns. It’s yet another reason why we should vehemently protest when local stations are targets for takeover by out-of-town conglomerates, as I’m not sure that a voice-tracked DJ or a satellite-fed signal from across the country will be able to help when a tragedy hits in my back yard.

Photo of LEA surge suppressor courtesy Paul Thurst

Back in the olden days radio was owned by the geek crowd, with every science-savvy kid worth her salt crafting a home-made radio out of wires and household objects while sitting at the kitchen table. The earliest radio stations were created and run by physicists and engineers who had the skills to build transmission equipment from scratch. As with every form of media before and after radio, the early days of any particular technology are marked by a movement from early-adopter use to mainstream appeal.

After taking a look at the Radio Obsessives who I’ve profiled for Radio Survivor, I realize that much of my focus has been on radio fans who are devoted to the artifacts and culture of radio. So, when fellow Radio Survivor Paul Riismandel suggested that I take a look at the Engineering Radio blog, it was clear to me that it was time to give props to someone who is in the trenches dealing with the nuts and bolts of radio broadcasting.

Paul Thurst is a radio engineer who decided that he could fill a niche by writing a blog all about his field. On Engineering Radio, Paul chronicles visits to transmitter sites and shares his experiences troubleshooting various problems that have arisen at the stations where he works. He also includes amazing photography of radio equipment, from unique transmitter locations in the middle of nowhere, to a vintage vacuum tube found during a studio clean up.

Thanks to Paul Thurst for taking the time to have an email conversation with me about his love for radio and radio engineering. Paul started creating radios when he was a kid and went on to work at a number of different stations, from Guam to New York. In his interview he shares with me why he’s such a radio fan and reveals some tidbits about the secret life of a radio engineer.

Jennifer Waits: What prompted you to start the Engineering Radio blog?

Paul Thurst: I started looking around for radio engineering blogs and didn’t really find what I was looking for.  There are blogs written by magazine editors and a few other engineering types that write blogs, but nobody was really blogging about what it is like to be a radio engineer.  I like to write, so, I started my own.

Jennifer: Can you tell me a bit more about your personal radio history. What led you to becoming a radio engineer?

Paul: I guess I have always been a geek, even before that was popular.  I started fooling around with radios and such when I was 10 or so.  From there, I became more and more interested in the technical side of things, so I started building radio kits from Radio Shack and Heathkit.  I joined the Coast Guard and continued along that line. When I was stationed on Guam, I had some extra time on my hands, so I stopped down at the local radio station (KUAM) and asked if they needed help.  Boy, did they ever.  It was fun work, but there was a lot of it.

Jennifer: Are you a radio fan? What do you love about radio?

Paul: I love radio, especially AM radio.  I like the bigness of it; big towers, big transmitters, etc.  Being a part of a good radio station is being a part of something that is larger than self, and larger than the sum of its parts. I was thrilled when I got to work for WGY as chief engineer for several years. I also enjoy the technical challenges, trouble shooting and repair is a reward all to itself.  As far as radio in general, listening to a well produced radio program is a joy. Sadly, it is becoming harder and harder to find those these days.

Jennifer: What types of stations do you engineer for? Are you working solely in the commercial radio realm or do you work for non-commercial stations as well? Any thoughts on the differences from an engineer’s perspective?

Paul: I’ve done mostly commercial radio work, although I did do some work for Union College (WRUC) in the early 1990′s.  Recently, the company I work for has also been involved with VPR (Vermont Public Radio). There are many differences, especially between the public radio vs. commercial radio operations.  Technically speaking, public radio is less about bringing in the money and more about good product.  This affects things like studio design; microphone choices, console choices, etc.

Vintage Vacuum tube photo by Paul Thurst

Jennifer: Rice University just announced that it’s planning to sell off their 40+ year old non-commercial student radio station’s transmitter and FM signal, although they will allow the station to continue as an online-only station.

Students and fans of the station, KTRU, are fighting back and saying that online radio is not the same as terrestrial radio. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, as I saw a post of yours indicating that Internet radio is not real radio.

Paul: It is a shame that more and more colleges are getting rid of their radio stations.  I think it is a larger reflection on the loss of radio’s “coolness” among many of the younger generation.  College radio is a great experimentation medium, to lose that would be a great disservice.

Online radio can be well done, but radio, by definition is transmitting signals through the air.  3G and 4G wireless is a radio service, but many folks aren’t listening to online radio on their wireless devices because of data caps.  Technically speaking, it is very easy to set up an online radio station, which means there is a plethora of them, with the majority being not very entertaining.  Many of them operate as a computer based jukebox, similar to what is available on commercial radio.

From a non-technical standpoint, one does not normally tune through the Internet searching for a new station to listen to, that would be very hard to do.  Further, it would be even harder to nail down a local Internet station that way, you would have to know about it from some other source first.  That is counter to the way I have discovered some of the best radio stations I have known.

Jennifer: Have you been a radio DJ too?

Paul: I once did a Jazz show on Saturday afternoons.  The music was good, the DJ was horribly bad. It is best forgotten.

Jennifer: Did you work in college radio?

Paul: As a student, no.

Jennifer: What are some little-known facts about radio engineers?

Paul: Engineers have a wicked sense of humor. Unfortunately, most of our jokes go over people’s heads.

Couch spotted by Paul Thurst on a hike to a transmitter

Jennifer: Have you found anything strange during any of your treks up to transmitter sites?

Paul: Many of the FM sites around here are on mountain tops, connected by long roads through the woods.  I occasionally find things dumped on the road, old furniture, stolen cars, etc.  I once found a complete craftsman mechanic’s tool set in the middle of the road, which I still have.

Jennifer: What do you think about the future of terrestrial radio?

Paul: I think terrestrial radio has its problems, mostly due to poor business decisions during the great consolidation.  Radio will survive in one form or another.  I think that there will be a certain niche local radio station that will do quite well.  I think the AM band is going to lose stations, which might be a good thing. Otherwise, I don’t see much change in the next five years or so.

Jennifer: Who do you think should be the next Radio Obsessive?

Paul: Could you get Jerry Del Colliano?

Previous Radio Obsessive Profiles:

#1: Garrett Wollman’s Radio Tower Quest

#2: Jose Fritz’s Arcane Radio Trivia

#3: Radio Sticker of the Day curator Greg Blouch

#4: Seattle Radio Theater founder Feliks Banel

#5: Herculodge’s Jeff McMahon – The Man Who Loved Radios Too Much

#6 & #7: Jonathan Winter and John Jenkins of American Museum of Radio and Electricity

#8: Beloit College Radio Historian Dave de Anguera

Big news for broadcasters today, as the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a decision striking down the FCC’s indecency policy. According to the decision, the “FCC’s current policy fails constitutional scrutiny,” in large part because it is too vague and can lead broadcasters to shy away from airing programming, effectively diminishing First Amendment rights to free speech.

The ruling comes in response to changes in both definition and enforcement of the FCC’s indecency policy over the years. In 2001 the FCC clarified its position on indecency, stating that indecent material “describe[s] or depict[s] sexual or excretory organs or activities” and would be considered “patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium.” At the time the FCC also stated it would not take action against “fleeting and isolated” instances of swearing over the broadcast airwaves. But that policy changed after some high profile incidents during television broadcasts, such as the infamous Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake breast exposure during the Superbowl and various unbleeped celebrity pottymouth moments during live television awards shows like the Golden Globes.

Since that time, broadcasters have complained that the FCC’s rules have been unevenly enforced and that it’s been difficult to predict what actions or utterances will lead to fines.

In light of all of this, today’s decision states:

“…the absence of reliable guidance in the FCC’s standards chills a vast amount of protected speech dealing with some of the most important and universal themes in art and literature.

Sex and the magnetic power of sexual attraction are surely among the most predominant themes in the study of humanity since the Trojan War.

The digestive system and excretion are also important areas of human attention. By prohibiting all ‘patently offensive’ references to sex, sexual organs, and excretion without giving adequate guidance as to what ‘patently offensive’ means, the FCC effectively chills speech, because broadcasters have no way of knowing what the FCC will find offensive.

To place any discussion of these vast topics at the broadcaster’s peril has the effect of promoting wide self-censorship of valuable material which should be completely protected under the First Amendment.”

Wow. This ruling is great news for both broadcasters and artists in its support for First Amendment rights and artistic freedom.

Radio in Front of Pirate Cat Radio in San Francisco. Photo: J. Waits

What a year in radio it’s been!

Back in June, 2009, Matthew, Paul and I agreed to focus our energies on Radio Survivor in order to champion all things radio.

Coming from the perspective of radio fans, academics, and DJs; we’ve devoted much energy to espousing the virtues and lamenting the pitfalls of radio in all of its forms.

There is still hope for radio, not only in expected places like college, community and other non-commercial stations, but also in some free-thinking commercial stations, on the all-but-ignored AM dial, over satellite, online, and through mobile devices.

We think it’s been great fun over the past year, but know that we can always do better. To help keep us on our toes (and to help keep us around), we invite you to:

1) Send us suggestions on stories that we should cover

2) Follow us on Twitter, “Like” Us on Facebook, and tell your friends about us

3) Consider doing your Amazon shopping through our links

4) Post your classified ads and radio events on Radio Survivor (It’s free!)

5) Donations are always welcome too

We appreciate all of the support, even if it’s just reading our site!

Although I’m a huge evangelist for the ongoing importance of terrestrial radio (especially non-commercial radio), the AM slice of the radio band is a place that I only turn when I’m in my car looking for news, weather, and traffic information. But back when I was a kid, AM radio was huge and was the home to some of my favorite DJs and music shows. So, what happened?

In a fascinating essay, “The Day the (AM) Music Died,” in the PopMatters “Retroactive Listening: Perspectives on Music and Technology” series, Jay Somerset provides some historical perspective about how and why AM radio moved away from music to talk programming. He also discusses how the mono sound of AM contrasts with FM stereo and why certain styles of music were more suited to AM. He writes:

“Welcome to 1982, the oldies endpoint; the year the music froze, on the AM dial at least. Nowadays it seems ridiculous, but there was a time, before the fragmented niches offered by Internet and satellite radio came along (third-wave psychobilly radio, anyone?), the music dial was divided into two camps: contemporary hit music — almost exclusively AM’s domain — and older, or classical, or college, or jazz on newfangled, niche FM.

If you wanted a hit single, you produced it to sound good on AM radio, which meant eschewing deep bass and the low end for something that would sound best on the treble-heavy, tinny sound of an AM receiver, such as Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production… To sound good on mono AM, you needed a dense, reverberant, everything-at-once sound rather than a dynamic, stereo recording that only sounded good on FM, which the majority of people never even listened to.”

He goes on to make the point that when music programming left AM for the cooler realm of FM radio around 1982, AM radio became the home for talk radio, sports, weather, and news. Despite the dominance of talk radio today, there are some holdout AM oldies stations that are mostly playing hits from 1965 to 1982.

As he wraps up his essay Jay talks about the trend for some modern musicians to simulate lo-fi, AM-friendly sounds and he wonders if any of these artists will ever actually get played on AM radio. He speculates that with changes to the terrestrial radio landscape, AM music radio could transform into a place that embrace these indie artists (he mentions Kurt Vile, Best Coast, and Neon Indian) who now find their homes on satellite, Internet and college radio:

“It would be interesting to actually hear some of this music that simulates the AM listening experience through lo-fi recording techniques on AM…At this point, it’s hard to imagine new music on AM. Yet now that satellite and Internet radio are kings and FM has gradually become a wasteland of oft-trotted Tom Pettyism, music may once again save the dial.”

He argues that AM radio could really open up to a variety of voices:

“AM has developed into a niche marketplace, not unlike community television from the early-’80s, with broadcasters renting out time slots for fractured audiences (religious, ethnic, federal workers, etc.). So it’s at least possible that an enterprising DJ with an ear tuned to the fringe pop…might start using AM again as a sound source, renting space, as it were, on a station and playing this music.

Why wouldn’t this music wind up on AM? Or is AM radio truly a long-gone source for music, forever frozen in the 1965-1982 period… Would people start tuning back into AM to hear specialized and contemporary AM programming that highlighted music like chill wave? It’s a possibility because, after all, the music may have died in 1982, but the sound lives on.”

Another interesting point to make is that with MP3 technology, younger ears are getting more and more accustomed to lo-fi music; so AM may actually be closer sonically to that sound coming out of iPod earbuds than to high fidelity music emanating from vinyl played on their grandparents’ stereo systems.

Do you think that certain styles of music sound better on AM radio? And what do you think the future of AM radio will be?

Record Store Day 2009 at Aquarius Records in San Francisco

The 3rd annual Record Store Day is taking place tomorrow (Saturday, April 17, 2010) in independent record stores all over the world. In honor of the event, stores will be hosting live performances, meet and greets with artists, and will be selling and giving away exclusive releases on both CD and vinyl.

It’s a wonderful celebration of record stores and of physical music in a day and age when both are being threatened by online alternatives.

Since radio and record stores are part of the same mission to expose new music to the masses, here’s a short guide to some of the radio stations planning special programming or events for Record Store Day 2010:

WRXP (New York City):

WRXP DJ Rich Russo has put together a limited edition LP full of performances by local bands (including Dramarama) recorded on his show or at live events. It’s only available on Record Store Day and is limited to 500 copies. Proceeds will go directly to indie record stores.

Additionally, Rich and fellow WRXP DJ Brian Phillips will be traveling to a number of the participating record stores to host live performances by some of the bands featured on the LP. WRXP DJ Paul Cavalconte (of the Sunday morning Vinyl Experience show) will also be on hand at Passout Records in Brooklyn on Saturday afternoon. Paul geared up for Record Store Day by playing some of the exclusive releases (he pulled some strings) on his show last Sunday. He’ll play more Record Store Day material on this Sunday’s show.

NME Radio (UK):

NME Radio aired a special focused on Record Store Day earlier this week.

The Current (Minneapolis, MN):

Minneapolis public radio station The Current is running a contest, airing Record Store Day-themed shows this Saturday, and posted a listing of events happening at record stores in Minneapolis on their website.

East Village Radio (New York City):

Online-only community radio station East Village Radio (EVR) is helping to promote Record Store Day in the New York City-area (and London!) and has a nice run-down of events listed on their website. Record store Fat Beats (which also hosts a show on EVR) will be featuring in-store performances all day.

WXRT (Chicago):

Today WXRT DJ Terri Hemmert shared some thoughts about the importance of record stores and how a record store employee in Chicago actually helped get the first Elvis Costello record played on WXRT back in 1977. The WXRT website also has a nice post from Terri about Record Store Day 2010.

WGN (Chicago):

WGN aired a lengthy interview with Steve Kay of Evanston, Illinois record store Vintage Vinyl (featured in High Fidelity). In their discussion they talk about the resurgence of vinyl and Record Store Day in which he says it “introduces people to the world of records.” In the interview he reveals that Vintage Vinyl will be the only store in the world selling a limited edition Smashing Pumpkins single (only 250 copies available) on red vinyl starting at 11am.

KUVO and Radio 1190 (Denver and Boulder, Colorado):

DJs from public radio jazz station KUVO and college radio station Radio 1190 will be spinning music at Record Store Day events in Denver, Colorado at Twist and Shout Records.

If there’s something going on at your local radio station for Record Store Day, let me know in the comments.

Experience Music Project in Seattle

Last week’s Intercollegiate Broadcasting System conference (IBS for short) kicked off the music and radio convention season and there appears to be no end in sight for broadcasters and music lovers over the course of the next few weeks.

If you’re hoping to immerse yourself in music, bond with broadcasters, or geek out about the intricacies of specific music genres; then there’s at least one conference or festival for you in the next 4 weeks.

Here are some options:

SXSW in Austin, Texas (3/12-3/21/10):

This massive music festival in Austin has expanded in recent years to include a film festival and interactive conference. If you want to see tons of bands, sessions about music, and hear about the latest in technology, then you’ve got to get to Austin. Radio stations from all over the country also flock to Austin to do live broadcasts and to host showcases, including college station Radio K (Minneapolis) and community radio station WFMU (New Jersey).

From March 17-20th, 7 different college/public radio stations (KCRW, The Current, KEXP, KPFT, KUT, KXT, and WXPN) will be participating in live daytime music showcases at The Day Stage Cafe. You can even catch a short film, Peter in Radioland, in which old-school radios have a starring role.

College Broadcasters, Inc. (CBI) Convention in NYC (3/14-3/16/10):

If you are working in any form of college media, from radio to television to journalism, then this is the convention for you. It’s held in conjunction with College Media Advisers (CMA). To get the full scoop about what’s in store, take a look at my interview with the folks behind CBI and the conference.

International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) Conference in New Orleans (4/9-4/11/10):

This is THE conference to hit if you are a music academic or simply enjoy dissecting the intricacies of music, musicians, or genres. Over the years I’ve seen fascinating presentations about Japanese noise, the history of turntablism, and the connections between metal and classical music. Usually there is a paper or two related to radio.

The NAB Show in Las Vegas (4/10-4/15/10):

The big National Association of Broadcasters event in Las Vegas includes a number of mini-conferences as well as an exhibition floor. There’s a Broadcast Management Conference, radio luncheon, as well as sessions geared towards digital media professionals. If you want to be a fly on the wall for free, take a look at Spinning Indie for a complimentary pass to the exhibition floor.

Experience Music Project (EMP) Pop Conference in Seattle (4/15-4/18/10):

This annual conference (which is FREE) is a chance for academics and music journalists to bond over their love of popular music. This year’s theme, “The Pop Machine: Music and Technology” lends itself to discussions of radio; with far more papers about radio (including a few topics related to radio history, a paper on Mexican radio, one on radio as an instrument, another about radio commercials) being presented this year than I’ve ever seen at this conference. There will also be presentations about Lady Gaga, girls’ rock camps, cassettes, vinyl, Pandora, auto-tune, and the Vocoder (to name a few).

Broadcast Education Association (BEA) Convention in Las Vegas (4/15-4/17/10):

A conference for broadcast media educators and practitioners, this definitely has an academic slant to it. This year’s research symposium focuses on papers about the intersections between sports and media. They also have a Festival of Media Arts, which includes a student media competition. Here are some of the winners in the “audio” category. There are also panels related to student radio, sessions geared towards careers in radio, and some that look at specific stations both in the U.S. and abroad.

Long gone, but not forgotten station "The Quake"

I am a college and community radio loyalist and these days I never listen to commercial radio unless someone else has put it on and I have no way to control the radio (during cab rides, in doctor’s office waiting rooms, and perhaps via cheesy hold button music, etc.).

Since coming up with a list of my favorite commercial radio stations is VERY difficult for me, I’ve had to turn to the last commercial radio station that I can proudly declare myself to have been a fan of: KQAK-FM out of San Francisco in the 1980s.

I’ve heard that people are most passionate about the music of their youth and that many never get past that period musically, becoming permanently stuck in the sounds of their teen years. Well, for me, I was a teenager smack dab in the 1980s and my favorite commercial station helped me transition from the heavier rock sounds that I listened to in the late 1970s (on KSJO and KOME) to the emerging new wave sounds of the 1980s.

“The Quake” was on the air from 1982 to 1985 and is most known for its “Rock of the ’80s” format (which they launched in April 1983 after an initial stint as an album rock station). The station went off the air in June 1985, just a few months before I headed off to college. Many of us were saddened about its demise and tearfully sat by our stereos tape recording its final hours of programming. Somewhere in a shoebox is my tape of the last hours of The Quake and tidbits from recordings by others can be found online.

The station played a mix of new wave, punk, rock, reggae, ska, pop and goth sounds. On “The Quake” I heard bands like Depeche Mode, Book of Love, Strawberry Switchblade, X, The Cure, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, and Siouxsie and the Banshees for the first time.

I also enjoyed Alex Bennett’s morning show (take a listen to his first show on The Quake here) and found him to be much more entertaining and intelligent than his counterparts on other stations. He also introduced me to the Bay Area comedy scene, with his multitude of guests.

Quake DJs in general were a lot of fun, from the comedic Tim Bedore (with his segments like “The Bible According to Tim”) to the approachable, music-loving Big Rick Stuart. On his website, Rick Stuart shares some memories about The Quake, including the program director’s philosophy about adding music to the station. Rick writes, “I would sit in with Oz sometimes at music meetings and he would add weekly current songs with a nice theory. One for the boys, one for the girls, one for the older rock fans, and sometimes a weird song.”

For me, one of the lasting influences of the Quake was that it brought me to college radio. It opened my ears to a wider range of sounds and when it ceased broadcasting in June 1985 I switched my listening to the left side of the dial, becoming a college radio fan. I discovered all of the amazing stations at colleges south of San Francisco and started listening to KFJC, KZSU, KSJS, and KSCU. A few months later I was off to college near Philadelphia and became a fan of the student stations at University of Pennsylvania (WXPN) and Drexel (WKDU) and started DJing at my campus station WHRC.

Another “modern rock” station, Live 105, appeared on the commercial radio scene in San Francisco in 1986. Attempting to replicate some of The Quake’s adventurous programming, Live 105 caught my attention periodically from about 1989 to 1995 (when I couldn’t get college radio reception in my San Francisco apartment). But, my heart still belonged to the long-departed Quake and increasingly to college radio.