It was a classic Pacifica radio moment over at the network’s flagship station, KPFA in Berkeley, on Tuesday. Having laid off the Morning Show staff, new Pacifica Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt thought she had it all figured out. She was going to pipe in programming from KPFK, KPFA’s sister station in Los Angeles. The dumped […]
Archive | Noncommercial Radio
Radio Obituaries: Farewell to WTJU DJ, KZGM Founder, and KFJC DJ
Non-commercial radio DJs and staff members rarely get the public recognition that they should. When it comes time to nominate people for Radio Halls of Fame, their names don’t always come up and when they die they don’t necessarily make it on the evening news. But, often these committed radio fans have put in more […]
Tuning in great interesting radio in LA
I made my first ever trip to the home of the nation’s entertainment industry, Los Angeles, last week. It’s fair to say my expectations were muted given stories I’d heard of LA’s endless sprawl, over-emphasis on surface and glitter, and general vapidity. However, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience, from the great food, truly […]
KPFA staffers protest proposed layoffs at station
Bay Area Radio Hall of Famer Bonnie Simmons and other KPFA staff took some time on Thursday to protest the big layoffs KPFA’s owner, the Pacifica Foundation, has planned for the station. The Berkleyside news service has a summary of the event and the issues, but basically Pacifica’s plan appears to be to pretty much […]
Paperwork for KTRU Sale Submitted to FCC
Despite ongoing protests from KTRU fans, Rice University students and alumni, Rice University has gone through with their plan to submit an application to the FCC in order to transfer ownership of KTRU’s FM frequency and license to University of Houston. With this purchase, University of Houston plans to expand its public radio offerings by […]
How the KPFA Morning Show almost killed me (and why I want it to live)
About a year ago I was driving to work along the 17 freeway, which winds through the mountains of Santa Cruz, California, and listening to Brian Edwards-Tiekert on listener supported KPFA-FM in Berkeley’s Morning Show. He was interviewing someone about the political situation in Turkey, and how politics in that country affects women. It was […]
KMUZ’s Community Radio Dream in Salem, Oregon: Will Reggae Save the Day?
In Salem, Oregon there’s a new community radio station in the works with an anticipated launch date of early next year. KMUZ, aka “People Powered Community Radio,” is currently licensed to the Salem Folklore Community and will be located at 88.5 FM. Before the station is able to launch, they need to raise tens of […]
Behind the Scenes at Radio Valencia
I’ve been sharing the progress of San Francisco’s newest community radio station, Radio Valencia, from inception to its launch in August; so was happy to see DJ Tony DuShane’s first-person account of what it was like for him to be at the station from the beginning. Currently an Internet-only station, there are rumors that Radio […]
9 Best College Radio Stations?
Today the Huffington Post takes a stab at naming the 9 Best College Radio Stations. They admit that the list may not be complete (how could 9 stations cover it all?) and acknowledge that they drew inspiration from the recent College Radio Awards during the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City last week. Several […]
Tick, tick, tick. LPFM expansion bill languishes due to Senatorial nonsense
Like comedy, democracy ain’t pretty. It’s been more than a year since the House passed the Local Community Radio Act, but the companion bill in the Senate seems to be jammed up in the sausage grinder. Although the expansion of LPFM apparently enjoys broad bipartisan support, according to Politico Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso has put […]