San Francisco California is known for having true diversity and culture. True to the city itself is a radio station from the University of San Francisco called KUSF. This station encompasses all of these cosmopolitan elements. The station KUSF, once found at 90.3, is a free-form local radio station that reflects the city’s “unique heart and soul.” DJ’s play underground music and discuss news and current events in the community. Listeners tune in to hear diverse thoughts, new music, and to enter into their own “cultural oasis.”
Joey Ramone Holding a KUSF Shirt
On Tuesday, January 18, 2011 all the station had to offer terrestrial listeners came to a drastic halt. KUSF was abruptly shut down, and ripped away from these DJs and listeners. It was a true surprise to everyone involved with the station. Later it was found out that through a three-way deal with Entercom, University of Southern California (USC), and the University of San Francisco (USF), KUSF was sold off in secret to L.A.-based Classical Public Radio. At 10 a.m. on January 18th, the student staff and volunteers were pulled out and the server was shut down.
KUSF 90.3 is the only college FM station in SF. KUSF has been a learning tool for USF students and a thriving communications home for San Francisco’s diverse communities for 34 years. It was taken without the consent of the people and they are not about to give in! The DJ’s would not let their audience down, so they created KSUF in Exile, now streaming their broadcasts on the internet only. With the help of New Jersey indie station WFMU they obtained streaming-audio bandwidth and rented studio space. KUSF streams an old lineup of favorite shows and added some new ones.
Friends of KUSF raised $40,000 to fight legal battles to oppose the sale. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating the sale, and has submitted a letter of inquiry to USF and to The Classic Public Radio Network. The FCC has not come to a decision yet, but it is clear they are taking the regulation of non-commercial radio seriously, and are going to use the sale of KUSF as an example.
As legal battles ensue, protesters are also taking a stand. Many of them gathered outside of the Entercom offices in San Francisco waving signs and informing onlookers of what had happened to their beloved community bay area radio station.
This battle is continually being fought on many levels. It is not just about saving KUSF 90.3, but on a greater scale, saving non-commercial radio in general.
KUSF Music Director Irwin Swirnoff and Protesters Outside of San Francisco City Hall
The RadioFlag team was inspired by these events, and has since focused its social media listening platforms on College Radio during the company’s early stages, to do its part to help ensure this does not happen on other college campuses. RadioFlag believes college radio is where some of the best talent and original and interactive radio content can be heard, and it intends to make sure listeners discover it and stay tuned in!
You can now support KUSF in Exile and tune in to them from your iPhone, Android, or the web on RadioFlag at iKUSF: http://www.radioflag.com/stations/1483042#
KUSF in Exile, Now Hosted on WFMU
By Gold Dust
Contact me: GoldDustRadio@gmail.com
Tune in to me on RadioFlag: @GoldDust
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