It’s funny to think of all the students at USF diligently studying the day away, while in a non-descript bottom floor room in McLaren Hall, some of the most radical noise around is being broadcasted to the world. The culprit of this rebellious activity as you may have already guessed is our very own KUSF.
KUSF is widely known for its radical and diverse programming but it came from very humble beginnings. KUSF originally started as an AM station with a very narrow broadcast spectrum. In 1977, under the guidance of current station manager Steve Runyon, KUSF moved over to 90.3 FM to expand their reach in the Bay Area. Initially KUSF focused solely on community programming and fine arts and it was broadcasted for only five hours a day in the evenings.
The station continued to grow eventually incorporating pop and rock music into its programming and extending its airtime to 24 hours a day. KUSF quickly became one of the best sources for new music. Heavily supportive of the local scene, KUSF broke San Francisco icons like Metallica and Primus before they were signed to major record deals. The station has been rewarded with numerous gold and platinum records from appreciative bands like R.E.M., The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The B-52’s. Amid all this popular success KUSF has never lost its sights on providing, “unique and distinctive programming as a service to San Francisco and the Bay Area.”
Today, along with the vast selection of independent and experimental music you can find longstanding cultural and fine arts programs from Chinese Star Radio and the Turkish Cultural Program to the Metropolitan Opera. KUSF has garnered a wide array of awards recognizing their quality programming including the 2005 SF Weekly Readers Poll, Gavin’s College Station of the Year (1988,1989,1990,1994), and in 1998, April 25th was named "KUSF 90.3 FM Stereo Day In San Francisco" by Mayor Willie Brown.
1 comment:
I like your intro. it drew me in to the story. it would have been cool to see more pics, but otherwise well written. was the location of KUSF always in the McLaren? I was in there a while ago and it just seemed tiny, interesting to know that it's popular across the country.
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