Fresno Famous

DJ Soreath!!

The unsung hero, too many times, is our Music Director Soreath. She was one of the first DJs I hired that actually GOT what i was trying to do with the Afternoon Eclectic. Soreath is actually the one that does the BULK of KFSR's music previewing, and together Soreath and I weave the fabric of the Afternoon Eclectic....

If The Afternoon Eclectic is my baby -- Soreath is its nanny! Props to this girl for being one of the key components to our ultimate mission: to create a station that people like *YOU* tell all of your friends about.....and ultimately, a station name that gets dropped by in-the-know radio/net geeks when referencing EXCELLENCE IN PROGRAMMING.

I liked KFSR when it was

I liked KFSR when it was Fresno's Progressive alternative, now it seems to only be a partial spectrum of Jazz only with a few other colors.

KFSR vs AAA (some things that need to be understood)

First off, I am a die-hard fan of KFSR.

Second... if you want to hear AAA radio in it's absolute glory, (and I mean, GLORY,) you have to have heard, and still listen to WXPN (88.5) out of U.Penn in Philadalphia.
---it's one of the most amazing blends of commercial / college radio... a lot of their programs sub out to other stations (World Cafe' being one.) ---and you will have your socks blown off by the place... I've been a devout listener (I just don't stream stuff,) since the Late Eighties.

-But in a way, KFSR has one up on them.

First, they play better jazz than anything I've heard on two coasts, (real jazz, not that flacid Kenny G. Prozac crap...)
(...though, out of respect, please stop playing 'killer Joe,' every couple of hours,,, ---'gimme a break,' by (Karen Whatzerface?) is also a great tune,,, I'd like to hear a few OTHERS by her (hint-hint.) ---maybe sub in a little more Bill Evans? Bird? huh, maybe huh?

Okay.
Having yakked briefly with Frank D. (and read the comments of Mighty Joe Moore, (unlike Mighty Joe Young, who is also just plain 'ape' on the place,,)
There is a huge difference between semi-comm. or AAA stations and KFSR.

Part of KFSR's most dangerous aspect, --is also what makes her great.

---Joe and Frank allow the kids (and adults,) to go on without nets, and lay down their own tracks, ---and not have to stick to a rigid playlist...
This is full creative license, and runs very much the opposite of most stationmasters...
This is teaching people to think and learn, and reach,, --rather than creating a bunch of nodding bobble-heads.
NOBODY DOES THIS ---get it? NOBODY.
(-I personally had this opportunity over a span of time years ago back east,,, -such a freedom was a fluke, and is unheard of these days.)

---What this means is: Each DJ is sort of an artist, painting what they want (within guidlines, there are PSA's, Time Signatures, Station ID's etc...)
---but basically they are presented with a blank sheet of paper (time-wise,)
---and the DJ's are allowed to play what they want ---and also incorporate requests...

---They are sort of like beautiful spiders spinning different webs each show... ---when it goes well, -it's etheral, --when it kinks up and you loose your grove,,,
--you have half a million listeners watching you fall to earth...
-From a DJ's perspective, it's one of the most magnificent experiences, and as an Artist, it's totally live, with a ton of onlookers...
(This runs the whole stable of 'Jocks, I heard FrankD hit a wrong button a couple of days ago, and he had to bounce out of dead air,,, personally, aside from laughing my arse off, it was refreshing to know that you are dealing with a live artform here... (besides one screw up every 100 years is permissable.)

Most stations, BECAUSE of their funding, their restrictions, and their formatting, (in efforts to preserve listenership,) have strict play formats and playlists,
--and the kids who are going into radio are being reduced to little more than button pushers,,
----with very little wiggle room.
THAT IS NOT RADIO...

Going AAA could ruin this for KFSR, (not that this has been discussed, I'm merely comparing the two.)
Formats like 'Afternoon Eclectic,' could easily be completely lost, and never return.

--KFSR, each afternoon, --and with her shows, -----allows the DJ's to walk out onto an empty dancefloor, pick up the baton handed them by the prev. DJ, ---and put together a show with songs that they pull from computers, CD's (and I think, even records... though I am not sure...)

-Fresno is blessed with the ultimate, a talented and (very individual,) group, who get on the air, and build something from nothing each hour,,, --and do so with gorgeous results.

They are also beautiful dinosaurs,,, -because, unless the DJ's graduate onto huge spots (where they can spin their own shows, and command it from the top down, (also rare,)
---This will be, in essence, some of their greatest moments, ---because of the intimacy, --and because they have the freedom afforded by their stationmasters.
-This is also why veteran DJ's often will return to a smaller station (like KFSR,) to thrown down tracks for a few hours, ---some to travel long distances, --and never think of being paid for it...

For the kids, it truly is the only way to learn, ---and based upon how well they do, how comfortable they are on the Air, and what risks they take with the songs they spin together, they obviously are not being pummled and berated if they goof up....

Without telling technical tales out of school, and overexplaining the magic, ---folks need to know what amazing things are happening each day at KFSR...
We are watching a beautiful, ancient art, that is already extinct in a lot of other areas, ---one that I thought I'd never see again.

---I applaud the higher ups on the KFSR food chain for creating this environment, Fresno has no idea how blessed they are to have this oasis survive, let alone grow, in this micro-managed world.

-to quote the Foo's '...all I ask of you is promise not to stop when I say when...'

Non-commercial

Thanks for the real info Joe. I knew that my knowledge on this was limited. Sorry to hear that KFSR is fenced in

What are the issues that differentiate Non-commercial radio ? Funding; role etc ? This has piqued my interest

Thanks again for the light switch

Re: Upping the power...

Isn't as easy as it seems, actually it's next to impossible in our situation. Think of it this way- it's about as easy as making your backyard bigger. If your fence already goes to the edge of your property line, you can't make it any bigger without taking part of someone else's yard. The stations on the left side of the FM dial in this market are sandwiched next to each other pretty much as close as you can get. Any "boost" in signal has to be approved by the FCC, and because any boost in the signal of one station will adversly effect the coverage area of the adjacent stations on the dial, everyone is pretty much locked in to where they are. KFSR already recieved a power boost in the late 1980's to deal with interference caused when KUFW signed on the air out of Woodlake at 90.5.

As for KFOG, they're a commercial "AAA" station. Non-commercial radio is a different animal in many ways, from the way it is funded to the role it is supposed to play in the community. That said, good radio is good radio.

KFOG -KFSR

Frank D is presently rolling out a great format at KFSR...I wonder what potentials there are to accentuate an already great format with a KFOG-ish feel, and inject more of the publicly funded format at the same time. I have been hearing Joe and his crew promoting thier fundraising efforts lately on air...but what would be needed to provide them with more 'authentic' resources and a signal boost to boot?

I would love for Fresno's 90.7 to reach the levels that the Fogheads did.

right you are sir! I stand corrected.

KFOG, formerly an easy listening station and at one time in the sixties an elevator music station, has served "World Class Rock" to the Bay since 1983 when Susquehanna bought the station. Throughout its history KFOG has featured legendary voices over the years such as writer Ben Fong-Torres and M. Dung. The station has become the top choice for "fogheads" who enjoy the entire history of rock. The station had more of a straight-ahead rock format until the early nineties, when it shifted to adult alternative, while maintaining a heritage rock sound. KFOG captures the feel of early FM rock radio with new alternative music mixed in. Dave Morey has hosted the morning show for over two decades. Midday host Annalisa has also been a mainstay for many years.

In 2005 KFOG was sold to Cumulus, who will completely take over the station in the second half of 2006. Music Director Haley Jones left early in the year and moved on to a similar format at KMTT ("The Mountain") in Seattle. She was succeeded by Kelly Ransford. In the 90s KFOG's Program Director was Paul Marszalek and in the 2000s it has been Dave Benson. Big Rick Stuart, formerly of Live 105 for over a decade, has been doing afternoon/evenings since 2000. KFOG is heard up and down the coast, even as far south as Monterey. It is also heard on a repeater signal in Yosemite Village.

http://www.tangentsunset.com/sfradiohistory.htm

Craig
What is an authentic community?

KFOG is not locally owned

KFOG, and sister station KNBR are owned by Cumulus, which owns over 300 stations nationwide. Cumulus recently bought KFOG & KNBR and another bay area station from Susquehana Broadcasting for $1.2 billion. And Susquehana was not "local" either.

http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2005/10/31/daily10.html

KFOG - Worldclass Rock !

KFOG rocks...one of my very favorite stations. I stream it at home whenever possible. I wish we could get that format here. Live From the Archives; and the Local Scene compilation discs raise funds too.

Mr. Sharton, you are a much more hip than you let on Brother ! ;)

radio

Are any of you fine FF folk aware of KFOG or KPIG? KFOG is an especially interesting example of a locally-owned station. It's been the most listened to station in SF. Local feel, broad format, great local events and concerts. Wouldn't it be cool to have a local commercial station? I believe that the KFOG model might have spread to other cities too. Anyone out there know anything?

Craig
What is an authentic community?

CBS Radio

Your headline, while correct, can be read to imply that the stations have already been sold, which is not the case, at least yet. There's been rumors of them being on the block out there for some time now. "CBS Radio's Fresno stations FOR SALE" might be more clear.