Discuss: Does indie music have a place on the radio?
January 21, 2011
Written by Ben Van Houten
This week’s Bay Area radio shakeup saw KUSF‘s 90.3fm signal sold to classical station KDFC in a shady deal that paid the University of San Francisco $3.75 million to pull the plug on SF’s legendary community-oriented radio station, which had been on the air since 1977. KUSF will apparently still survive online, but given USF President Stephen A. Privett’s remark that the station “was of minimal benefit to my students,” one suspects it won’t be the same if/when it returns.
Without KUSF, San Francisco has lost its only above-ground freeform music station, and a major supporter of local independent music. This is, without question, a significant loss for the city, but it also got me thinking: how frequently did I listen to 90.3fm? The reality is, I’ve been listening to KUSF more online in the past few years than on the radio. Heck, the only time I turned on my radio recently was to listen to the World Series.
The role of radio for indie music fans has undoubtedly changed in the 21st century. Growing up, KUSF and KALX meant the world to me, helping form initial preferences that grew as I figured out what I liked and found other sources with whom I closely identified. But that was before blogs, before internet radio, before Bandcamp and Soundcloud, before 3G made access to good music omnipresent if you could afford the necessary device and the data plan.
Radio may no longer be the only medium for aural discovery, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t compelling reasons why we shouldn’t fight for its continued vitality. For one, the technological and cost barriers to online music mean that radio remains the indispensable medium for universal access, even while markets continue to be bought up and controlled by a small handful of profit-hungry corporations. Moreover, all the on-demand content in the world won’t take away radio’s effortlessness and that unique feeling of discovering a song over the airwaves. There’s something about giving up control of the playlist to a good radio DJ and hearing something exciting for the first time that can trump even the most impeccably curated personal mix. All of this means, then, that for those of us who can, and frequently do, opt out of traditional radio listening, the radio might not be necessary, but it still seems needed.
I’m curious to know your thoughts: Do you listen to the radio? Have online music options and iPods impacted your radio habits? Do you listen to online radio stations? If you were a KUSF listener, what are you going to do now? Post your thoughts in the comments.
Also, if you are interested in joining KUSF supporters in figuring out next steps in protesting the station’s sale, please do visit Save KUSF on Facebook.
I live in Oakland and would listen to KUSF every day, scratchy though it was. Usually if KALX is playing something wack, KUSF would be playing something good, and vice versa (KFJC seems to never play anything wack, hope they don’t get sold). I think Privett VASTLY underestimates how many people actually listened to and benefited from KUSF’s programming. Not only that, but the culture that KUSF fostered was important to this burgeoning Bay Area music scene–they co-presented shows, had in-studio performances, artist interviews, ticket giveaways, etc that reached quite a few people. I am in the inverse of you–i’ve never listened to online radio in my life, though I use the internet quite a bit. Many people don’t have access to smartphones, or good computer speakers, or anything that would make internet radio a feasible/useful thing.
I live in San Francisco. I was born here. I have been a fan of KUSF ever since the early 80′s when I started working at record stores. In fact, when I’m going home from a show at The Uptown In Oakland, or Bottom of the Hill, or Rickshaw Stop in SF (or any other venue supporting local live and touring idie bands) I often try to tune in KUSF’s Time Warp show on the car radio. Most of the time, I’m successful. KUSF was the only station that saw fit to play music from any of my bands. KUSF was also the only station that saw fit to play music from some of my favorite local bands: Mister Loveless, Soft White Sixties, Trophy Fire, Downer Party, Hot Toddies, etc. As a matter of fact the very first time I heard most of those bands was on KUSF. I’m not a fan of mp3′s. Never have been and never will be. For me it’s vinyl, CD or over-the-air radio. Downloading & internet radio are a last resort. For me (and some friends that volunteered at KUSF), this loss is culturally and artistically devastating!
KUSF was radio salvation. Living in the City in the 80′s it was music exposure beyond pop 40.
I listened every day. Won tickets to shows I couldn’t afford to go to.
Very sad to hear it’s gone.
USF President Stephen A. Privett’s remark that the station “was of minimal benefit to my students”
Evidently is not an imaginitve educator.
Lucky for me I can listen to Princeton University radio.
W.