KCSB

Compiled by Eric Wolff (KCSB General Manager 2011-2012) and Ted Coe KCSB Development Coordinator

KCSB celebrated its 50th Anniversary this year!

KCSB 50th Anniversary Logo

The arrival of KCSB’s 50th Anniversary presented the station with both cause to celebrate and a daunting challenge: how to commemorate this milestone in a way that would do justice to this diverse and constantly evolving media outlet. Two groups of student Executive Committee members tackled this challenge, the first (ExComm 2010-2011) laying the groundwork for the goals and structure of the celebration, the second (ExComm 2011-2012) planning and executing it.

Executive Committee 2011

Executive Committee 2012

Throughout this celebration, four goals were central: 1) To use the anniversary as an opportunity to serve the Santa Barbara community and KCSB listeners in unique ways, while 2) narrating and rediscovering the station’s 50 year history, and 3) bringing attention to KCSB’s service to the community and the importance of community media. Also central was the goal to celebrate the 50th Anniversary both on the airwaves with regular and special programming, and in the community through events on the UCSB Campus, and in Isla Vista, Goleta and Downtown Santa Barbara. By focusing on these goals in all aspects of the anniversary, we hoped to honor the whole of KCSB and help ensure that the station and community media outlets like it will thrive for another 50 years and beyond.

 50 Years of People Powered Radio            

50th Anniversary Dinner

Throughout Fall, Winter and Spring Quarter, KCSB aired a special show honoring its 50th Anniversary from 10am-12pm every Thursday. The show consisted of a variety of content related to the 50th Anniversary and KCSB’s history including broadcasts of archival material from news broadcasts to live on-air musical performances, interviews with KCSB alumni, and more.

The show was a truly collaborative effort: planned by a committee led by Executive Committee members Ryan Ealum, Nicole Goulding, Caitlin Borzi, and Kyle Trager, and was programmed each week by a myriad of KCSB volunteers and staff. For a sampling of our weekly presentations, click here.

KCSB News and Public Affairs Town Hall Series

 During Fall and Winter, KCSB’s News and Public Affairs Department presented two town hall events. The first, at the Santa Barbara Public Library Central Branch’s Faulkner Gallery, focused on the nearby Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in San Luis Obispo, which has faced new scrutiny due to the Fukushima plant disaster in Japan. Coverage of demonstrations during the height of the anti-nuclear movement in the early 1980’s is an important part of KCSB’s history, so this event renewed that legacy. Two expert panelists presented information that preceded a community dialogue, all of which was eventually aired later that same quarter.

During late winter, our second town hall meeting, produced in conjunction with La Casa de la Raza Cesar E. Chavez Center, on the “Impact of Deportation and Immigration Policies in Our Community,” featured a panel that included a Santa Barbara Immigration Attorney, Arnold Jaffe, Nayra Pacheco, a member of the UCSB IDEAS organization (“Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success”), and Noemi Duran, a member of the UCSB organizing committee for California Opportunity and Prosperity Act (COPA). The event was made all the more timely by the participation of Cindy Reyna, a former KCSB news intern and undocumented UCSB senior, who has faced deportation threats after being stopped at a sobriety checkpoint. The event was attended by up to 100 individuals, many of whom took advantage of the simultaneous Spanish translation that KCSB provided. Both events were planned by ExComm members Elizabeth Gutierrez and Christina Min, with the guidance of KCSB’s News Director Monica Lopez and station advisor Elizabeth Robinson.

KCSB Film Series: “Popped Culture: Radio Goes to the Movies”

 KCSB’s “Popped Culture” film series has brought a variety of radio related films to the UCSB Campus, from Hollywood action/comedies like Grosse Pointe Blank, to international works like the Senegalese Moolaadé and Bollywood’s Dil Se, to hard-hitting new documentaries like the centerpiece film of our series, Radio Bandido.

The nine works also vary in how they feature radio, which plays both central and peripheral roles in the films, but is always important thematically. The free series aimed to provoke audiences to consider how radio continues to play an important role in our everyday lives that we often take for granted. Radio Bandido was presented at the state-of-the-art Pollock Theater, co-presented by the Carsey-Wolf Center and the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music (CISM). Also, the film was added to the syllabus of one documentary film course in Film and Media Studies. Dil Se was co-presented by CISM. The Popped Culture subcommittee featured three ExComm students, Ryan Ealum, Ashley Richardson, and Michael Kenney, and up to two other volunteers.

Timeline Of Events

Live Broadcast: Loch Lomond and Palladino                                                September 22nd

Mercury Lounge, Goleta 

  • A live, remote broadcast of performances by Loch Lomond, a symphonic chamber pop group from Portland, followed by LA-based psychedelic-folksters Paladino.
  • Engineered and broadcast by KCSB volunteers.
  • A very full house.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/loch–lomond–paladino

50th Anniversary Kickoff                                                                        September 30th

At the KCSB Studios

Eric Wolff and Caitlin Borzi

Attended by campus and community leaders including Chancellor Henry Yang, Executive Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Michael Young, AS Executive Director Marisela Marquez, County Supervisor Doreen Farr, Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider and State Assembly Member Das Williams.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Michael Young

Received proclamations of support from Assembly Member Williams, Santa Barbara County Board Of Supervisors, the Santa Barbara City Council, Congressional Recognition from Lois Capps.

  • County Supervisor Doreen Farr

    State Representative Das Williams

    Eric Wolff with Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Lois Capps

Unveiled KCSB’s 50th Anniversary Logo Design and our plans to celebrate the year.

Catered Reception and Open House.
Several dozen attendees.

Professor Emeritus Richard Flacks

For more about the event at KCSB.org click here. For more photos click here.

Devil In The Canyon: Downwind from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant

A Town Hall Meeting                                                                                     October 13th

Faulkner Gallery, SB Library

  • Served to both educate the community about the risk posed by the Diablo Canyon plant and provide a forum for public discussion.
  • Included testimony by experts including Professor Dan Hirsch and activist Liz Apfelberg and a video statement by Congresswoman Lois Capps.
  • Several dozen attendees.
  • Recorded and broadcast on KCSB.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/devil–in–the–canyon

http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/events/department–news/939/devil–in–the–canyon/

Juan Gonzales and Joseph Torres Book Event                                       October 23rd

Presented in cooperation with La Casa De La Raza and Chaucer’s Bookstore

  • Featured noted journalist and co-host of “Democracy Now!” Juan Gonazales and Joseph Torres of Free Press discussing their book News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media.
  • Recorded and broadcast on KCSB.
  • “Democracy Now!” book tour appearances (Gonzalez/Torres, Amy Goodman, Jeremy Scahill) have been traditionally organized in Santa Barbara by KCSB
  • Several dozen attendees.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/juan–gonzalez–and–joseph–torres

Sponsor of New Noise Digital Music Conference and Festival   November 5th – 7th

Santa Barbara

Wireless Art Exhibition and Picnic Revolution               November 6th – January 8th

Picnic Revolution

In Partnership With Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF) and New Noise Music Foundation

Picnic Revolution

Picnic Revolution with Caitlin Borzi

  • Curated by KCSB and UCSB alumnus Elizabeth Lovero.
  • An international roster of artists utilizing multimedia to explore themes of radio transmission and communication.
  • Contributors include UCSB Art Professor Marko Peljhan.
  • Included a public participatory sonic art exhibit “Picnic Revolution” in Storke Plaza. The installation utilized radio and audience input from their cell phones to create a dynamic, quadraphonic soundscape, reflective of KCSB’s mission as a radio station that incorporates the voices of real people.
  • KCSB DJs spinning on opening night Center Court at the Paseo Nuevo mall.
  • 200+ attendees at the show opening.
  • KCSB provided support for hands-on elementary-school visits at CAF during exhibition’s run.
  • Coverage in area media (Santa Barbara News Press review [link below], Santa Barbara Seasons magazine, Santa Barbara Independent, UCIRA online)

http://www.kcsb.org/events/sb–caf–exhibition–honors–kcsbs-50th–anniversary–season

http://www.kcsb.org/about/neighborhood–public–radio–picnic–revolution

http://www.kcsb.org/events/sb–caf–wireless–art–exhibition–honoring–kcsbs-50th–gains–newspapers–praise

http://www.ucira.ucsb.edu/wireless–exhibition–at–santa–barbara–contemporary–arts–forum

https://www.facebook.com/events/315496615130542/

Magic Radio Film Screening                                                                 November 16th

In Partnership with the UCSB Multi-Cultural Center (MCC)

  • A documentary film depicting radio culture and the upsurge of community-oriented radio stations known as “Révolution FM” in Niger, Africa
  • By Swiss filmmakers Stephanie Barbey and Luc Peter
  • A few dozen attendees.
  • Precursor to “Popped Culture” film series.
  • MCC Cup of Culture Presentation.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/magic–radio–documentary

KCSB Annual Fund Drive                                                                November 9th – 18th

       At the KCSB Studios

  • Raised about $25,000, matching the levels of recent years — and by year’s end approximately $29,000.
  • Shared and reflected on the importance of KCSB’s mission with listeners.

http://www.kcsb.org/about/celebrate-50-years–of–people–powered–radio–join–kcsb–fm

UCSB Reads: Donovan Hahn’s Moby Duck

KCSB Broadcast Program                                                                         February-March

• Sixth year of program featuring half-hour readings from a book selected as part of the UCSB Reads shared-reading project.

• Volunteer readers included undergrads, graduate students, faculty, staff, KCSB volunteers, and UCSB administration.

•Featured work: Donovan Hohn’s Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea, and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools– Including the Author– Who Went in Search of Them

http://www.kcsb.org/tune–in/kcsb–reads–moby–duck–special–live–readings–of–donovan–hohns–ucsb–reads–selection–to–air-12noon-1230pm–daily

Live Broadcast: And And And & Death Songs                                         February 2nd

Mercury Lounge, Goleta

  • A live remote broadcast of performances of two Portland bands at the Mercury Lounge.
  • Engineered and broadcast by KCSB volunteers.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/and–and–and–death–songs

Popped Culture Film Series: Moolaadé                                                 February 23rd

Embarcadero Hall

  • The first film of KCSB’s Radio Themed film series popped culture.
  • Set in a small African village, the film tells a story of women working towards empowerment in their community, a struggle in which community radio plays an important role.
  • A film by famed Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene
  • A few dozen attendees.
  • Eventual Black Studies course tie-in.
  • Presented during Black History Month.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/ousmane–sembenes–moolaade

Popped Culture Film Series                                                        February 23rd-May 31

     • Free screenings of a slate of nine films including international works, Hollywood films, a local short,

and a locally-oriented documentary feature.

• All works feature radio thematically or in the fabric of their stories.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/kcsb–fm–announces–popped–culture–spring–film–series

http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2012/04/radio–on–tv–kcsb–hosts–popped–culture–film–screening

Live Broadcast: AS Program Board Battle Of The Bands                        March 10th

The Hub, In Partnership with ASPB.

  • Included performances by local groups The Fire Department, Givers and Takers, Ellison Hall, The Ole’s and The Bad Love.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/live–broadcast–of–aspb–battle–of–the–bands–on–kcsb–march-1st-830pm

Los Olvidados: The Impace of Deportation and Immigration Policies in Our Community

   A Town Hall Meeting                                                                                      March 3rd

In Partnership with La Casa De La Raza

  • Experts including undocumented UC Students and immigration-rights activists Nayra Pacheco and Noemi Duran, immigration attorney Arnold Jaffe.
  • Included the participation of Cindy Reyna, a UCSB Undergraduate Student threatened with deportation by ICE less then a week before the town hall meeting.
  • Simultaneous Spanish translation provided.
  • Approximately 100 attendees.

http://www.kcsb.org/public–affairs/kcsb–presents–los–olvidados

http://www.independent.com/news/2012/mar/13/daunting–rigmarole–removal/?print

Popped Culture Film Series: Grosse Pointe Blank                                    March 10th

Isla Vista Theater 1 

  • Tied into the announcement of Arts and Lectures’ “Evening with John Cusack” including a ticket giveaway at the film.
  • Directed by George Armitage
  • Approximately 50 attendees.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/kcsb–presents–grosse–pointe–blank

Popped Culture Film Series: Radio Bandido                                                 April 10th

UCSB Pollock Theater

Produced in association with the Carsey-Wolf Center and UCSB’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music (CISM)

  • Included Q & A discussion with Director Pepe Urquijo
  • Documented the life and death of Oscar Gomez, a Chicano radio activist from UC Davis and KCSB’s sister-station KDVS FM, who was died under mysterious circumanstances in Isla Vista.
  • The screening was the first west coast preview of the film.
  • Over 200 people were in attendance including many who appeared in the film, such as Oscar’s close friends and family
  • Added to syllabus of Film & Media Studies documentary film course.
  • Urquijo was also a guest at a Chicano Studies Department colloquium the next day.
  • Related newspaper stories in Santa Barbara Independent, Daily Nexus, The Bottom Line, and Santa Barbara News-Press.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/radiobandido

http://www.independent.com/news/2012/apr/05/kcsb–brings–emradio–bandidoem–premiere–ucsb/

http://www.dailynexus.com/2012-04-10/documentary–highlights–death-90s–radio–host/

http://www.dailynexus.com/2012-04-19/documentary–explores–radio–activists–tragic–death/

http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2012/04/the–unsolved–mystery–of-%E2%80%9Cradio–bandido%E2%80%9D–documentary–reflects–on–chicano–activist%E2%80%99s–enigmatic–death–at–goleta–beach

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150623228730755&set=o.323521544375299&type=1&theater

Popped Culture Film Series: Pump Up the Volume and The Last Broadcast      April 19th

          • 1990 pirate-radio teen cult comedy/drama starring Christian Slater.

• New short film The Last Broadcast debuted at the 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, created by KCSB alumni.

• A dozen attendees.

• Coverage in The Bottom Line.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/kcsb–popped–culture–film–series–pump–up–the–volume–the–last–broadcast

http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2012/04/radio–on–tv–kcsb–hosts–popped–culture–film–screening

50th Anniversary Alumni Reunion                                        April 27th – 29th                 

KCSB Studios and Storke Plaza. For photos click here.

KCSB 50th Anniversary Reunion Dinner

  • A three day event for KCSB Staff and volunteers (both students and non-students) from across KCSB’s history.
  • Attended by over 200 guests and alumni from much of KCSB’s history including William Harrison who co-founded the station in 1961-62. For Paul Rivas’ interview with Bill Harrison on his show Real Gauchos click here.

KCSB Founder William Harrison

  • Documented the history of KCSB through recording Alumni Interviews, an inaugural History Walk (documented on video) and collecting historical material from alumni.
  • Alumni guest DJs  were broadcast on KCSB-FM, sharing the event with the Santa Barbara community and listeners from around the world.
  • A Gauchos baseball webcast was opened up to live alumni contributions.
  • The reunion dinner was video webcast live for the benefit of alumni who were unable to attend.
  • Alumni  outreach (since late 2011) has resulted in communication with celebrity KCSB’ers like Harvey Levin (TMZ), Sacramento news anchor Edie Lambert (KCRA-TV), and sportcaster Jim Rome. Unfortunately, none were able to attend 2012 reunion.
  • Included an alumni Reunion Dinner with a raffle, food from Del Pueblo Café, a short presentation honoring KCSB’s Radio Advisor Elizabeth Robison, and the opportunity for alumni to share their experiences about KCSB.
  • Pre-event story in Santa Barbara Independent.

http://www.kcsb.org/about/kcsb–alumni–weekend

http://www.independent.com/news/2012/apr/25/kcsb–celebrates-50-years–air/

http://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2012/05/kcsb-history-walk-documenting-campus-history-one-broadcaster-at-a-time 

  Popped Culture Film Series: Dil Se                                                             May 3rd

     UCSB Music Bowl Amphitheater, in Partnership with UCSB’s CISM

Chilla Vista                                                                                                 May 6th           

Peoples Park, in partnership with IVCRC and ASPB

  • Presented local bands Ghost Tiger and Banda Prakantar, as well as headliner Nosaj Thing (straight from the Coachella fest).
  • Attended by over 500 UCSB students and Isla Vista residents.
  • KCSB’s planning subcommittee featured up to a dozen station volunteers.
  • After-Party at Biko Garage featured local bands The Erectors, Heavy Flow, and Ye Olde [Mthrfckn’] Olde Tyme Southern Country Mountain Bros.

http://www.kcsb.org/events/kcsb–stage–at–chilla–vista–festival–sunday–may-6th

Popped Culture Film Series: Vanishing Point                                                 May 17th           

Isla Vista Theater 2

  • The penultimate film in the Popped Culture Film series
  • 1970s existential car-chase cult-classic

http://www.kcsb.org/events/vanishing–point

   Popped Culture Film Series: Do the Right Thing                                        May 31st

   Isla Vista Theater 2

       • The final film in the Popped Culture Film series

• Oscar-nominated masterpiece by director Spike Lee

http://www.kcsb.org/events/kcsb–fm–announces–popped–culture–spring–film–series

Miscellaneous:KCET Artbound Article on the Proboscis Radio Hour (May 7, 2012): http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/santa–barbara/live–from–the–piano–kitchen.html

Steve Aoki plays the Hub and pays a visit to KCSB

Steve Aoki played the Hub during Spring quarter. While on campus he visited KCSB, which was one of the places he honed his chops as a DJ. He made a big impact in the local indie and punk rock scenes doing shows at the Biko Coop and other venues during the late-1990s/early 2000s. A student activist at UCSB during that period (former AS Student Advocate), Steve also started releasing music on his Dim Mak Records label from his Isla Vista apartment, while spending time as a trainee at KCSB’s KJUC-AM radio station. His career as a club DJ with an international fan base mostly grew after his time at UCSB He regularly returns to Santa Barbara for performances and other appearances. This time around he also played at the Earl Warren Show Grounds.

DJ/Producer Steve Aoki Visits KCSB