KCRW

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KCRW

KCRW (89.9 FM) is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California that carries a mixed talk radio and freeform music format. It is the flagship station of National Public Radio (NPR) on the west coast. A network of repeaters and broadcast translators allows the station to serve the Los Angeles metropolitan area and other communities in Southern California. The station has also become widely known because of nationally-distributed programming, streaming Internet radio broadcasts, and podcasts.

History

KCRW was founded as the College Radio Workshop (though it is now referred to as California Radio Works) in 1945 to train servicemen returning from World War II in broadcasting. Ruth Seymour (formerly Hirschman) became general manager in 1978 and developed a mix of music, news, and other spoken-word programming that now attracts over 500,000 listeners each week. The station airs programs from NPR, Public Radio International (PRI), American Public Media, and the BBC, along with its own mixture of eclectic music shows with frequent live in-studio performances by new and emerging talent, cultural programs, and a wide-ranging line up of local commentators, political analysis and debate. The station has been a leader in adopting new technologies, including KCRW.com, which offers three program streams, on-demand listening and an extensive lineup of podcasts, featuring talk programs and live performances by unsigned independent musical artists.

Programming

Locally-produced programs include:

News and information programs dominate the daytime schedule (from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Morning Edition) and from noon to 7:30 p.m., when Which Way, L.A.? ends), and music is played in the evening and overnight hours. The exception is between 9 a.m. and noon, when Morning Becomes Eclectic is aired. Weekends feature more music during the day and evening.

Warren Olney hosts the station's signature news/public affairs programs, "To the Point" (nationally distributed by Public Radio International) and the long-running "Which Way, L.A.?" which began after the riots in response to the Rodney King beating trial verdicts in 1992. However, unlike crosstown rival KPCC, KCRW does not have a news department or field reporters. Headlines and traffic reports are delivered by an announcer at the studio. KCRW generally runs the NPR news magazines in its entirety, and does not provide long-form coverage of news events like KPCC.

Music programs feature a wide variety of music but daytime music shows such as Morning Becomes Eclectic and Weekend Becomes Eclectic tend toward what is generally described in America as adult album alternative with a greater emphasis on world music. For example, classical or jazz music is rarely played except as an interstitial, and rap music is generally not heard. At night, more upbeat music such as house, progressive, and electronic dance music are the main styles on shows such as Metropolis and Nocturna. Some music programs, such as Pop Secret or Chocolate City, specifically focus on certain genres of music. Other shows, such as New Ground, have a broader scope.

Of note is that KCRW airs Santa Monica City Council meetings live from 8 p.m. to midnight on the Tuesdays when they are held. Because of the nature of the repeater network, this means that Santa Monica City Council meetings are broadcast throughout the Southern California region, reaching about 150 miles from the city limits.

Influence

Nic Harcourt, host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and Sounds Eclectic, is well-known among many public radio fans, and has been the station's music director since 1998. He is also known in his home country for regularly discussing emerging music with hosts at BBC Radio 1.

Along with WFMU in the New York City market, KCRW has become one of the most influential independent music radio stations in the United States. Harcourt has particular clout in the music industry; many music executives listen to Morning Becomes Eclectic whilst stuck in Los Angeles' infamous morning traffic. KCRW has been credited with discovering or promoting many artists, including Beck, Coldplay, Dido, and Norah Jones.

Streaming media is now very important for the station, and it has gained a wide audience from this technology, streaming thousands of hours of content each week. KCRW provides three different live streams: the live broadcast, a 24-hour music service, and a 24-hour news service. Streams in RealAudio, Windows Media Audio, and MP3 formats are available. The station also archives its talk and music programs for listeners to stream at their convenience, and offers podcasts of in-studio performances and talk programs.

From 1986 to 2002 KCRW was the on-air home of Joe Frank, hosting his ground-breaking shows "Work in Progress," "In The Dark," "Somewhere Out There," and "The Other Side." Joe Frank produced over 200 radio shows for KCRW, which consited of a series of monologues full of ironic, humorus and absurdist wit.

KCRW boasts members across the country and the station regularly sponsors live music events throughout the United States and in Canada. Giveaways to areas outside of the station's listening area are commonly found on its website.

Transmitter network

Transmitter	Location	Power
KCRW 89.9	Santa Monica	6,900
KCRI 89.3	Indio/Palm Springs	3,300
KCRU 89.1	Oxnard/Ventura	850
KCRY 88.1	Mojave/Antelope Valley	10,500
K202DJ 88.3	Palmdale/Lancaster	10
K261AC 100.1	China Lake/Ridgecrest	9
K209CN 89.7	Gorman	10
K272DI 102.3	Fillmore/Santa Paula/Moorpark	10
K271AC 102.1	Ojai	10
K215BA 90.9	Beaumont/Banning	10
K214CR 90.7	Twentynine Palms/Yucca Valley	10
K295AH 106.9	Santa Barbara/Goleta	10
K210CL 89.9	Lemon Grove/Spring Valley	1†

† As of July 2005, KCRW has an application to upgrade K210CL to 10 watts ERP.

References

Jaime Wolf. The Star Maker of the Semipopular. New York Times magazine, June 26, 2005.

External links

KCRW | NPR member stations | Radio stations in Los Angeles

KCRW | KCRW