KCRW
Encyclopedia
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College
in Santa Monica
, California
, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio
and freeform
music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro. 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 podcast
s .
KCRW is known for broadcast of cutting edge music, as well as originating numerous news-talk-information and cultural programs that are distributed nationwide.
in the then-new technology, FM broadcasting. Ruth Hirschman, who changed her name to Ruth Seymour, 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. Seymour retired in February 2010. The new General Manager is Jennifer Ferro.
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, locally-produced cultural programs, and a wide-ranging line up of local commentators, political analysis and debate. A new initiative, The Independent Producers Project, has been launched to showcase storytelling and documentary work by independents. The station has been a leader in adopting new technologies, which offers three program streams, on-demand listening and an extensive lineup of podcast
s, featuring talk programs and live performances by unsigned independent musical artists.
, and from 12:00 to 8:00pm PST ending with Which Way, L.A.?. Music programming is broadcast from evening to early morning, and again from 09:00 to 12:00 PST with the station's signature music program Morning Becomes Eclectic
. Weekends feature music from noon to 5pm, and 6 pm to 3 am.
One distinguishing feature of KCRW's music programming is that three of the station's previous music directors still have programs on the air there.
Warren Olney
hosts the station's signature news and public affairs programs, To the Point (nationally distributed by Public Radio International) and Which Way, L.A.? which began after the riots in response to the Rodney King
beating trial verdicts in 1992.
With Southern California being, arguably, the epicenter of the international film industry, KCRW covers the industry in several dimensions: Pulitzer Prize winning Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern
reviewing movies; getting past the headlines and digging deep into the deals and deal-makers with Kim Masters on The Business; getting past the cover page and deep into pop culture matters on "The Treatment" Elvis Mitchell, and commentator Rob Long looks deep beyond the set with his behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood life on Martini Shot.
Music programs feature an eclectic array of music from around the globe, especially on the daytime daily music program Morning Becomes Eclectic and the daytime weekend line-up. At night, music such as house
, progressive
, and electronic dance music
are the main styles on shows formerly known as Metropolis and Nocturna. KCRW dropped all program names except Morning Becomes Eclectic
and Strictly Jazz in 2008.
Local and regional touring artists can send recordings to KCRW for consideration of airplay. Two weeks after submitting music, followups can be made by calling the KCRW tracking line on Wednesdays between noon and 3pm Pacific time.
KCRW airs Santa Monica City Council meetings live from 8:00 pm to midnight PST, on the Tuesdays when they are held. Because of the nature of the repeater network, Santa Monica City Council meetings can be heard throughout the Southern California region reaching out to approximately 150 mi (240 km).
Before its current host, Evan Kleiman, took over as host, the KCRW show Good Food was parodied on Saturday Night Live
in a recurring skit, Delicious Dish, with Ana Gasteyer
and Molly Shannon
.
, a three hour daily music program that has been on the air for more than 30 years. Historically, the show host is also the station's music director. Isabel Holt created the show in 1978. Tom Schnabel
hosted the show from 1979 to 1990. In November 1990, Chris Douridas took over the show, hosting until April 1998. Nic Harcourt
was in the seat from 1998 until December 1, 2008. He is also previously known in his home country for discussing on a regular basis emerging music with hosts at BBC Radio 1
. Longtime KCRW DJ Jason Bentley
is the current host and music director.
Along with WFMU
in the New York City market
and 3RRR
in Melbourne Australia, KCRW lays claim as one of the most influential independent music radio stations around the globe, with its tastemaker DJs populating various cultural outlets with their musical loves. Through extensive involvement in film, TV, commercial and radio work, KCRW program hosts have introduced their audiences to many artists, including Beck
, Adele, Gillian Welch
, Florence & the Machine, Fiona Apple
, Coldplay
, Dido
, Massive Attack and Norah Jones
, among many others. It was the appearance of an unknown artist named Beck on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in July 1993 that instantly turned the show into essential listening for record labels and A&R scouts. In addition to playing previously unknown artists, KCRW program hosts often invite artists to visit their Santa Monica basement studios for live recording sessions and interviews, typically before they've had any exposure to the US listening audience. KCRW also helps nurture the careers of emerging bands and musicians by inviting them to perform at live events and benefit concerts in Los Angeles, and across the country.
Several hosts have extended their careers into music supervision for both film and television, notably, Liza Richardson (Friday Night Lights), Chris Douridas (American Beauty) and Gary Calamar
, the music supervisor for HBO's True Blood
and Six Feet Under.
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 are available using Adobe Flash
played through web browsers, with alternate streams offered using the PLS
file format, which can be played using software such as iTunes
, Winamp
and RealPlayer
. The music service and news service are also included as channels in AOL Radio
. The station also archives its talk and music programs for listeners to stream at their convenience, and offers podcast
s of in-studio performances and talk programs.
From 1986 to 2002 KCRW was the on-air home of Joe Frank
, hosting his groundbreaking shows Work in Progress, In The Dark, Somewhere Out There, and The Other Side. Joe Frank produced over 200 radio shows for KCRW, which consisted of a series of monologues full of ironic, humorous and absurdist wit. Frank's work will be heard again ("Joe Frank: Return Engagement" briefly for five weeks only on Sundays at 11 am beginning October 10, 2010.
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.
The call letters of KCRI, KCRU and KCRY are identified at the top of each hour alongside those of KCRW, as are the frequencies of those stations and their transmitters.
KCRW also has applications pending for new translators on 88.5 in Mojave, 89.9 in Temecula, 90.1 in Baker, 90.3 in Barstow, and 105.7 in Julian.
Previous translators (now off the air and licenses returned to the FCC) operated on 88.3 in Palmdale, 89.1 in Camarillo, 90.9 in Palm Springs, and 100.1 in China Lake.
†) K296AI is the only KCRW translator not owned by the station; it is operated by Indian Wells Valley TV Booster, Inc., which also operates translators that rebroadcast Los Angeles-area television stations in the Ridgecrest area.
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
and freeform
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro. A network of repeaters and broadcast translators allows the station to serve the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
and other communities in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The station has also become widely known because of nationally distributed programming, streaming Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
broadcasts, and podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s .
KCRW is known for broadcast of cutting edge music, as well as originating numerous news-talk-information and cultural programs that are distributed nationwide.
History
KCRW was founded as the College Radio Workshop in 1945 to train servicemen returning from World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the then-new technology, FM broadcasting. Ruth Hirschman, who changed her name to Ruth Seymour, 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. Seymour retired in February 2010. The new General Manager is Jennifer Ferro.
The station airs programs from NPR, Public Radio International
Public Radio International
Public Radio International is a Minneapolis-based American public radio organization, with locations in Boston, New York, London and Beijing. PRI's tagline is "Hear a different voice." PRI is a major public media content creator and also distributes programs from many sources...
(PRI), American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
, and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, along with its own mixture of eclectic music shows with frequent live in-studio performances by new and emerging talent, locally-produced cultural programs, and a wide-ranging line up of local commentators, political analysis and debate. A new initiative, The Independent Producers Project, has been launched to showcase storytelling and documentary work by independents. The station has been a leader in adopting new technologies, which offers three program streams, on-demand listening and an extensive lineup of podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s, featuring talk programs and live performances by unsigned independent musical artists.
Programming
News and information programs dominate weekday early morning and daytime schedules from 03:00 to 09:00 PST with NPR's Morning EditionMorning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, and from 12:00 to 8:00pm PST ending with Which Way, L.A.?. Music programming is broadcast from evening to early morning, and again from 09:00 to 12:00 PST with the station's signature music program Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.The show is hosted by Jason Bentley,...
. Weekends feature music from noon to 5pm, and 6 pm to 3 am.
One distinguishing feature of KCRW's music programming is that three of the station's previous music directors still have programs on the air there.
Warren Olney
Warren Olney (journalist)
Warren Olney IV is an American broadcast journalist. He is the host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated Public Radio International program To the Point as well as the local affairs show Which Way, L.A.?, both of which originate at Santa Monica, California public radio station KCRW...
hosts the station's signature news and public affairs programs, To the Point (nationally distributed by Public Radio International) and Which Way, L.A.? which began after the riots in response to the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
beating trial verdicts in 1992.
With Southern California being, arguably, the epicenter of the international film industry, KCRW covers the industry in several dimensions: Pulitzer Prize winning Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern
Joe Morgenstern is a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for The Wall Street Journal.-Career:Morgenstern graduated from Lehigh University in 1953. His first journalism experience was as news clerk at the New York Times...
reviewing movies; getting past the headlines and digging deep into the deals and deal-makers with Kim Masters on The Business; getting past the cover page and deep into pop culture matters on "The Treatment" Elvis Mitchell, and commentator Rob Long looks deep beyond the set with his behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood life on Martini Shot.
Music programs feature an eclectic array of music from around the globe, especially on the daytime daily music program Morning Becomes Eclectic and the daytime weekend line-up. At night, music such as house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, progressive
Progressive electronic music
In electronic dance music the term progressive is often used to denote a novel stylistic development within a specific genre of dance music. According to the DJ and producer Carl Craig, the term "progressive" was used in Detroit in the early 80s in reference to Italo Disco...
, and electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
are the main styles on shows formerly known as Metropolis and Nocturna. KCRW dropped all program names except Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.The show is hosted by Jason Bentley,...
and Strictly Jazz in 2008.
Local and regional touring artists can send recordings to KCRW for consideration of airplay. Two weeks after submitting music, followups can be made by calling the KCRW tracking line on Wednesdays between noon and 3pm Pacific time.
KCRW airs Santa Monica City Council meetings live from 8:00 pm to midnight PST, on the Tuesdays when they are held. Because of the nature of the repeater network, Santa Monica City Council meetings can be heard throughout the Southern California region reaching out to approximately 150 mi (240 km).
Before its current host, Evan Kleiman, took over as host, the KCRW show Good Food was parodied on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in a recurring skit, Delicious Dish, with Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer
Ana Kristina Gasteyer is an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best known for her comedic roles when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002.-Early life:...
and Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
.
| Program | Format | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| Art Talk | Talk: Art Reviews | Edward Goldman |
| Bookworm | Talk: In-depth author interviews | Michael Silverblatt Michael Silverblatt Michael Silverblatt is the host of Bookworm, a nationally syndicated radio program about books and literature, originating from Los Angeles public radio station KCRW. A graduate of SUNY Buffalo, Silverblatt created the half-hour interview show in 1989 to share his love of literature, poetry and... |
| DnA: Design & Architecture | Talk: culture/civic aesthetics | Frances Anderton |
| Good Food | Talk: cuisine | Evan Kleiman |
| Le Show Le Show Le Show is a weekly syndicated public radio show hosted by satirist Harry Shearer.The program is a hodgepodge of satirical news commentary, music, and sketch comedy... |
Satire and commentary | Harry Shearer Harry Shearer Harry Julius Shearer is an American actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director. He is known for his long-running role on The Simpsons, his work on Saturday Night Live, the comedy band Spinal Tap and his radio program Le Show... |
| Left, Right & Center Left, Right & Center Left, Right, & Center is a weekly half-hour public radio program that provides a "civilized yet provocative antidote to the screaming talking heads that dominate political debate"... |
News/talk: analysis and punditry | Matthew Miller Matthew Miller -Arts:*Matthew Miller , American musician of Cymbals Eat Guitars*Matisyahu , American musician and reggae performer*Matt K... , Tony Blankley Tony Blankley Anthony “Tony” Blankley is an Executive Vice President with Edelman public relations in Washington, a Visiting Senior Fellow in National-Security Communications at the Heritage Foundation, weekly contributor to the nationally syndicated public radio program Left, Right & Center, author of The... , Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s... , Robert Scheer Robert Scheer Robert Scheer is an American journalist who writes a column for Truthdig which is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate in publications such as The Huffington Post and The Nation... |
| Garth Trinidad | Music: Electronic | Garth Trinidad |
| Morning Becomes Eclectic Morning Becomes Eclectic Morning Becomes Eclectic is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.The show is hosted by Jason Bentley,... |
Music: adult album alternative | Jason Bentley Jason Bentley Jason Bentley is a radio disc jockey of electronic music in Los Angeles, California. On December 1, 2008, Bentley replaced Nic Harcourt as the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and as Music Director for KCRW... |
| Chris Douridas | Music: new music | Chris Douridas |
| Henry Rollins Henry Rollins Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ.... |
Music: Wild Ride | Henry Rollins Henry Rollins Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ.... |
| The Business | News/talk: Hollywood/entertainment industry | Kim Masters |
| The Treatment | Talk: Pop culture, film/tv, more | Elvis Mitchell Elvis Mitchell Elvis Mitchell is an American film critic, host of the public radio show The Treatment, and visiting lecturer at Harvard University. He has served as a film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the LA Weekly, The Detroit Free Press, and The New York Times... |
| To the Point To the Point To the Point is an hour-long public affairs radio program co-produced by KCRW in Santa Monica, California and Public Radio International. The program originates at KCRW at 12 pm Pacific Time each weekday. Award-winning journalist Warren Olney hosts the show; it is syndicated nationwide by PRI and... |
News/talk: analysis | Warren Olney Warren Olney (journalist) Warren Olney IV is an American broadcast journalist. He is the host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated Public Radio International program To the Point as well as the local affairs show Which Way, L.A.?, both of which originate at Santa Monica, California public radio station KCRW... |
| Which Way, L.A.? | News/talk: local affairs | Warren Olney Warren Olney (journalist) Warren Olney IV is an American broadcast journalist. He is the host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated Public Radio International program To the Point as well as the local affairs show Which Way, L.A.?, both of which originate at Santa Monica, California public radio station KCRW... |
Influence in music
KCRW's flagship program is Morning Becomes EclecticMorning Becomes Eclectic
Morning Becomes Eclectic is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.The show is hosted by Jason Bentley,...
, a three hour daily music program that has been on the air for more than 30 years. Historically, the show host is also the station's music director. Isabel Holt created the show in 1978. Tom Schnabel
Tom Schnabel
Thomas Daniel Schnabel is program director of world music at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall and a music consultant and DJ working out of Los Angeles. He was former music director of music station KCRW....
hosted the show from 1979 to 1990. In November 1990, Chris Douridas took over the show, hosting until April 1998. Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt
Nic Harcourt was, most recently, the Music Director for Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years as a news director and music director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York...
was in the seat from 1998 until December 1, 2008. He is also previously known in his home country for discussing on a regular basis emerging music with hosts at BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
. Longtime KCRW DJ Jason Bentley
Jason Bentley
Jason Bentley is a radio disc jockey of electronic music in Los Angeles, California. On December 1, 2008, Bentley replaced Nic Harcourt as the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and as Music Director for KCRW...
is the current host and music director.
Along with WFMU
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
in the New York City market
Media of New York City
The media of New York City are internationally influential, and include some of the most important newspapers, largest publishing houses, most prolific television studios, and biggest record companies in the world...
and 3RRR
3RRR
3RRR is a popular Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne. It is the largest per capita subscribed radio station in the world....
in Melbourne Australia, KCRW lays claim as one of the most influential independent music radio stations around the globe, with its tastemaker DJs populating various cultural outlets with their musical loves. Through extensive involvement in film, TV, commercial and radio work, KCRW program hosts have introduced their audiences to many artists, including Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Adele, Gillian Welch
Gillian Welch
Gillian Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, Bluegrass, and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely...
, Florence & the Machine, Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple McAfee Maggart is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Apple met international acclaim for her 1996 debut album, Tidal, which was a critical and commercial success...
, Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
, Massive Attack and Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, among many others. It was the appearance of an unknown artist named Beck on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic in July 1993 that instantly turned the show into essential listening for record labels and A&R scouts. In addition to playing previously unknown artists, KCRW program hosts often invite artists to visit their Santa Monica basement studios for live recording sessions and interviews, typically before they've had any exposure to the US listening audience. KCRW also helps nurture the careers of emerging bands and musicians by inviting them to perform at live events and benefit concerts in Los Angeles, and across the country.
Several hosts have extended their careers into music supervision for both film and television, notably, Liza Richardson (Friday Night Lights), Chris Douridas (American Beauty) and Gary Calamar
Gary Calamar
Gary Calamar is an American DJ and Grammy Award-nominated film and television music supervisor whose credits include Six Feet Under, House, True Blood, Dexter and Varsity Blues...
, the music supervisor for HBO's True Blood
True Blood
True Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
and Six Feet Under.
Streaming media
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
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 are available using Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
played through web browsers, with alternate streams offered using the PLS
PLS (file format)
PLS is a computer file format that stores multimedia playlists. It is a more expressive format than basic M3U, as it can store information on the song title and length...
file format, which can be played using software such as iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, Winamp
Winamp
Winamp is a media player for Windows-based PCs and Android devices, written by Nullsoft, now a subsidiary of AOL. It is proprietary freeware/shareware, multi-format, extensible with plug-ins and skins, and is noted for its graphical sound visualization, playlist, and media library features.Winamp...
and RealPlayer
RealPlayer
RealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
. The music service and news service are also included as channels in AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
. The station also archives its talk and music programs for listeners to stream at their convenience, and offers podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s of in-studio performances and talk programs.
From 1986 to 2002 KCRW was the on-air home of Joe Frank
Joe Frank
Joe Frank is an American radio personality, known best for his often philosophical, humorous, surrealist, and sometimes absurd monologues and radio dramas.-Early life:...
, hosting his groundbreaking shows Work in Progress, In The Dark, Somewhere Out There, and The Other Side. Joe Frank produced over 200 radio shows for KCRW, which consisted of a series of monologues full of ironic, humorous and absurdist wit. Frank's work will be heard again ("Joe Frank: Return Engagement" briefly for five weeks only on Sundays at 11 am beginning October 10, 2010.
KCRW boasts members across the country and the station regularly sponsors live music events throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Giveaways to areas outside of the station's listening area are commonly found on its website.
Events
KCRW promotes a great deal of live music events nationally, featuring both established and emerging artists. In April, 2011, KCRW promoted and sponsored the controversial graffiti exhibit entitled "Art in the Streets" at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MoCA). The Los Angeles Times reported an increase in tagging around MoCA after the exhibit opened to the public.Transmitter network
| Call sign Call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations... | Frequency [MHz Hertz The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications.... ] | Transmitter Location | Power Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... [W Watt The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:... ] |
|---|---|---|---|
| KCRW | 89.9 | Santa Monica Santa Monica, California Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and... |
6,900 |
| KCRI | 89.3 | Indio Indio, California Indio is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, located in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. It lies east of Palm Springs, east of Riverside, and east of Los Angeles. It is about north of Mexicali, Baja California on the U.S.-Mexican border... /Palm Springs Palm Springs, California Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego... |
3,300 |
| KCRU | 89.1 | Oxnard Oxnard, California Oxnard is the 113th largest city in the United States, 19th largest city in California and largest city in Ventura County, California, by way of population. It is located at the western edge of the fertile Oxnard Plain, and is an important agricultural center, with its distinction as the... /Ventura Ventura, California Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S... |
850 |
| KCRY | 88.1 | Mojave Mojave, California Mojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet... /Antelope Valley |
10,500 |
| K209CN | 89.7 | Gorman Gorman, California Gorman, California, is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County. As of 2005 it had just 15 homes and a few registered voters, but tens of thousands of motorists traveled through it daily on the Interstate 5 freeway.... |
10 |
| K210CL | 89.9 | Lemon Grove Lemon Grove, California Lemon Grove is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 25,320 at the 2010 census, up from 24,918 as of the 2000 census.-History:... /Spring Valley (San Diego San Diego, California San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round... area) |
10 |
| K214CR | 90.7 | Twentynine Palms Twentynine Palms, California Twentynine Palms is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It was previously called Twenty-Nine Palms... |
10 |
| K215BA | 90.9 | Beaumont Beaumont, California Beaumont is a city in Riverside County, California, United States in the Greater Los Angeles area.Now a growing, community planned city, the population was 36,877 at the 2010 census, and expected to be up to 125,000 projected by 2040, making Beaumont as California's next, newest fastest-growing... /Banning Banning, California -2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other... |
10 |
| K225BA | 92.9 | Borrego Springs Borrego Springs, California Borrego Springs is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. The population was 3,429 at the 2010 census, up from 2,535 at the 2000 census. Many residents are seasonal while others remain year round... |
50 |
| K271AC | 102.1 | Ojai Ojai, California Ojai is a city in Ventura County, California, USA. It is situated in the Ojai Valley , surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,461 at the 2010 census, down from 7,862 at the 2000 census.-History:Chumash Indians were the early inhabitants of the valley... |
10 |
| K272DI | 102.3 | Fillmore Fillmore, California Fillmore is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 15,002 at the 2010 census, up from 13,643 at the 2000 census.- History :... /Santa Paula Santa Paula, California Santa Paula is a city within Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 29,321 at the 2010 census, up from 28,598 at the 2000 census... /Moorpark Moorpark, California Moorpark is a city in Southern California. It was founded in 1900 by Robert Poindexter, presumably named after the moorpark apricots that grew in the area. The city has experienced a great amount of growth since the late 1970s... |
10 |
| K295AH | 106.9 | Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean... /Goleta Goleta, California Goleta is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated, populated area in the county. As of the 2000 census, the Census-designated place had a total population of 55,204, however, a significant... |
10 |
| K296AI † | 107.1 | China Lake/Ridgecrest Ridgecrest, California Ridgecrest, formerly known as Crumville, was incorporated as a city in 1913. It is located in the Indian Wells Valley in northeastern Kern County, California, adjacent to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake . Ridgecrest is the only incorporated city along US 395 in Kern County... |
10 |
The call letters of KCRI, KCRU and KCRY are identified at the top of each hour alongside those of KCRW, as are the frequencies of those stations and their transmitters.
KCRW also has applications pending for new translators on 88.5 in Mojave, 89.9 in Temecula, 90.1 in Baker, 90.3 in Barstow, and 105.7 in Julian.
Previous translators (now off the air and licenses returned to the FCC) operated on 88.3 in Palmdale, 89.1 in Camarillo, 90.9 in Palm Springs, and 100.1 in China Lake.
†) K296AI is the only KCRW translator not owned by the station; it is operated by Indian Wells Valley TV Booster, Inc., which also operates translators that rebroadcast Los Angeles-area television stations in the Ridgecrest area.