Hi squid friends!
We are getting ready to celebrate our 3rd birthday live on the air during the week of February 13-20th (our actual birthday is Feb. 15th.) Listen for special programs, some “behind the scenes” chats with the KSQD team, and fun stuff from the archives of our illustrious hosts.
Would you help us create a party on the airwaves? We’d love it if you would record a short birthday greeting, about a minute long, and send it to us at operations@ksqd.org. We’d love to share it with our listeners during our birthday week. It can be a song, a poem, a short testimonial, or whatever you cook up. We’ll put on a real, in-person shindig in May, but for now, we’ll celebrate live on the air. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 10.
Directions: How do I record this? If you have a smartphone, open the “voice memos” app, and touch the red “record” circle when you are ready, holding the bottom of the phone close to your mouth. The circle should turn to a square while you are recording. When done, simply tap the square to stop recording. You can tap the title and rename it “birthday greeting”. When you have something you’re happy with, touch the three little dots on the left and choose “share”. It will ask you to enter an email. Enter: operations@ksqd.org. Voila, all done.
What do I say? Whatever moves you! K-Squid is a free-speech-loving zone full of creative people. Go wild!
KSQD 90.7 FM SANTA CRUZ “THE SQUID” CELEBRATES THIRD BIRTHDAY
Non-Profit Broadcaster Marks 3-Years Feb 15; Adds New Board Members
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Santa Cruz, CA, January 18, 2022) KSQD 90.7 FM listener-supported community radio in Santa Cruz will celebrate three years on the air on February 15. The station’s non-profit board also added three new members. In an era of increasingly consolidated, corporate-owned networks, the birth of KSQD is a testament to the community’s desire for locally-owned, locally focused media. The station was founded by citizens in response to the loss of KUSP FM, which went dark in 2016. Community members raised over $300,000 to buy a new license and equipment, a process that took two years and hours of volunteer time.
Due to the omicron surge, KSQD will celebrate its 3rd birthday on the air with special programs during the week of February 11-20th. Prior to that week, the station is inviting listeners to submit recorded birthday wishes or statements about the importance of community. Submissions can be sent to operations@KSQD.ORG. The birthday broadcasts will also feature celebrity shout-outs and special programs at 3 pm each day. Local musicians including Dale Ockerman and Anthony Arya will offer birthday greetings, as will national artists ranging from folk icon Janis Ian to jam-band favorite Karl Denson. An in-person celebration is in the works for May outdoors.
In December, the station added three new board members and developed the community advisory board with local residents to help expand the station’s community service mission. New Board members are former Santa Cruz city council member and university lecturer, Tim Fitzmaurice, through May 2022, parent educator and former Santa Cruz mayor, Jane Weed Pomerantz, through May 2023, and former KLRB FM program director and past Monterey County Film Commission board member, David Bean, through May 2024. They join current board members Rachel Goodman, Chair; Ned Hearn, Vice Chair; Mathilde Rand, Treasurer; Diane Cowen, Secretary; Sandy Stone, Station Engineer; Tammi Brown; and Linda Burman Hall. Community Advisory Board members include Gloria Nieto, Nikki Silva, Tim Fitzmaurice and Marla Novo.
KSQD is affectionately known around Santa Cruz as “The Squid” and has been instrumental in reporting essential community information regarding fires and floods. The station is operated by the board of directors and programmed by over 100 volunteers who assure a consistent stream of locally curated music shows and original talk shows, interspersed with select national and regional programs. Locally produced music shows include Jazz, Folk, Bluegrass, Hawaiian, Brazilian, Celtic, Classical, Opera, Gospel, The Grateful Dead Zone, and lots of Rhythm, Blues, Funk and Reggae on the weekend. Over 27 original talk shows include Ask Dr Dawn, Be Bold America, In The Garden, The Dream Journal, Katz On Dogs, and The Computer Man Show.
KSQD is also proud to host The Kitchen Sisters. Award-Winning Producers Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, best known as The Kitchen Sisters on public radio, have chronicled the lives, rituals, triumphs and tribulations of people from all walks of life, weaving together a rich tapestry of America’s cultural heritage. Now the Library of Congress is acquiring their full body of work, including over 7,000 hours of audio, photos, handwritten journals, podcasts and storybooks.
Natural Bridges Media Board Chair Rachel Goodman commented: “The third year of KSQD has truly been charmed, as funding has increased, the programming only gets better, and to be part of The Kitchen Sisters going to Washington is beyond a thrill! We are indebted to our listeners for supporting us as we grow”
KSQD 90.7FM is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit Community broadcast station with studios located at 399 Encinal Street in Santa Cruz, CA, broadcasting on a 24/7 basis with volunteers dedicated to purpose, vision, and community. Available online at www.ksqd.org. The station runs with two part-time staff; Howard Feldstein is Program Director and Muneerah Abdusshahid is Operations Assistant. The KSQD broadcast license is held by Natural Bridges Media, a nonprofit organization with a board formed in December 2017 to facilitate the rebirth of community radio in Santa Cruz County. Since the start-up began broadcasting on February 15, 2019, the station’s sole means of financial support has been donations from individual listeners, educational grants, and underwriting. It currently operates with an annual budget of $110,000.
