Insomnia Radio: San Francisco (Enhanced)

The Insomnia Radio Team

Insomnia Radio: San Francisco is hosted by KUSF's DJ AmperDan, bringing you only the best in unsigned and independent music from the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • IR: San Francisco | Episode #5: Save KUSF

    Yes, it’s true, at least for the time being, the face of San Francisco culture has changed: KUSF is off the air. And I wanted to address that on Insomnia Radio: San Francisco. So I did with this special themed episode. Share it, crank it, make your voice heard.

    [audio:http://insomniaradio.net/audio/irsf5_new.mp3] Download IR: SF Episode #5

    At exactly 10:00 am on Tuesday 18 January 2011, representatives of the University of San Francisco, entered the studios, began changing locks, escorting the volunteers and there in-studio guests out of the building with armed guards, and in the middle of a record shut off the transmitter. No sign off, just white noise.

    Only a week before, our staff and volunteer station managers, program coordinators, etc, had been shown new, though smaller, rooms for the station, and told that we would be moving in before the end of Spring semester. So after living with the uncertainty of what USF wanted to do with the station for the last several years, we thought we had the answer. So imagine the shock and awe those volunteers felt when this all happened.

    What happened was the university sold the transmitter license and their frequency (90.3 fm) to KUSC for their Classical Radio Network, and that Bay Area classical station KDFC moved down the dial from it’s old frequency of 102.1 fm and began broadcasting on 90.3 fm later that afternoon. San Jose classic rock station KUFX (The Fox) began repeating their broadcast on 102.1 fm.  KUSC also bought a Christian station, at 89.9 fm in the North Bay and began broadcasting KDFC’s programming. KDFC lost some coverage to the south of SF, but they are proudly looking to buy a frequency down there too.

    University President, Father Stephen Previtt held a meeting with over 500 volunteers, staff, students and community members on Wednesday 19 January to answer questions. He began by making it clear that his first concern was with the benefit of the students of the university, and that the community didn’t weight that much on his decision. It was pointed out by the students in attendance that this happen of Winter Break when few students and faculty were on campus. And part of the license agreement with the FCC is that the holder will act in the interest of the public which it serves. Also when asked why the station wasn’t offered to community groups or why they took the first and old offer, Father Previtt said he couldn’t under a non-disclosure agreement.

    One has to wonder how, other than money in the university treasury, how it benefits the students (especially the broadcast and media students) to divest of a world-famous, standard-setting, FCC licensed Bay Area Cultural Icon like KUSF in lieu of a Web-based format. Especially when they sold the transmitter license and frequency for $3.75 million and $7k monthly lease of transmitter location (The top of Phelan Hall gave KUSF a far larger reach for it’s 3000 watts), especially when in 2006 they were told that they would be dumb to sell the station for an $8 million windfall.

    San Francisco takes it’s culture seriously, though often it also takes it for granted. But when KUSF when off the air, something sparked. The community as come together in an effort to Save KUSF. A week to the day after KUSF went off the air, and after attending Father Previtt’s “Forum”, SF Supervisor Ross Mikarimi introduced a resolution to the SF Board of Supervisors to Save KUSF, to fight the sale as part of a larger corporate media grab, and return this cultural icon to the community and the airwaves. There has been lots of positive support from the community, both inside and outside the university, both of the programming and any efforts to make a counter offer if the university can not be convinced to keep the license.

    The fight has just begun. And we have a lot of support. The papers were just filed with the FCC this week, and there is a 30 day window for the community to register complaints. We can make history and stop this sale, or at least delay it so we can make a counter offer. And keep KUSF, or a community-radio version of it alive in the Bay Area.

    The Songs

    Links to Information of KUSF, the closure, and how you can help

    31 January 2011, 9:22 pm
  • IR: San Francisco | Episode #4: Top 10 of 2010

    DJ AmperDan returns to IR:SF for 2011, looking back at the Bay Area music that rocked his world and his eardrums.

    [audio:http://insomniaradio.net/audio/irsf4_new.mp3] Download The Top 10 of 2010 Subscribe to IR: San Francisco (it’s totally free)

    The Songs

    10. The She’s – Wonder Band

    09. The Hot Toddies – Only With You

    08. A B & The Sea – Bone Dry

    07. My First Earthquake – Neon for You

    06. Rykarda Parasol – Your Safety is My Concern

    05. Minipop – Stars

    04. Mister Loveless – Strange and Futureless

    03. Fans of Jimmy Century – Go Sugar

    02. The Trophy Fire – Glow

    01. Oona – I Wanna Know U

    The Links

    The She’s: www.myspace.com/theshesmusic

    The Hot Toddies: www.myspace.com/thehottoddies

    A B & The Sea: www.myspace.com/abthesea

    My First Earthquake: www.myfirstearthquake.com

    Rykarda Parasol: www.rykardaparasol.com/home.html

    Minipop: www.myspace.com/minipop

    Mister Loveless: www.misterloveless.com

    Fans of Jimmy Century: www.fansofjimmycentury.com

    The Trophy Fire: www.myspace.com/thetrophyfire

    Oona: oonamusic.com

    13 January 2011, 8:56 pm
  • IR: San Francisco | Episode 3: Happy Holidays from the Golden Gate

    Dan just delivered the third episode of the new Insomnia Radio: San Francisco, and it is dedicated to the holidays. Ten amazing holiday songs – ranging from hilarious to ironic to beautiful – for your enjoyment no matter what you’re celebrating this season.

    (Note: Because it’s a holiday show all can appreciate, this episode is also being delivered down the main IR feed.)

    [audio:http://insomniaradio.net/audio/irsfnew3.mp3] Download “IR:SF Christmas Show 2010” Subscribe to IR: San Francisco (it’s free)

    The Songs

    The Downer Party – Christmas Sucks in San Francisco

    My First Earthquake – Together in Our Holiday Sweaters

    Fans of Jimmy Century – Santa Jamacia (Jully Ol; Saint Nick)

    A B & The Sea – Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) featuring The She’s

    The Lovemakers – Christmas in Oakland

    Sentinel – The Christmas Song

    The Hot Toddies – Santa Baby

    Persephone’s Bees – Sleigh Ride

    Loquat – 2000 Miles

    Sea of Bees – Feliz Navidad

    Oona – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

    The Links

    The Downer Party: www.myspace.com/downerpartytime

    My First Earthquake: www.myfirstearthquake.com

    Fans of Jimmy Century: www.fansofjimmycentury.com

    A B & The Sea: www.myspace.com/abthesea

    The She’s: www.myspace.com/theshesmusic

    The Lovemakers: www.myspace.com/thelovemakers

    Sentinel: www.myspace.com/sentinel

    The Hot Toddies: www.myspace.com/thehottoddies

    Persephone’s Bees: www.persephonesbees.com

    Loquat: www.loquatmusic.com

    Sea of Bees: www.myspace.com/seaofbees

    Oona: oonamusic.com

    14 December 2010, 3:08 pm
  • IR: San Francisco | Episode #2

    Welcome to Episode 2 of the brand new Insomnia Radio: San Francisco! In this episode, Dan catches you up on the local happenings in the Bay area music scene, and features the latest indie awesomeness – including a brand new single by IR darlings Sentinel.

    [audio:http://insomniaradio.net/audio/irsf2_new.mp3] Download IR:SF Episode #2 Subscribe to IR: San Francisco

    The Songs

    • Fake Your Own Death – Mouth to Speak
    • Kill Moi – The Storm is You
    • Or, The Whale – Datura
    • Big Eagle – Anywhere The Wind Blows
    • LoveLikeFire – Saint Martin
    • Sentinel – Jet Black
    • The New Up – Gold
    • Rad Cloud – She Writes Her Letters
    • Or, The Whale – Count The Stars

    The Links

    22 November 2010, 2:08 pm
  • IR: San Francisco | Episode #1 (The Rebirth)

    IR: San FranciscoThe San Francisco feed of Insomnia Radio has been dark since February 2008, but today I’m ridiculously excited to be throwing the switch once again. As we have with IR: Chicago, our San Francisco is getting a reboot of sorts, beginning fresh with episode 1. That being said, the new iteration pays a few nods to Scott Tinetti’s style on its first outing.

    (Note: Most of Scott’s original episodes are still online, and certainly worth revisiting. Grab em here.)

    So who’s taking the torch and running like a crazed music junkie through the bay area streets? Dan Hooper – better known as DJ AmperDan from KUSF. Fear not, FM-killers: San Fran’s KUSF is one of those very few, very rare FM’s we don’t want to kill. It’s powered by the University of San Francisco, and has a razor sharp focus on underground music. Dan has been entrenched in the industry for years, and you guys will reap the rewards with a never ending stream of new and even unreleased music.

    For those of you with the IR:SF RSS feed still in your iTunes list or elsewhere, you don’t need to change a thing. For those who enjoy this episode, please throw http://feeds.feedburner.com/irsf into your podcatcher of choice, or subscribe in iTunes by clicking HERE.

    An incredibly special thanks goes out to Tarabud from Oakland band Sentinel, who planted the seed and made this all materialize.

    The Songs

    1. The Trophy Fire – Glow
    2. The Downer Party – Country Kids
    3. Kyle Swenson-Gordon (of Loquat) w/ Bostitch & Fussible – I Count The Ways
    4. My First Earthquake – Pick up Stick up
    5. Mister Loveless – From Burning Bridges
    6. The Soft White Sixties – It’s Too Late
    7. Rykarda Parasol – Your Safety is My Concern
    8. A B and The Sea – California Gurls
    [audio:http://insomniaradio.net/audio/newirsf1.mp3] Download the new IR:SF Episode #1 Subscribe to IR: San Francisco


    1 November 2010, 7:04 pm
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