This fall has been a hectic time at the college radio station, KFJC-FM at Foothill College, where I am a volunteer DJ and Publicity Director. On October 20th, the station turned 60 years old and we celebrated with various on and off-air activities.
With my interest in college radio history, I felt compelled to do a bit more digging in order to tell some tales about KFJC’s past. So many college radio stations have done inspiring history projects and I’d been wanting to do a history blog in the style of WPRB’s History Blog for quite some time, as I like the way the Princeton University station features moments from its past in a non-linear manner.
So, in the midst of the annual fundraiser and as the anniversary loomed, KFJC launched its history blog where we are starting to share historical goodies. As I’d hoped, the 60th anniversary has been a rallying point for station alumni. Even before the blog debuted, they were sharing stories and images on social media, some of which have now been incorporated into the blog.
At KFJC’s 60th Anniversary Open House, alumni from nearly every decade of the station’s existence were on the scene. Some even brought bits of history, including a vintage T-shirt and a briefcase full of KFJC ephemera. Founder Bob Ballou wasn’t able to make it to the party, but he checked in over email. Every year he sends his congratulatory greetings on KFJC’s anniversary, which always makes me smile.
It’s nice to take the time to reflect back on a station’s past, as often we find parallels with the present. As KFJC was making plans for a big surf music show at a campus venue, I was shown a flyer from the KFJC archives for a 1960s-era KFJC forum and live broadcast from the very same room at Foothill College. While the content was markedly different (loud surf bands in 2019 vs. “The Art of Being Female” forum in 1965), it’s somehow reassuring to feel a kinship with station predecessors doing work in the same spaces.
Where is College Radio Watch?
So, with my hyper-focus on KFJC and other work this fall, the weekly college radio news updates here have been on hiatus. While I like to maintain a record of the latest college radio news, it takes time to do this every week. Did you miss “College Radio Watch”? Is it something that helps you in your work or in your understanding of the college radio scene? Drop us a note to let me know.
