The Stitcher mobile radio service is adding another gay oriented radio show to its schedule: Out in the Bay, a regular program on National Public Radio affiliate KALW-FM in San Francisco (91.7 FM). Out in the Bay is hosted and produced by Eric Jansen and Marilyn Pittman, both of whom have tons of radio experience at Bay Area public and commercial stations: KQED-FM, KGO-AM, and shows like PRI’s “Marketplace.”
Pittman even did a stint at an early online radio service called GAYBC.com which eventually became Sirius radio’s OUTQ channel (side story: I remember GAYBC because in 1999 they interviewed me about my first book about KPFA in Berkeley; one of its early managers in the 1950s, Wallace Hamilton, later became a prominent gay rights activist).
Stitcher has been helping the fill the void left by the demise of KNGY 92.7, the Bay Area’s gay oriented dance music station until it was sold and reformatted. The mobile service hired KNGY’s popular morning show duo, Fernando and Greg, who now offer a regular podcast titled Fernando and Greg: Side Show. It’s a “side show” because the team has also been picked up by CBS music station 99.7 (“Moovin’ 99.7”), which has a decent enough pop music format. On the Stitcher show F and G warn listeners they’ll talk about “all the stuff we can’t talk about on 99.7,” so be forewarned (ooh ooh).
Anyway, good news, this Out in the Bay addition. They do lots of interesting interviews, including ones with John Waters, Ang Lee, Cybill Shepherd, Augusten Burroughs, and Charo. Their newest cast, now available on Stitcher, has an interview with writer Michael Luougo, who has an update on homophobic violence in Iraq.
Funny, there’s a real gap in AM/FM programming for gay folks in the San Francisco Bay Area, which I’ve never quite understood given that demographics’ huge purchasing power. But one shouldn’t underestimate terrestrial radio’s inclination towards risk averse decision making, so there’s that.
Oh, and Stitcher finally has released a download for the Blackberry 8330, so I’ve got it on mine. Plays real good, too.
