Earlier today I heard of University of San Francisco’s plans to sell off the FM license for KUSF and as the day has gone by more and more details have emerged. It turns out that the public radio group hoping to purchase the KUSF license will be airing programming from classical station KDFC. While listeners caught static at 90.3 FM beginning at 10am when the “suits” arrived and turned off the transmitter, by 5:15pm programming from classical station KDFC could be heard emanating from the old KUSF frequency. Announcements over the “new” KDFC are promoting that the station will officially arrive at 90.3 next Monday, January 24th at 12noon (as well as over 89.9 FM in parts of the SF Bay area) and they are already getting adjusted to their new “public radio” and “commercial-free” home as of this afternoon. KDFC also announced on their website that,
“This is an exciting time in KDFC’s history. The station is changing from ad-supported commercial radio, to listener-supported public radio. The University of Southern California, which operates Classical KUSC in Los Angeles, has entered into an agreement with Entercom Communications that will preserve KDFC as the classical music station in the Bay Area.
KDFC will be moving down the FM dial to broadcast over two non-commercial signals immediately: 90.3 in San Francisco, and 89.9 in the North Bay. The station will be heard on 102.1 only until noon on Monday 1/24/2011. The new signals will have minimal reception south of Oakland and San Francisco for now, but will continue to be available over the internet at KDFC.com. The new KDFC has already begun to look for new signals to offer reception in the South Bay and the entire Bay Area for our around-the-clock classical programming.”
KDFC is already looking for donations to support their new non-commercial station. Although KUSF still hasn’t been officially sold off, the powers that be at University of San Francisco are certainly making room for their frequency suitor, allowing them to take control of the airwaves going forward. It’s all part of a bigger series of commercial station moves that were announced today. KDFC will be sold to University of Southern California and rock station KUFX will begin airing at KDFC’s old frequency of 102.1FM. Christian station KNDL is also losing its frequency to make room for KDFC’s programming.
Stay tuned. We’ll keep you informed as more details emerge. Meeting and protests are scheduled at 7pm tomorrow at Fromm Hall at University of San Francisco.
