The Hippie Bus ready to roll!

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the huge outdoor music festival (and social event) held in August of 1969, a low-powered community radio station, school district and budding artists from a high school in Fallbrook have teamed together to create a 1960s hippie-themed work of art.

According to KPRI (91.3 FM) General Manager John Fox, the idea for the project came about when the station decided to change call letters from its original sign-on of KOPA to KPRI back in March of 2018. While the new KPRI now stands for Kupa Pala Rez Indians, reflecting the tribe that owns and runs the station, KPRI in the past was one of San Diego’s original “hippie” free-form FM stations, adopting the format part time in 1967, full time in 1968, and continuing until it evolved into “album rock” in 1969.

The original KPRI went off the air in 1984 and is now Spanish music formatted KNLV (106.5 FM). I remember my brother, Victor, listening to the original KPRI when I was young.

The new KPRI harkens back to the original in many ways, not the least of which is music – much of the music played on the original is a core part of some of the new station’s programming. That common heritage, the mandate of programming the station then and now to an underserved audience, and the upcoming Woodstock anniversary led to the idea of creating the hippie bus.

The Bonsall donated an old bus to the station, and students from the art department of Fallbrook High School led by department chairman Bill Richardson started work on the bus months ago. Now, according to Fox, “an army of students, led by graduating senior Caiden Metts, are putting the finishing touches on the bus.

“It’s quite a spectacle!” Fox says 

The project combines many elements of art including studying a period known for its pop-art culture along with creating large public works of art. Design and layout began over the Winter ; the project is expected to be completed by graduation day June 5th and plans are for the bus to hit the roads of North County, San Diego sometime later in June.

Please see the photos below.

KPRI is available online via Tune-In, iHeart Radio, and on the website at www.RezRadio.FM.  You can even listen on your phone, by calling 712-775-5748. The 24-hour format is a mix of programming including music, news, talk and old-time radio from the 1930s through there 1950s; one of the more interesting elements of the station is that it carries recordings of The Wolfman Jack Show, Tuesday through Friday 6-7 p.m. and Saturdays 6-10 p.m. 

Can you say “eclectic?”

BBQ Knowledge

Peter Dills, the King of Cuisine, answers your barbecue questions and much more on Go Country 105 Sunday morning from 8-9 a.m. and (with a separate show) on KLAA (830 AM) 5-6 p.m. Sundays.

SOLD!

Meruelo Media is growing again. After agreeing to purchase KLOS (95.5 FM) from Cumulus, the local company has agreed to purchase KXOS (93.9 FM) from 93.9 Holdings, Inc. and Grupo Radio Centro Los Angeles. 

KXOS was once owned by Emmis and was known as KZLA playing country music before changing formats to dance-based Movin’ 92.3. Once the two sales are approved, Meruelo will own five radio and two television stations in the Los Angeles area, including KPWR (105.9 FM), KDAY (93.5 FM), KDEY-FM (also 93.5 FM), KWHY-TV (Channel 22) and KBEH-TV (Channel 63).

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Photo credits: Bill Richardson, used by permission