Radio Waves: 2/7/20

Limbaugh announces health problem

Popular radio talk host Rush Limbaugh, heard locally weekdays from 9 am until 12 noon on KEIB (1150 AM), announced on his show Monday that he is suffering from “advanced lung cancer.”

The former cigarette smoker — he claimed on the air years ago that he gave up smoking — said that he will be taking time off for treatment, but hopes to return soon, perhaps by the time you read this. He may be on and off the air periodically as his treatments progress.

His diagnosis was confirmed by doctors after he experienced issues including shortness of breath in January, he said.

“I’m sure that you all know by now that I really don’t like talking about myself and I don’t like making things about me,” he said as he ended the show Monday. “One thing that I know, that has happened over the 31-plus years of this program, is that there has been an incredible bond that had developed between all of you and me.”

Rockin’ It

Since KRTH (101.1 FM) all but abandoned fifties and ‘60s music, the go to station in town for that has been K-SURF (1260 AM, 105.1 HD2). K-SURF started as a ‘50s and ‘60s oldies station — LA Oldies — when it launched.

I like K-SURF. I like the variety it provides, and it’s almost like having your own stations, as owner Saul Levine makes most of his radio money via sister station Go Country (KKGO, 105.1 FM), so there are not many commercials on the station at all. The music mix is a lot more open than many other oldies stations both broadcast and on the internet.

But some people think it’s too open. I get letters and emails fairly often lamenting the addition of music from the 1970s and ‘80s into the mix. That’s something I personally have no issue with, but I do understand the complaint … especially if you grew up with the music of the ‘50s and ‘60s. That’s your childhood; the ‘70s and ‘80s bring you into adulthood, as it were.

So what to do if you want your fix of what you consider “real oldies?” How about hitting the net and trying out Rock It Radio, at RockItRadio.Net?

Using a website that was apparently designed and seems to be roughly the same since the station hit the net in 1997, Rock it Radio plays music from the “first decade of rock and roll” 24 hours per day. Using the generally-accepted start date of rock and roll music, that puts the years at 1955 to 1965.

There is a 24-hour per day stream as well as on-demand specialty shows and special recordings that are available via various links on the site, which while dated is relatively easy to navigate. You can also listen to the 24-hour stream through smart phone apps such as Tune-In and others that use Tune-In as a base layer.

The station funds itself through donations, memberships and sales made through the site; available merchandise includes uncut recordings of Wolfman Jack as he was heard on the legendary border blaster station, XERB (now XEPRS, 1090 AM) out of Rosarito Beach in Mexico … and as heard in the background of the movie American Graffiti.

Also available on the site is a listing of other internet stations, information about internet radios, biographies and photos of Rock It hosts, and much more. Have a band that plays music similar to the first decade of rock? You can get that on the air. And it actually is on the air … there is a Rock It Radio affiliate on the FM band in Post Falls, Idaho.

There is obviously a lot of talent and passion that went into the creation of Rock It Radio, so head on over and let me know what you think.

Anniversary

Rez Radio, also known as KPRI (91.3 FM) with a signal that reaches parts of San Diego and Orange Counties … but world-wide via the internet and Tune-In, celebrates nine years on the air this week; it was nine years ago February 3rd that the station received it license from the FCC.

KPRI harkens back to the legendary freeform station based in San Diego, and station manager John Fox brought that attitude back to the air with Rez Radio. The call letters were granted to Rez Radio two years ago and now stand for ‘Kupa Pala Rez Indians.”

Fox shared some of the highlights of the first nine years on the air:

“We developed news and other local programming that has earned more than 20 San Diego Press Club awards for Excellence in Journalism as well as recognition from the Southern California News Association for Best Small Station Newscast.

“Rez Radio news is the ONLY locally-based broadcast news outlet anywhere between San Diego, LA and Riverside.

“Two of our shows, ‘Back in the Day With Doots and Dar’ and ‘FutureSound with Cuscino’ have entered the world of syndication and are heard on other stations in multiple states. ‘Pala Life Past and Present’ with Eric Ortega preserves the legacy of the tribe and the reservation drawing from and creating new archived interviews with elders and those whose experiences involve Pala and Kupa.

“For several years we’ve broadcast time checks in Pa’enexily to familiarize listeners with numbers in the native language from Kupa.  “We host free and open language classes at our studios every other Tuesday. Those taking the classes are now teaching a college credit course in the language to Bonsall High School students three days a week at Pala Learning Center and to grade schoolers at Vivian Banks Charter school.

“Rez Radio’s promotional appearances – some with our hippie bus, Daisy Sunshine, a joint project of the tribe and Fallbrook High School spread awareness of Pala at the Del Mar Fair, Fallbrook Christmas Parade, Valley Center Western Days, Christmas in the Valley at Bates Nut Farm, Pala Fire Department Open House, Earth Day at La Jolla and a number of one-time events.

“Rez Radio news has provided complete live coverage of events including Gregory Canyon landfill public forums, Kupa Days, the Honoring Traditions Powows and Gatherings.”

Friday February 7, Rez Radio will be carrying the 50th Congressional District public forum with the four top candidates live from Valley Center High’s Miaxine Theater. Says Fox, “All of this happens courtesy of the Pala Band of Mission Indians and free of the constraints and demands of commercial radio’s need to cater to advertisers.  The full 60 minutes of every hour are devoted to informing and entertaining.  We don’t even browbeat listeners for donations for a solid week every three months like other non-commercial stations. Thank your tribe for that.”

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