Not everyone would drive 11 hours to spend a sunny Santa Barbara day indoors, but for some college DJs, it was an easy choice.
Last Saturday, KCSB-FM 91.9 Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara’s educational community college radio station) hosted the annual, day-long California Radio Network Conference (UCRN). A few representatives of KRFH, Cal Poly Humboldt’s student-run radio station, made the 600-mile trek to get a taste of what the other college stations around the state are up to.
In an ocean of UC radio stations– representing universities like UCLA, UCSC, UC Berkeley, and others– KRFH stood out as a unique 100% student-run station, embodying the DIY spirit of hard working college students.
The conference offered a variety of sessions and networking opportunities to bridge the gap between stations. The day kicked off with a keynote address by Ernesto Aguilar, Executive Director at KQED, on radio programming, diversity, and inclusion. After some inspiring words on the foundation college radio gives students to launch their careers, everyone gathered into groups to discuss strategies and methods for sustaining successful radio. Topics like engineering, fundraising and programming were analyzed in depth by station staff– providing examples of how each station has created something they’re proud of.
KRFH’s notable achievements included live news coverage of the pro-palestinian protests at Cal Poly Humboldt, their 48 Hour ‘DJ Zone’, their live and on-the-air music “festival” Lixxapalooza, and their live news coverage and in the field reporting for Humboldt County’s annual Kinetic Grand Championship. Needless to say, KRFH earned their place at those roundtables.
KRFH has worked consistently to build a team of hard working DJs who are committed to making the station better every semester. Despite KRFH managers– including station manager, production manager, PR manager, and more– working around the clock without so much as a stipend, it is obvious that their passion for radio fuels their success. While most stations at UCRN were UC-based community radio stations with paid employees, KRFH showed up and held their ground as a completely student-run radio station.
During the afternoon portion of the conference, KRFH was pleased to see a familiar face. Neroli Devaney, Humboldt resident, KZSC alum and former KHSU co-host, helped lead a panel discussion on Hip Hop to Community Building, Arts & Activism. Post-college radio, Devaney founded Humboldt Hot Air (HHA), an internet radio station broadcasting from Arcata. In 2024, the FCC approved their license to broadcast as KHHA-LP 94.7 FM. Devaney’s work in community radio has earned her the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award from UC Santa Cruz. Devaney is also a member of Women On Air Humboldt (WOAH), bringing women together to find community in a male-dominated industry. KRFH, HHA and WOAH not only share members, but they also share the goal of uplifting the already generous community we rely on.
By the end of the afternoon, all the stations gathered around underneath the iconic UC Santa Barbara Storke Tower for a merch swap and DJ Performance by Paraíso. KRFH joined in spreading the love with stickers, zines, lighters, patches and buttons. Putting their small, far-north radio station on the map.
KRFH lovers in the community can be seen driving around with bumper stickers reading, ‘Hot Girls Listen to KRFH’. This inside-joke-turned-cult following has officially moved down the coast with those hot pink stickers making an appearance on college campuses around California.
Events like UCRN and passion-projects like Humboldt Hot Air or KRFH prove to the community that radio isn’t dead– it’s just hiding out in basements covered in bumper stickers.
Carlina Grillo is a student-journalist and the former station manager for KRFH.
