Letter from USC Radio

Map of Classical KUSC Coverage KUSC’s Classical Public Radio can be heard in 7 counties, from as far north as San Luis Obispo and as far south as the Mexican border. With 39,000 watts of power, Classical KUSC boasts the 10th most powerful signal in Southern California. KUSC transmits its programming from five transmitters - KUSC-91.5 fm in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita; 88.5 KPSC in Palm Springs; 91.1 KDSC in Thousand Oaks; 93.7 KDB in Santa Barbara and 99.7 in Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo. KUSC Mission To make classical music and the arts a more important part of more people’s lives. KUSC accomplishes this by presenting high quality classical music programming, and by producing and presenting programming that features the arts and culture of Southern California. KUSC supports the goal of the University of Southern California to position USC as a vibrant cultural enterprise in downtown Los Angeles. Page 1 Classical KUSC Table of Contents 1 Map of Classical KUSC Coverage / KUSC Mission 2 Classical KUSC Table of Contents 3-4 Letter from USC Radio President, Brenda Barnes 5 USC Radio Vice President / KUSC Programming Team 6 KUSC Programming On Air-Announcers 7-10 Programming Highlights 2013-14 11 KUSC Online and Tour with the Los Angeles Philharmonic 12 KUSC Interactive 13 KUSC Underwriting 14 KUSC Engineering 15 KUSC Administration 16 USC Radio Board of Councilors 17 Tours with KUSC 18 KUSC Development 19 Leadership Circle 20 Legacy Society 21 KUSC Supports the Arts 22 KUSC Revenue and Expenses Page 2 Letter From USC Radio hen I came to USC Radio almost 17 and covered the arts in the community for W years ago the Coachella Valley was decades. We look forward to becoming the only area served by KUSC that had only more involved in our new role as the only one classical station. By 2013, so many classical station serving the area. classical stations had changed format that Santa Barbara was the only community in the None of us should jump to the conclusion United States still served by two full-time that the decline of commercial classical FM classical stations. Now KUSC is stations is a sign that classical music is operating the only classical station in Santa reaching a smaller audience. This is much Barbara. more about the economics of radio than it is about classical music. In the commercial Last fall the Santa Barbara Foundation radio business revenue comes from announced that it would sell its commercial advertisers. Advertisers in general are classical station, KDB. The Foundation was targeting younger consumers (those under losing money operating it, and could no 45). That was not always the case but it is longer afford to do so. They insisted, how- now. Classical radio has historically ever, that KDB continue to be operated as a attracted people fifty and older, making it classical station. Other public broadcasters difficult for commercial classical stations to were interested in purchasing the station, but attract advertising revenue. they did not want to run it as a classical station. These stations came to us and asked The other major factor that has decreased if we would be willing to swap our Santa the number of commercial classical stations Barbara station, KQSC, for KDB; this way, is telecommunications deregulation, which KDB could stay classical, and they could caused the price of radio stations to broadcast news and other content on the skyrocket beginning in the late 1990s. former KQSC. Since the coverage areas and Many stations across the country that had the transmitter facilities of the two stations traditionally been programmed as were comparable we agreed to an even trade. commercial classical stations were sold at extremely high prices. This occurred The Santa Barbara Foundation chose the because demand for radio stations exploded proposal presented by KCRW, and we have as a few of the smaller radio companies vied worked closely with our sister station in to own the most stations nationwide. Santa Monica on the transition. KDB aired Because they were paying prices many numerous local concert broadcasts and times higher than cash flow, the new offered concert calendar listings. We are owners had to shift to a format more grateful to the Santa Barbara Foundation for appealing to advertisers to earn enough to its support in helping us develop the capacity cover both debt and operating expenses. to assume this important work. We have been meeting with arts organizations and These developments in commercial radio KDB advertisers, and we are forming a Santa have mostly served to transition classical Barbara advisory board to help us with the radio from commercial operators to transition. We have served Santa Barbara noncommercial (nonprofit or public) Page 3 President, Brenda Barnes operators. Since listener support is the DJ." Kenneth Turan, who contributes film primary revenue source for public radio reviews regularly to Arts Alive, received the stations, and since there are plenty of people Luminary Award for Career Achievement for who love classical music enough to make his "insightful and influential movie reviews voluntary contributions, classical music is in as well as honoring his outstanding work for the best possible hands with you and us. And NPR and KUSC. since we are focused on mission, not profit margin, we have a broader base of activities We continue to be proud of the work we do that go beyond providing high quality to advocate for the arts community, and this classical music 24/7. year we convened a group of arts leaders to discuss their current needs and challenges. One highlight of the year was working with They told us that the most important needs of the Pacific Symphony and the national their organizations are increased funding, program From the Top, which showcases and more awareness of the events they create and profiles young musicians. We sponsored a the work they do, and increased audience. high school choir competition entered by They also think more collaboration among twenty-four choirs throughout Southern arts organizations would be beneficial, and California. The winner was selected by they want to find ways to diversify audiences expert judges informed by online voting. for the arts. We will continue to raise More than 30,000 votes were cast, and the awareness of the many wonderful arts events winner was heard on From the Top in a available in Southern California to help performance recorded at the Renee and increase audience for these events and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange funding for the organizations that create County. Congratulations to our winner, the them. La Canada High School Chamber Singers, and the two runners-up, the Mira Costa High Without you none of the achievements School Vocal Ensemble of Manhattan Beach, outlined above would have been possible. and the Tesoro High School Madrigals Choir Thank you so much for the faith and of Las Flores in Orange County. confidence you place in KUSC by being an all-important financial supporter. Please let In November, KUSC won another Los us know if you have questions or thoughts Angeles Press Club national first place about anything you read in this report. award, this time for creating the year's best radio feature "The Rite of Spring Turns 100." Gail Eichenthal, Brian Lauritzen, Kelsey McConnell and Mark Hatwan all contributed to the winning feature. The judge said about the feature, "Taking an in-depth approach, President, USC Radio Gail Eichenthal orchestrates an insightful look at the history of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, with the support of knowledgeable voices like other conductors and a German Page 4 USC Radio Vice President Bill Lueth Bill oversees programming and underwriting sales at KUSC, and is the President of our sister station KDFC in San Francisco. A former opera singer, Bill has been in the radio business as announcer, programmer, and manager in multiple formats for over 25 years. With a special emphasis on classical, his stations have won numerous national awards including Best Classical Station twice, and Excellence in Community Service twice by the National Association of Broadcasters. Bill believes in vibrant, interactive, local radio. He has been a leader in the classical radio world nationally for many years and is a member of the national Public Radio Program Directors Board. KUSC Programming Team As the Assistant Program Director, Kelsey works on projects that help strengthen the relationship between KUSC, our growing audience, and the arts community. Kelsey manages many of the ways we use to help our listeners feel that KUSC is really their classical station. From theme weeks like the Musical Mystery Tour, to working with our arts partners on SoCal Sunday Night and Arts Alive, to keeping listeners informed and Kelsey McConnell excited about the station with the bi-monthly Assistant Program Director e-newsletter and monthly Members Guide Mark Hatwan Programming Engineer Page 5 KUSC Programming On-Air Announcers Dennis Bartel Brian Lauritzen Weekday morning host Monday-Friday 6 a.m. The afternoon weekday host on Classical KUSC to 9 a.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. He also hosts KUSC’s arts Dennis is a thirty-year veteran broadcaster, news magazine Arts Alive, Saturdays at 8:00 having served in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, a.m., and the nationally-syndicated broadcasts of and in Pittsburgh. Dennis began his broadcast the LA Philharmonic. His work has been career in his native Los Angeles as morning broadcast internationally by NPR, American Public Media, and the host at KUSC in late 1970s, when he also produced a celebrated series of hour-long documentaries on California writers.

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