KRCL (FM-90.9) will celebrate its 20th birthday Friday, Dec. 3. As "Radio Free Utah," the community station has the most diverse mix of programing available in the state, ranging from rap to blues.
In fact, the station's unique programing is found nowhere else in the world.To commemorate its two-decade mark, the station will stage a pre-birthday celebration on Thursday, Dec. 2, 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Abravanel Hall. KRCL employees and one guest each will be admitted free. Others will be charged $5 each.
KRCL was started back in 1979 by Stephen Holbrook. Seven years earlier, his interests in fighting media censorship and opposing the Vietnam War got him started on a crusade that led him to create the station.
Holbrook had no funds, equipment or programing. He had to rely on help from the community.
Robert Redford and his former wife, Lola, helped get the station's funding. The Redfords helped secure a grant from the Community Service Administration in Washington, D.C., that finance the station for the first three years.
Redford also signed copies of his book "The Outlaw Trail" and gave proceeds to KRCL.
Paul Wharton and Ethel Hale prepared all legal documents for the new station. Its first home was above the Blue Mouse Theater, thanks to a donation from Diane Orr and Mike Uhrman.
Today the station's general manager is Donna Land Maldonado, while Holbrook continues as a member emeritus of the board of trustees.
The purpose of the station is still to provide a broadcast forum for diverse music and information.
KRCL airs 60 different music programs each week, has more than 24,000 public service announcements each year and receives 79 percent of its funding from the community. More than 90 percent of its programing is on local issues and 150 volunteers keep the station going.
Representatives from Utah's American Indian, Asian and Latino communities air programs in their native languages on KRCL.
-- POLYNESIAN RADIO -- The Wasatch Front probably has as many radio stations per capita as any other metro area its size in the country. Hence, we have a wide variety of programing that's hard to find in other areas. However, there's one specialty program here that I didn't expect to find -- a two-hour all-Polynesian music show.
Airing each Sunday on KKDS (AM-1060) from 8-10 a.m., "Voice of the Pacific" is a change from the station's usual "All-American Classics" format. The show has been airing for about two years. The first hour features music in the Samoan language, and the last half is in English.
The show airs Polynesian artists and seems mainly geared for the young adult audience.
-- BRIAN JAMES is one of those talk show hosts you either love or hate. But the evening talker on KNRS (AM-570) could be leaving the station. He's accepted a new job as the voice of ABC-TV.
KNRS program director Larry Crandall said James still wants to live in Salt Lake instead of New York City and he's trying to work out a deal with ABC to do this voice work from here. In that case, he could also still be a "K-News" host.
Crandall said James is very talented and he's already the voice of numerous U.S. radio stations. However, this ABC job is a big one and is evidence of just how talented James is.
-- BASKETBALL -- All University of Utah Women's games will air on KALL (AM-910) this season, while the men's games will be broadcast on KNRS (AM-570). Brad Stone will handle the play-by-play for all home games, while Kent Rupe will announce all road games.
-- In addition, all Utah State University men's basketball games will be heard on sister station KWLW (AM-700).
-- KALL is now replaying the "Jim Rome Show" weekdays from 6-9 p.m. The original show airs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
-- HUG RADIO -- Jimmy Chunga, the morning host on KENZ (alias "The End," FM-107.5) with Mr. West, is trying to hug all the station's listeners before the end of the year.
At public events, the DJ had already hugged more than 9,000 listeners as of last week. However, since the program is the No. 1 morning show for young adults age 18-34, Chunga probably has 45,000 more listeners to go in that age group and up to 65,000 of other ages.
Deseret News radio editor Lynn Arave can be reached by e-mail at lynn@desnews.com or by phone at 237-2168.