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| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 90.7MHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | College radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | University of California |
| History | |
First air date | 1962 |
Call sign meaning | University of California [sic] |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 68999 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 500watts |
| HAAT | 238 meters (781 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°52′40″N122°14′44″W / 37.87778°N 122.24556°W /37.87778; -122.24556 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | KALX Online |
KALX (90.7FM) is anFMradio station that broadcasts from theUniversity of California, Berkeley inBerkeley,California,United States. KALX, a community and student-run radio stationlicensed to the university, broadcasts instereo with 500watts ofpower. The station employs three full-time paid staff members, but is largely run by its nearly 300volunteers, including Berkeley students and other members of the local community. The station's studios are located at Social Sciences Building on campus.
The station originally began broadcasting in 1962, as acarrier current station. By 1966, KALX (then known as Radio KAL, thecall letters being derived from Berkeley's nickname "Cal") had moved from Berkeley'sdormitories to Dwinelle Hall on campus, and Berkeley administrators began investigating the possibility of applying for abroadcast frequency for the station. KALX received its broadcast license and made its first FM broadcast, with 10 watts of power, in 1967. The studio in the basement of Dwinelle was modest, a small chamber sequestered off from a sizable library of albums.
In the 1970s, KALX was taken off the air for a short period by the faculty oversight Radio Policy Board after the station manager and friends had abused their use of university automobiles for private use and run up large bills for long distance phone calls to their contacts in Los Angeles and elsewhere. After an investigation, the station was put back on the air in 1975 under new management, led by Andrew Reimer who had previously been manager ofKUCI, the radio station at UC Irvine. The station progressed from a 10-watt part-time operation to continuous operation in 1977, to a higher transmitter site in theBerkeley Hills in 1978.
KALX became the official radio station for theOakland Athletics just days before the season opener in April1978.Larry Baer, a juniorpolitical sciencemajor who was the station's sports director andbusiness manager, negotiated the agreement with team ownerCharlie Finley. The situation was made possible because of the Athletics' subpar on-field performance and attendance and the uncertainty surrounding Finley's threats to move the ballclub toDenver.[2] Baer, who would later serve as aSan Francisco Giants executive beginning in December 1992, was theplay-by-play announcer.[3] Sophomoremass communications majorBob Kozberg and stationproducer/engineer Steve Blum also worked on the broadcasts.
The arrangement lasted only sixteen games. One month into the season, Finley decided to keep the Athletics in Oakland and awarded the broadcast rights toKNEW.[2][4] Nonetheless, the setup made the A's a laughingstock in the Bay Area. At the time, KALX only operated at 10 watts, rendering it practically unlistenable more than 10 miles fromOakland Coliseum. This led one fan to joke about the A's radio network stretching all the way to Hawaii by asking, "Honolulu? How abouthere?"[5]
In 1981, the station began a successfulfundraising drive to boost its power level to the present-day 500 watts, a level that was reached in 1982.[2]
As part of the A's 50th anniversary celebration in 2018, Baer was invited back to do play-by-play for one inning of an A's/Giants game.[6]
KALX offers a diverse range of public affairs programming, and airs many kinds ofpublic service announcements throughout its daily broadcast.[7]
KALX has provided a training ground for numerous individuals who have had careers in music, television, and radio. These include:
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