KPFA radio to celebrate 75th anniversary

KPFA radio to celebrate 75th anniversary

By Lynda Carson - April 12, 2024

On Monday, April 15, 2024, KPFA radio, 94.1 FM in Berkeley, will celebrate it’s 75th birthday with it’s friends and supporters.

KPFA started broadcasting on April 15, 1949, as the first Pacifica Radio station, and continues to remain the flagship station of the Pacifica Radio Network including KPFT, KPFK, WBAI, WPFW, and many affiliates all across the nation, plus Puerto Rico, Canada, Zurich, Paris, and London.

KPFA is the very first listener supported radio station in the United States of America. Unlike National Public Radio (NPR), KPFA does not have commercials. That’s right! KPFA radio is listener supported with 60,000 watts of power, and does not have commercials like NPR or PBS does.

The programs on KPFA are delightful. There are many wonderful DJs with KPFA, and some fantastic music programs. Additionally, there are numerous talk-shows, and programs that have some really interesting interviews that are very educational.

At times there have been some controversy in the network, including the time when George Carlin (comedian) performed his 7 dirty words routine years ago that was broadcast on Pacifica, resulting in a lawsuit F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation.

The past 75 years reveal that KPFA and the Pacifica Radio Network has struggled to remain on the airwaves through the years, and the history of KPFA and the network may be found here. But it has always managed to pull through somehow, allowing it to live longer to fight another day, and to remain on the airwaves.

The KPFA - Pacifica Struggle in 1999:

According to the history archives of KPFA, “On July 31, 10,000 Bay Area residents demonstrate in Berkeley, demanding the reopening of KPFA, which had been shut down by Pacifica’s then Chair Mary Frances Berry and Executive Director Lynn Chadwick in a dispute over control of the station. Chadwick and Berry relent and KPFA begins broadcasting again in early August.”

Indeed. Here we are around 25 years later, and thankfully KPFA is still broadcasting with 60,000 watts of power throughout much of northern California, and locations around the world on the web. Happy Birthday to KPFA radio, 94.1 FM, and 75 years of broadcasting.

Note: I saved some vintage posters from the KPFA - Pacifica struggle during 1999, and took some photographs of the struggle occurring at KPFA during 1999, around 25 years ago, that I posted for this story.

Lynda Carson may be reached at newzland2 [at] gmail.com

>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>