KUSC
Encyclopedia
KUSC is a listener-supported classical music radio station broadcasting from downtown Los Angeles, California
, USA. KUSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California
, which also operates student-run KXSC and San Francisco's classical station KDFC . It is the largest non-profit classical music station in the country and the only classical radio station in the Greater Los Angeles Area
(although KDB
is a second classical music station for the Santa Barbara
area, where KUSC is also available).
Notable local programming includes Dennis Bartel's weekday morning show, Rich Capparela's weekday afternoon program, Jim Svejda
's weekday evening show, Duff Murphy's Saturday opera show, and special features by Gail Eichenthal. Other announcers include Alan Chapman and Kimberlea Daggy.
The station holds three membership drives annually to help support operational costs. These drives usually last less than ten days. Corporate sponsors include Lexus
, Miramax Films
, University of Redlands
, Universal Music Group
, City of Hope National Medical Center
and Providence Health & Services.
† KDSC is non-directional (fcc.gov). Coverage pattern is not circular due to mountains to the NE which block line-of-sight FM transmissions. Any interference with the 91.1 (XETRA-FM
) in Mexico goes both ways and is caused by a phenomenon called 'ducting'. Ducting occurs most often along coastal areas, particularly during spring and fall when temperature inversions occur. Ducting causes VHF signals to travel further than normal. All VHF signals experience periodic interference from this phenomenon. (FM
is in the VHF band just above TV channel 6.)
‡ KESC was formerly KXTY.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, USA. KUSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, which also operates student-run KXSC and San Francisco's classical station KDFC . It is the largest non-profit classical music station in the country and the only classical radio station in the Greater Los Angeles Area
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
(although KDB
KDB (FM)
KDB is a commercial radio station in Santa Barbara, California that is listener- and advertiser-supported, and is owned by the non-profit Santa Barbara Foundation. The station airs a classical music format....
is a second classical music station for the Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
area, where KUSC is also available).
Notable local programming includes Dennis Bartel's weekday morning show, Rich Capparela's weekday afternoon program, Jim Svejda
Jim Svejda
Jim Svejda is American music commentator and critic on the FM radio station KUSC. He is the host of the weekly syndicated classical music program The Record Shelf, which is broadcast on many NPR stations, and a local nightly classical program, Classical Music with Jim Svejda, as well as the host...
's weekday evening show, Duff Murphy's Saturday opera show, and special features by Gail Eichenthal. Other announcers include Alan Chapman and Kimberlea Daggy.
The station holds three membership drives annually to help support operational costs. These drives usually last less than ten days. Corporate sponsors include Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...
, Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
, University of Redlands
University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by...
, Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center, is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States...
and Providence Health & Services.
Transmitter network
| Transmitter | Location | Power Effective radiated power In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains... (measured in watt Watt The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:... s) |
|---|---|---|
| KUSC 91.5 | Los Angeles Los Ángeles Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants... |
39,000 |
| KPSC 88.5 | Palm Springs Palm Springs, California Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego... |
1,250 |
| KDSC 91.1 (†) | Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, California Thousand Oaks is a city in southeastern Ventura County, California, in the United States. It was named after the many oak trees that grace the area, and the city seal is adorned with an oak.... |
4,800 |
| KQSC 88.7 | Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean... |
12,000 |
| KESC 99.7 (‡) | Morro Bay Morro Bay, California Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.- History :... |
285 |
† KDSC is non-directional (fcc.gov). Coverage pattern is not circular due to mountains to the NE which block line-of-sight FM transmissions. Any interference with the 91.1 (XETRA-FM
XETRA-FM
XETRA-FM — branded 91X, and sometimes identified as XTRA-FM — is an English language, Mexican-owned modern rock music station broadcasting from Tijuana, Baja California on 91.1 MHz. The studios are located in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego...
) in Mexico goes both ways and is caused by a phenomenon called 'ducting'. Ducting occurs most often along coastal areas, particularly during spring and fall when temperature inversions occur. Ducting causes VHF signals to travel further than normal. All VHF signals experience periodic interference from this phenomenon. (FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
is in the VHF band just above TV channel 6.)
‡ KESC was formerly KXTY.