The SoCal Sound is still rocking amid federal cuts to public radio

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The sun is shining on a beautiful October morning in Los Angeles, but the team at KCSN, the local public radio station known as SoCal Sound, is facing some difficulties.

Nic Harcourt and Jet Raskin are hosting a week-long fundraising drive for their station. They’re trying to close a funding gap created when a $250,000 grant was canceled after Congress cut funding to the organization that provided it. The drive, named for the current season, has one day left to reach its goal.

Harcourt and Raskin are currently behind their fundraising goal for the first two hours of their show. Despite this, they’re continuing to ask listeners for donations, offering incentives like concert tickets, vinyl records, and a unique long-sleeve T-shirt featuring a clenched fist holding an acoustic guitar with the message “Protect Public Radio.”

Following a heartfelt message, the music resumes with David Bowie’s “Nite Flights,” originally by The Walker Brothers. The version played isn’t the original album track, but a 2010 remix called “Mood Swings.” Next up is “Ico,” a brand new song by Canadian indie band Jo Passed, chosen as the show’s “Fresh Squeezed Track of the Day.” You wouldn’t normally hear these two songs played one after the other, especially on traditional radio, but that’s what makes SoCal Sound unique. The station has a set playlist, but gives its DJs the freedom to add their own choices, creating a refreshing and unpredictable radio experience.

After a few hours, Harcourt and Raskin felt relieved as donations began coming in, putting them almost back on schedule. Harcourt is used to the ups and downs of fundraising, having run over 60 campaigns throughout his time at KCSN and KCRW, Los Angeles’s leading public radio station. It was KCRW that first brought the British DJ to the attention of Los Angeles audiences back in 1998.

Traditionally, public radio stations held fundraising drives twice a year – in the spring and fall. However, recently, those campaigns haven’t been sufficient, so stations are now doing smaller, more frequent fundraising events throughout the year. (The station also receives financial support from local sponsors like My Valley Pass, the Pantages, and the Hollywood Bowl.) In addition to hosting the morning drive show, Harcourt can also be heard on weeknights from 6 to 7 p.m.

I always loved discovering new music, and a friend suggested I share my passion – especially the Australian artists I’d collected during my twenties – with a local radio station, WDST in Woodstock, New York. I figured, why not? I ended up getting a specialty show, and honestly, it just snowballed from there. Before I knew it, I was hosting the morning show and running the whole program as director – it was a dream come true!

At KCRW, Tom Harcourt became known for discovering and championing new musicians as both the station’s music director and host of “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” and artists he helped launch haven’t forgotten his support. For example, the French band Air publicly thanked him from the stage during their recent Hollywood Bowl concert, recognizing the opportunity he gave them years ago to gain popularity in the United States.

Alyson Raskin, who began co-hosting in March 2020, is relatively new to the radio world. Originally an art history major at the College of the Canyons, she changed her career path after a teacher suggested her goal of leading the Getty Museum wasn’t practical. She’d been listening to KCSN while driving and decided to switch to broadcasting, transferring to California State University, Northridge – where the station is located. She started in promotions and quickly jumped at the chance for an overnight shift. That led to weekend slots and eventually the morning show. When the station manager, Patrick Osburn, suggested adding a co-host, he specifically asked for Raskin. She also hosts a solo segment, “Jet Into Work,” from 6 to 7 a.m. on weekdays.

Besides the main hosts, the station’s staff includes experienced radio professionals, many of whom previously worked in commercial radio and are happy to have more creative freedom at a public station. Julie Slater, the music director and midday host, used to work at WXRK in New York, even following Howard Stern. The program director, Marc Kaczor – known as Mookie after a nickname given to him by the late Mojo Nixon when they both worked at XTRA in San Diego – is on air from 2 to 4 p.m.

Matt Pinfield, best known as a former MTV VJ and host of the iconic alternative music show “120 Minutes,” hosts the show from 4 to 6 p.m. and is excited to be broadcasting again. He recently faced a serious health challenge, suffering a life-threatening stroke in January and then developing MRSA pneumonia while recovering in the hospital.

Pinfield, who resumed flying in June, says he’s regained many of his skills. He’s made much more progress than doctors predicted, especially considering they told his daughters he might never walk or talk again and would likely require constant care.

The station features unique programs like “Bilingual Sounds” with Byron the Curator, airing weekdays from 9 to 11 p.m. You can also tune in to “L.A. Buzz Bands” on Sundays and “Rock ’n’ Roll Times” on Wednesdays, both hosted by Kevin Bronson, a former columnist for the L.A. Times, and Robert Hilburn, a well-known music critic. The station employs twelve people full-time, but relies heavily on volunteers to staff its weekend programming.

As a radio enthusiast, I’ve been following KCSN, broadcasting from CSUN, and it’s a really cool setup. Back in 2017, they teamed up with KSBR down at Saddleback College – they actually share the 88.5 FM frequency! That means you can tune in not just in the San Fernando Valley, but all the way in Orange County too. Honestly, reception can be a little spotty in some parts of LA, but thankfully they have a great online stream and you can find them on a bunch of radio apps. I also love how they work with KPCC, or LAist as many of us know them – the KCSN DJs will often point listeners there for their news, which is a nice cross-promotion for both stations.

The team at SoCal Sound emphasizes they don’t broadcast news. However, they were unintentionally affected by what appeared to be the Trump administration’s efforts against NPR stations with liberal viewpoints. As Raskin explained, “We don’t play news, but we got caught up in it all.”

The SoCal Sound is facing challenges staying afloat at a time when all radio stations are seeing listeners move to music streaming, podcasts, and apps like TikTok. According to Kaczor, it’s tough competing in a large media market with established brands, so they’re focusing even more on local content and community connections to find their niche.

Beyond providing a platform for listeners to discover both established and emerging artists – including local talent – Osburn, the station’s general manager since 2019, emphasizes that SoCal Sound is vital to a particular part of the music business. He previously worked in sales at commercial radio stations in San Diego for several years.

He explained that both record labels and the music industry greatly value their station, especially because of its Triple A format and location in Los Angeles. They depend on the station to help launch new artists and songs, and they’d be very upset to see it disappear.

Paul Janeway, the singer for St. Paul & the Broken Bones, knows what it’s like to experience a career resurgence. His band recently put out their sixth album, also called ‘St. Paul & the Broken Bones,’ releasing it independently through their own label, Oasis Pizza. The album’s first single, “Sushi and Coca-Cola,” has become a hit on our station. This is especially exciting for a band that was once predicted to be huge, having played at Coachella and performed on many late-night TV shows ten years ago.

Janeway explained that being part of KCSN and public radio has been a consistent part of their career. They don’t create mainstream pop music, and this station feels like home – it’s the only place where they truly feel they belong and can share their music.

Regarding the SoCal Sound, the station didn’t quite reach its fundraising goal after some grant money was taken back, explained Kaczor. However, he considers the recent fundraising drive a success, saying they even enjoyed the process. They plan to continue fundraising and will explore new and innovative ways to do so.

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2025-12-04 14:33