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The KRAB Archive Brings you
Archives of *Non-commercial Radio on the Internet
Here are links to other web sites where one can hear examples of radio programming produced by public and "community" radio stations that tried to use radio to help their listeners better understand and appreciate the world they inhabit.
This page includes whatever non-commercial non-institutional "community" radio stations that I have been able to identify that came into existence before the 21st century. Some have ceased to exist. Some have information about their history and examples of programming online. Many do not.
If you know of other sites, institutions, libraries, or collections of similar material, please let us know about them so they can be added to this page.
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
The AAPB is the largest online collection of examples of public radio and television programming in the US. It is a relatively recent project of the Library of Congress, WGBH, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Most of the radio collection comes from the largest institutional stations that make up the National Public Radio network, but there are also programs from a few of the stations listed below.
The online database includes 896,885 total records for sound recordings, of which 31,616 have been digitized, and 7,981 are available online for listening. 3,172 of those online are from 1900 to 1999.
The BBC and British Library have a tangled skein of web sites and pages. If you can find the front door, please let me know. Otherwise, you can try these:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/programme/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/
https://www.bl.uk/collection-guides/radio-broadcast-recordings
http://sounds.bl.uk/
KAZU, Pacific Grove, CA; 1970 - 1998
KAZU seems to have ceased being a "community" station when the license was assigned to Cal State University Monterey Bay sometime between 1998 and 2001.
KAZU History (Don Mussell)
KAZU (archive.org - restricted)
KBOO, Portland, OR; 1968 - still on air
History (kboo.fm)
KBOO (archive.org)
KBOO programs in the NFCB Archive at the University of Maryland [Note: Corrections regarding attribution of some of these programs are pending.]
KCHU, Dallas, TX; 1975 - 1977
Call letters are now used by a community station in Valdez, AK, below)
In 1978 license was assigned to an organization that eventually changed the call letters to KNON, which seems to have returned the station to the air in 1983 (see entry for KNON, below).
KCHU History (wild-bohemian.com)
KCHU History (knonhistory.blogspot.com/2013/06/kchu-predecessor-to-knon.html)
KCHU, Valdez, AK; 1986 - still on air
KCHU History (kchu.org/about-us/station-profile/)
KDNA, Saint Louis, MO; Feb 1969 - 1972
Call letters are now used by a Spanish language community station in Granger, WA, below)
KDNA History (stlmediahistory.com)
Jeremy Lansman (stlmediahistory.com)
KDNA programs in the NFCB Archive at the University of Maryland [Note: Corrections regarding attribution of some of these programs are pending.]
KDNA, Granger, WA; 1979 - still on air
KDNA in Granger was the result of the collaboration of the Northwest Chicano Radio Network (NWCRN) with KRAB in 1975. The history of this relationship will eventually be documented here in the KRAB Archive.
Web site (erratic)
KDNA in the AAPB - The American Archive of Public Broadcasting lists 6,306 records, of which 108 are identified as digitized, although none are available for listening.
KFAT, Gilroy CA; 1975 - 01/17/1983
KFAT History (Gilbert Klein - readfatchance.com)
Air checks - Part 1 (archive.org)
Air checks - Part 2 (archive.org)
KKFI, Kansas City, MO, 1988 - still on air
Web site
KKFI History
Audio (SoundCloud.com)
KNON, Dallas, TX, 1983 - still on air
KNON History (knon.org)
KNON History (knonhistory.blogspot.com)
KOPN, Columbia, MO; 1973 - still on air
KOPN history (kopn.org)
KOPN (archive.org)
KOPN reel to reel project
KPFT, Houston, TX;
KPFT history (Houston Chronicle)
KPFT (archive.org)
KPOO, San Francisco, CA; 1973 - still on air
History (kpoo.com)
KPOO (archive.org)
KRAB, Seattle, WA; Dec 1962 - Apr 1984
Call letters are now used by a commercial rock station in Bakersfield, CA
You are looking at this in the KRAB Archive
We have located recordings of KRAB programs and other ephemera in the following collections:
KBOO archives - We believe there are tapes of programs in the KBOO archives that were recorded during the time KBOO was a repeater of KRAB's signal, as well as other tapes from KRAB and KTAO that were distributed through the KRAB Nebula.
The State Historical Society of Missouri has a collection of tapes from the station started by Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam, KDNA, St Louis. We have acquired copies of those we were easily able to identify as KRAB, but there may be other tapes in the collection.
Jack Straw Foundation (formerly Jack Straw Memorial Foundation), Seattle - The former owner and licensee of KRAB has a collection of over 1,200 tapes of programs created and broadcast at KRAB between 1962 and 1984, of which (Sep 5, 2017) 166 have been digitized and shared with the KRAB Archive. We have been working with the JSF to get more recordings preserved (digitized), prioritizing the oldest, fragile and degrading tapes first.
New York Public Library - Three recordings of interviews of Maud Russell by Lorenzo Milam, Nancy Keith and Jeremy Lansman, 1962 and 1963.
The State Historical Society of Missouri, Collection of Phil and Vivian Williams
University of Illinois Sousa Archives - Recordings originally distributed through KRAB Nebula, and later absorbed into Possible Tape Exchange and NFCB program service.
University of Maryland, Special Collections, National Federation of Community Broadcasters Collection -
The KRAB Archive is working with the University of Maryland to make KRAB (and KRAB Nebula) originated programs in this collection available for listening and research. In Aug 2017 the first batch of tapes (forty-three episodes of Michael Scarborough's Letter From England) was digitized and shared.
KRAB programs in the NFCB Archive at the University of Maryland [Note: Corrections regarding attribution of some of these programs are pending.]
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections - The UW has a number of collections that contain program recordings and other ephemera from KRAB. The KRAB Archive is working with them to promote preservation and public access to the artifacts.
KRAB FM Lesbian-Feminist Radio Program recordings, 1967-1982 - The KRAB Archive assisted with putting UW staff in contact with Shan Ottey to preseve tapes from her collection and, eventually, to get them digitized and available for listening.
WYSO Archives - Recordings distributed through the KRAB Nebula, now listed in the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, but not yet digitized. Unfortunately, we have been unable to acquire copies of these tapes. The current whereabouts of the tapes is unknown.
KSER, Everett, WA; 1991 - still on air
Web site
KSVR, Mount Vernon, WA; 1973 - still on air
Web site
KTAO, Los Gatos, CA; Mar 1969 - Jun 1974
Call letters are now used by a commercial station in Taos, NM. The links below provide information about the station in Los Gatos.
KTAO History (afana.org)
KTAO program guides in the the KRAB (Nebula) Archive
KTAO programs in the NFCB Archive at the University of Maryland [Note: Corrections regarding attribution of some of these programs are pending.]
KTAO volunteer Michael Westerfield writes about his experience (opens a pdf of a page from RALPH)
The Girl in the Chair (The Roots of Madness) - Lorenzo Milam writing in RALPH about the KTAO gang's dip into making music. NOTE: When you reach the end of the page, be sure to click on "Go on to Part II" otherwise you will miss the best part(s). If Lorenzo's review has tickled your fancy or wet your whistle, you can learn and hear(!) more at Roots of Madness, Geoff Alexander's home away from home.
KUSP, Santa Cruz, CA; 1972-2016
The "Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. (DBA KUSP)" filed for bankruptcy in 2016. The license appears to have been acquired by an organization that operates networks that broadcast "adult christian music." I can't quite figure out the evolution of KUSP programming, but in the "KUSP story" it is said "KUSP has always been an independent, community-run non-profit – unlike most public radio stations."
KUSP History (Don Mussell)
KUSP History (kusp.org/story.shtml)
KUSP (archive.org)
Pacifica Radio Archives - Programs from KPFA, KPFK, KPFT, and WBAI; 1949
The Pacifica Archives has more than 50,000 recordings of their programs. It is unclear how many have been digitized, but, between archive.org, Soundcloud, and the AAPB, there are close to 3,000 online. The link below (purchase a Pacifica program) goes to their online database where one can search or browse for programs. Note that not all that have been digitized are identified as such in the database. Pacifica's charges for digitizing or copying are much more reasonable than the typical institution with radio archives.
Internet Archive (archive.org)
Soundcloud
To purchase Pacifica programs
My KPFA - A Historical Footnote, by John Whiting, former KPFA Production Director. Has examples of many programs, recorded conversations with former KPFA principals, and essays on the history and philosophy of KPFA.
radiOM and Other Minds - Started by Charles Amirkhanian (KPFA Music Director 1969-1992) and Jim Newman (avant-garde gallery owner and producer of public television), radiOM has a large collection of recordings of contemporary music heard over KPFA between 1949 and 1995. The archived material is available through either the radiOM site or in the Internet Archive (archive.org)
Studs Terkel Archive (WFMT) - Link updated Jan 4, 2019
University of Washington Milo Ryan Collection of CBS Radio News - Available in Allen Library on UW's Seattle Campus
WAIF, Cincinnati, OH; 1975 - still on air
Web site
WDNA, Miami, FL; 1977 - still on air
WDNA
WFMU, Jersey City, N; 1958 - still on air
WFMU History (wfmu.org)
WFMU (archive.org)
WNYC, New York, NY; 1924 - still on air
WNYC Archives (wnyc.org)
WORT, Madison, WI; 1975 - still on air
WORT History (wortfm.org)
Some text and photos from Mike O'Connor
WRFG, Atlanta, GA; 1973 - still on air
WRFG History (wrfg.org) - not functioning as of Jul 6, 2017
WRFG (archive.org)
WWOZ, New Orleans, LA; 1980 - still on air
WWOZ History (wwoz.org)
WWOZ archives (Library of Congress)
WYEP, Pittsburgh, PA; 1974 - still on air
Web site
WYSO, Yellow Springs, OH; 1958 - still on air
WYSO History site taken down
WYSO archives (wyso.org)
Archives at Greene County Public Library
* Mostly non-commercial
If you possess any souvenirs (program guides, tapes, or photos) or have a story about your experience with KRAB you are willing to share, please email archive@krabarchive.com
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