KSFH
| City | Mountain View, California |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Slogan | Home of Lancer Radio |
| Format | Active rock |
| Language(s) | English |
| Callsign meaning | Saint Francis High |
| Former frequencies |
90.5 (1970s-1982) 88.1 (1982-1999) 87.9 (1999-2015) |
| Affiliations | Saint Francis High School |
| Owner |
Mountain View Public Broadcasting (StreamLicensing) |
| Webcast | Weekdays from 3pm to 10pm |
| Website | ksfh.com |
KSFH is a student-run Internet radio station with an active rock radio format. Licensed through StreamLicensing as a streaming service, it carries a combination of talk shows, including on-air interviews, music hours, song requests, and much more. The station is run by the students of private school Saint Francis High School, but has gathered a following of listeners all around the world. The station is available through its [ksfh.com website] and can be accessed with an Internet connection.
History
In the 1970s, KSFH broadcast from two rooms adjacent to the boys' gymnasium. The signal was so weak, it was joked that once the listener left the parking lot, they lost the signal. Patients in nearby El Camino Hospital (diagonally bordering the campus, separated by the football field) would call in and make requests. The format in that decade was album-oriented rock, emphasizing Jethro Tull, Yes, Led Zeppelin, and other major rock groups of the era. Despite its weak signal, music director Jeff McCallion successfully negotiated with several record labels (A&M Records among them) to provide free promotional records for the station to play. This was a rare benefit for a high school radio station.
KSFH was built in the technological spirit of the 1970s and similar to the famed "Home Brew" Computer Clubs that were frequented by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs. The station's transmitters, mixing boards and primary "on air" components were almost all entirely built from scratch, few items were "off the shelf" ready bought. KSFH was hand crafted, built and engineered by students and former students (Primarily engineered thru the diligence of James O'Malley), the station's equipment was built from spares and electronic components purchased from Quement, Haltec and Radio Shack electronics stores. Long cold nights building the station (the rooms had no heat) were fueled by resourcefulness, junk food, Taco Bell and Jack in the Box runs - like all great startups. The original transmitter (10-Watt SPARTA exciter) was built from a repair manual, purchased from SPARTA Electronics, and later christened "Everclear", not only for its clarity but also after a popular 110-proof liquor, only sold in Nevada. Finally, after the erection of the tower and antenna upon the St. Francis Gym roof, all broadcast components worked perfectly - KSFH was on the air. Serving St. Francis High School, its students and community for decades.
After high school, many of the stations' student disc jockeys went on to work at KMVQ-FM/99.7 NOW, KFJC/89.7, and the Foothill College radio station.
KSFH originally used 90.5 MHz before moving to 88.1 in 1982. KSFH moved to 87.9 MHz in 1999. The application to move to 87.9 was applied for on August 17, 1998 and granted in 1999. A license to cover was issued on October 9, 2001. However, because of the renovation of the gymnasium, the radio station lost their FM Broadcasting transmitter and moved to providing internet radio in 2015.
St. Francis High School consummated the sale of KSFH to Mountain View Public Broadcasting on October 7, 2015, at a price of $20,000.[1]
History of call letters
The call letters KSFH-FM previously were assigned to a station in San Francisco, California. It began broadcasting October 22, 1947, and was licensed to the Pacific Broadcasting Company.[2]
References
- ↑ "Asset Purchase Agreement". Federal Communications Commission. July 17, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
- ↑ "KSFH (FM) Started" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 3, 1947. Retrieved 19 October 2014.