City Sacramento, California Frequency 1580 kHz Website kssu.com | Slogan "It's lit." First air date 1989 | |
Owner California State University, Sacramento | ||
KSSU (1580 AM) is an unlicensed, carrier current radio station on the campus of California State University, Sacramento, broadcasting at 1580 AM and via streaming audio on the internet.
Contents
History
KSSU was started in 1989, but was originally known as "The Edge". Another radio station of that name provided KSSU with a cease and desist letter in 1993, forcing the small station to change its identity to "The Apex". The station changed frequencies several times before settling at 1580 AM, and was run out of the campus library. At that time, the station was barely heard in the campus dorms and stadium parking lot, but the signal was so weak, most DJs frequently played when they were the only listeners. A petition was signed to obtain the frequency of Capital Public Radio (also funded by CSUS but not student-run), and efforts were later made to get a larger signal, though they proved fruitless. DJs at the time were given free rein to say whatever they wanted and play whatever they decided, since nobody was really listening. The station eventually moved to the Union after its expansion, but the signal strength remained unchanged. This was noteworthy for the legal and administrative roadblocks, which prevented a great station from going on the airwaves with a stronger signal; for instance to 35 watts on FM. In the spring of 2005, the CSUS administration essentially blocked advancement of KSSU (from the dominance of its Capital Public Radio), and put forth a plan for the online signal, via its website. (This mode of streaming on internet did not function well, at least on a PC...)
Since the summer of 2005, after going online and streaming though KSSU website, the station's audience has nearly quadrupled, and its staff has tripled (from about 20 in 2004, to about 60 by the end of its spring 2007 run). This growth was due to a revamped promotions team which unofficially partnered with Unique Programs at Sacramento State; to promotions and support from Capital Public Radio and Associated Students Incorporated (ASI), the campus's student body and KSSU’s rebroadcast partnership with KYDS 91.5 El Camino high school radio station, which started in the Fall of 2007.
Staff
Programming
The station's on-air programming consists of free-format student-run programming: everything from underground hip hop, to country; from metal to Latin music.
Sacramento State is on a semester schedule, so during each new semester, the programming of KSSU changes according to DJs' needs and class schedules.
Awards
KSSU is a reporting station to the college music magazine CMJ, also known as the College Music Journal.
2007
2008
2009
12 Nominations, 5 Wins