UC Santa Barbara is coordinating a multi-million dollar, community fund-raising campaign to generate private support to save classical radio programming in the Santa Barbara area, Chancellor Henry T. Yang announced today.
The goal is to raise $3.6 million to purchase KDB-93.7 FM and preserve this important cultural and community resource.
The university is committed to maintaining KDB's classical music format and its support for the cultural arts on the Central Coast.
UCSB has until March 31, 2002 to acquire the station, which reaches 35,000 listeners.
"We want to preserve this rich community asset as a public service to Santa Barbara and Ventura County listeners," said Yang.
"KDB is an important Santa Barbara asset, one that promotes community groups and their activities, showcases the work of community arts organizations, and provides us with the classical music programming that we have come to appreciate and count on."
Commercial broadcasting groups who have offered to buy KDB have stated that they would convert it to a more profitable rock and roll format. Rather than lose KDB, UCSB is working with the community to raise the money to acquire the station.
If the fund-raising effort is successful, the university will hire a management company to operate the commercial station.
At this time, there are only 29 full-time, self-supporting classical music stations left in the United States.
Santa Barbara is the smallest community with such a station. KDB attracts a greater proportion of listeners in its local area than do any of the other remaining classical stations, even those in much larger markets. There are only two other locally owned radio stations in Santa Barbara, a city with a deep commitment to and interest in the arts.
KDB provides access to classical music 24 hours a day, seven day a week.
It also serves as a resource for dozens of other cultural organizations in the community.
A coalition of 21 local cultural arts and community organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties supports the effort to raise funds to purchase KDB and save classical music radio. (See list below.)
Yang said that acquiring KDB would further extend UCSB's outreach to the Central Coast and create new opportunities for programming that supplement music and the performing arts in Santa Barbara.
UCSB plans to form a KDB community advisory group that would assist the university in developing programming, said John M. Wiemann, vice chancellor for institutional advancement.
"We have been told by leaders in the Santa Barbara arts community that UCSB is in a unique position to help make KDB an even better resource for our cultural communities," said Wiemann.
"We hope to be able to make programming even more responsive to the needs of the community and more reflective of groups performing locally.
We also envision that the extensive resources of UCSB's Music Department and music library will make important contributions to the station's programming."
Gifts may be made to the KDB Fund of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
For more information, contact Marsha Marcoe at (805) 893-2035.
The following local cultural arts and community organizations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties support the effort to raise funds to purchase KDB and save classical music radio.
Camerata PacificaCommunity Arts Music Association of Santa BarbaraEnsemble Theater CompanyMusic Academy of the WestMusic Theater Santa BarbaraOjai Music FestivalOpera Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Center for the Performing ArtsSanta Barbara Chamber OrchestraSanta Barbara Choral SocietySanta Barbara Master ChoraleSanta Barbara Museum of ArtSanta Barbara SymphonyState Street BalletUCSB Arts & LecturesUCSB LibrariesUCSB Music DepartmentVentura Chamber Music FestivalWest Coast SymphonyWestmont College
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