Radio Switcheroo

Hard to figure out who to write to, so I am taking a chance and really just venting on the sad state of affairs of progressive radio in southern California.

I was a long-time listener of AM 1490 KIST from Santa Barbara as here in San Diego, our progressive station was shut down a couple of years ago. Now, I see the same has happened to your local station and replaced with Spanish language music!

I tried going onto Rincon’s website, however there was no way to actually contact them.

When I “Googled” the station, an article came up in the Independent about this, which is why I am writing to you.

Hopefully, the people of Santa Barbara and others who were able to listen to the station will somehow raise their voices and also complain.—Bev Yohai, San Diego

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Our community has suffered a great loss now that our only progressive radio voice has been silenced. As one of a large community of devoted listeners to AM 1490 KIST, I wondered why they changed their call letters a few months ago, becoming KSPE. Imagine the shock that so very many of us experienced when turning on our radios a week ago and finding a Spanish language station now occupying the location on the dial formerly broadcasting the last voice of political sanity and truth one could find on local airwaves.

There was no notification of the upcoming change by the station’s owners to their audience. Not a peep. Had it leaked out, they probably would have been besieged by passionate listeners, ready to petition, protest, raise money/hell, etc., in order to save progressive radio in Santa Barbara.

What a bunch of cowards. I hope they’re enjoying their projected increased profits.—[the artist known as] Entera, Montecito