Two turn-tables and a microphone were all SF State students needed to have a good time as they basked in the sun and listened to DJ’s spin their records at the KSFS Radio Day event, held Thursday, March 4 at Malcolm X Plaza.

The free stuff didn’t hurt either.

Dj’s from KSFS, aka The State, gathered to hand out flyers about the radio station and their own shows. Students had an opportunity to grab as many free cd’s as they wanted and a lucky few caught shirts thrown from the stage. The next radio day event will be held on March 15.

The State is SF State’s official radio station, run entirely by students of the Broadcast Electronic Communication Arts (BECA) program. With aspiring radio personalities in control, the music is as eclectic as the people playing it. At any given moment you can tune in and hear metal, techno, indie, classical, electronica, punk, top 40, rap or jazz, as well as talk shows featuring discussions about politics, campus issues and music. Also on the play list is the station’s first-ever radio drama.

“It’s about a time-traveling private investigator, Mac Merlot,” said Mandy Brown, a graduate student and creator of the drama. “He is brought through time to find out what happened to the Green Party presidential candidate, allegedly kidnapped by the Democrats.”

The station gives a lot of hands on and on air experience for those who are looking to pursue a career in radio broadcasting. BECA students going through the radio broadcasting sequence take a semester of workshops in production and performance for radio and develop their skills used in daily operations of a radio station. During the next semester, the students become the managers and staff responsible for operating KSFS Radio.

“We do everything ourselves,” said Ellis Au, a production assistant with the station. “From producing the shows, promoting them, taking care of the station and doing all the administrative things needed to keep it going, it’s all done by the students.”

Brad Zuckerman, aka DJ Maddhatter, one of the featured DJ’s who played on Thursday has been spinning and honing his skills for about two years now. In addition to being on staff at KSFS, he also DJ’s at parties to make a little cash.

“It gives me some experience beyond the station and gives me some money in my pocket,” said Zuckerman, 21. His show, Auditory Cooze, features freestyle hip-hop.

Matt Wexler, co-host of Auditory Cooze and promotional director for KSFS, says the station is unique in programming, straying away from the commercialism of mainstream radio.

“We are trying to bring students a wide array of music that you can’t find lately with the loss of diversification of music in commercial radio,” said Wexler. “We want to get the word out there that the station is here and we are on air for the students of SF State. We want them to listen in and tell us what they want.”

Wexler has his job cut out for him as promotional director since not much of the student body seems to be aware of the station. This problem may be attributed to the fact that the department doesn't have enough money to replace its current frequency antenna. The low powered antenna only allows listeners to hear the show on an actual radio if they are within a very close range to the library, where the antenna is mounted.

An alternative method of listening to the station is online. The station used a site that only allowed a limited amount of people to tune in at once. Recently they have switched to a new server, which allows unlimited listeners at any given time as well as listeners from all around the world.

But with events promoting the station, they are sure to get new fans.

“I’m glad they’re out here,” said Bruce Langlois, a first-time listener. “I didn’t know we had a radio station, and I like this music, you don’t here it much on the regular radio.”

Another student in attendance at Malcolm X Plaza, Rinchen Lama, said she is a BECA student in the program hoping to have her own radio show next semester.

“They need to do more promotion,” said Lama. “I listen to the station online, and the music they play is so good, unlike the stuff you hear a thousand times a day on other stations. Also, listening to fellow students is great, they have tremendous personality and are so funny most of the time. I love it.”

The staff of KSFS is bonded by the love of music, according to Nikki Spiegel, who co-hosts a top 40/talk show. She says the KSFS staff is very supporting of each other and all have a mutual respect of each other’s artistry.

“We all love music, that’s why we’re involved with the station,” said Spiegel while handing out flyers promoting her morning show, Cock-a-Doodle-Do. “We all play different music but everyone is open to all genres. A lot of us work as interns for radio stations and I think that brings an air of professionalism to the station as well, but mostly we just try to have fun.”

Working together seems to be an ongoing theme in the BECA department.

“There is a real sense of camaraderie,” said Alaina McClendon, host of Rock Meds, a show featuring rock music for everyone. “Everyone just wants the station to succeed and get noticed.”

Eric Heitmeyer says even though he is supposed to graduate this semester, he would come back again just to be on air for The State. His show, Radio Tronika, focuses on dance music.

“I’m more focused on the engineering aspect of radio,” said Heitmeyer. “But I love doing the shows, it is so much fun.”

And KSFS is no stranger to celebrities.

DJ Brian Bostwick, who played at Thursday’s event and is host of Needle Damage, was doing his show as usual when he got an unexpected visitor.

“I was on air and Dawn Robinson from En Vogue came in out of no where,” Bostwick recalled before taking his turn on stage. “She came in with some guy to drop off some CD’s and then left. I didn’t know she would even know about our station.”

According to Wexler, it’s all about strategizing and finding ways to reach students and letting them know the station is there.

“We have top notch shows and we’ve restructured our website so more people can listen,” said Wexler. “We just want to give students a station that plays good music and represents them well. At the end of the day, when everything is said and done, people will know who we are, they will know how good we are and know that the station is for them.”

Want to tune in?
88.1 FM, 100.7 CABLE, and online (best way) www.live365.com/stations/ksfs to listen. Check out The State's Web site for details and programming.