Kpcc Radio Station

KPCC boasts "A Prairie Home Companion," Larry Mantle's popular "AirTalk" call-in show and an audience that has tripled in size in the last 10 years, turning the station into one of the country's most-listened-to public radio outlets. Coming next? A major expansion that its board of trustees hopes will make KPCC the hub of a regional constellation of public radio stations and a major source of news and information in Southern California. On Saturday, KPCC will take the wraps off of a $24.5-million broadcast facility in Pasadena that houses 13 studios and control rooms, compared with one primary studio in the cramped quarters of the library at Pasadena City College that has been the station's home since 1993.

KPCC boasts "A Prairie Home Companion," Larry Mantle's popular "AirTalk" call-in show and an audience that has tripled in size in the last 10 years, turning the station into one of the country's most-listened-to public radio outlets. Coming next? A major expansion that its board of trustees hopes will make KPCC the hub of a regional constellation of public radio stations and a major source of news and information in Southern California. On Saturday, KPCC will take the wraps off of a $24.5-million broadcast facility in Pasadena that houses 13 studios and control rooms, compared with one primary studio in the cramped quarters of the library at Pasadena City College that has been the station's home since 1993.

It's already begun at KPCC-FM (89.3)--those trickles of sound that, taken by themselves, don't mean much but when taken together constitute a sea change. National Public Radio's afternoon magazine show "All Things Considered" is a case in point. Instead of simply rebroadcasting the national satellite feed each afternoon, the station has begun weaving in a few locally reported pieces.

Patt Morrison, a longtime reporter and columnist for The Times, was named Friday to take over as host of the weekday public-affairs series "Talk of the City" at KPCC-FM (89.3). She will continue writing for The Times. Morrison has considerable broadcast experience, having previously hosted "Life & Times" at KCET-TV and filled in frequently as a guest host on KPCC's "Air Talk." She'll begin April 10 on "Talk of the City," which airs weekdays at 2 p.m.

Ending months of turmoil and confusion at public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3), the board of trustees of Pasadena City College voted unanimously Wednesday night to turn over operation of the station to Minnesota Public Radio, which intends to triple the budget and turn it into a major, in-depth local news outlet. The agreement becomes effective Jan. 1 and provides for a six-month transition, during which KPCC will begin hiring up to 10 reporters and producers.

It was a scene rare enough in Hollywood that it demanded a witness. A recent Sunday evening, in the greenroom of the Getty Museum's Williams Auditorium, a writer was left nearly speechless after seeing his work presented on stage for the first time. That in itself would not be atypical, but the writer, Bill Roorbach, was plainly ecstatic. Maybe it had to do with the director, Isaiah Sheffer, reinserting a portion of Roorbach's story that had been edited out of its first publication.

In an unusual turn for the 14-year-old "Larry Mantle's AirTalk," the usually impartial host carved out two hours during his daily talk show Wednesday evening to discuss the future of the station on which he appears, KPCC-FM (89.3) in Pasadena, and immediately let listeners know where he stood.

Starting today, KPCC-FM (89.3) expands its local public-affairs program, "Larry Mantle's AirTalk," by an hour. It will now run from 4 to 7 p.m. The Pasadena-based station, meanwhile, is scheduling National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" two hours earlier to run from 1 to 3 p.m., making it the earliest broadcast of the program in the area. Rival public station KCRW-FM (89.9) starts the newsmagazine at 3 p.m. KPCC will broadcast the international news show "The World" from 3 to 4 p.m.

Patt Morrison, a longtime reporter and columnist for The Times, was named Friday to take over as host of the weekday public-affairs series "Talk of the City" at KPCC-FM (89.3). She will continue writing for The Times. Morrison has considerable broadcast experience, having previously hosted "Life & Times" at KCET-TV and filled in frequently as a guest host on KPCC's "Air Talk." She'll begin April 10 on "Talk of the City," which airs weekdays at 2 p.m.

It would be hard to find a more idealistic or ambitious program than "Pacific Drift." Part public radio show, part community fabric, the hope for this one-hour program, which launched Sunday night at 9 on KPCC-FM (89.3), is that it will do more than simply showcase Southern California's best and brightest minds in art and culture. It will be a hub for them to meet, collaborate and perform together live.

NPR fans, rejoice. If there was any clear-cut victor in last week's showdown over federal funding for public broadcasting, it's KPCC listeners who were spared a day and a half of fund-raising appeals because of a bump in donations. Executives at KPCC-FM (89.3), a member station of National Public Radio in Pasadena, said they called off their fund-raising early because of strong support from listeners, with some responding because of a potential loss in federal funds.

It would be hard to find a more idealistic or ambitious program than "Pacific Drift." Part public radio show, part community fabric, the hope for this one-hour program, which launched Sunday night at 9 on KPCC-FM (89.3), is that it will do more than simply showcase Southern California's best and brightest minds in art and culture. It will be a hub for them to meet, collaborate and perform together live.

Public radio stations usually have enough trouble raising money for themselves, without asking supporters to kick in a little extra for a station 3,000 miles away. But this is not a typical fall fund drive for WNYC--nearly taken off the air by the terrorist attacks in New York--and listeners nationwide are helping out. During its 10-day campaign that ends this afternoon, KPCC-FM (89.

It was a scene rare enough in Hollywood that it demanded a witness. A recent Sunday evening, in the greenroom of the Getty Museum's Williams Auditorium, a writer was left nearly speechless after seeing his work presented on stage for the first time. That in itself would not be atypical, but the writer, Bill Roorbach, was plainly ecstatic. Maybe it had to do with the director, Isaiah Sheffer, reinserting a portion of Roorbach's story that had been edited out of its first publication.

It's already begun at KPCC-FM (89.3)--those trickles of sound that, taken by themselves, don't mean much but when taken together constitute a sea change. National Public Radio's afternoon magazine show "All Things Considered" is a case in point. Instead of simply rebroadcasting the national satellite feed each afternoon, the station has begun weaving in a few locally reported pieces.

Public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3) unveiled an aggressive programming strategy on Thursday, with a revamped lineup and shows slotted in a way that will put it in more direct competition with the market's other public stations, KCRW-FM (89.9) and KUSC-FM (91.5). The station's highest-profile original show, "Larry Mantle's AirTalk," is shifting from its longtime home in afternoon drive into the 9-11 a.m. slot.

The Christmas Eve cancellation of "Kids America" is coal in the stockings for young radio listeners of station KPCC-FM (89.3), according to station management. " 'Kids America' was the only quality program on the air for kids," said an angry Larry Shirk, program director of the Pasadena City College public station, the show's only Southern California outlet.

Feeling the sting from falling corporate and public contributions, National Public Radio has cut back its hourly newscasts by 25%. The decision to reduce the programs from 24 per day to 18 was quickly implemented: Top management told affiliated stations about the cuts April 23, and they went into effect Sunday night. "It just became financially impossible" to do the newscasts, said NPR spokeswoman Mary Morgan. The turnaround was so fast that some programmers didn't even know about it.

From German oompah to Chicano tones, from the sounds of theatrical organ music to alternative rock, a parade of music shows and hosts begins leaving KPCC-FM (89.3) tonight as the Pasadena-based public radio station moves toward its promised transformation into an all news and talk outlet.

Ending months of turmoil and confusion at public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3), the board of trustees of Pasadena City College voted unanimously Wednesday night to turn over operation of the station to Minnesota Public Radio, which intends to triple the budget and turn it into a major, in-depth local news outlet. The agreement becomes effective Jan. 1 and provides for a six-month transition, during which KPCC will begin hiring up to 10 reporters and producers.