Update 6-13-2011 - Friends of KUSF has filed a declaration with the Federal Licensing Agency, declaring that the University of San Francisco has illegally dismantled KUSF's studio prior to an FCC decision on the proposed license transfer to the Classical Public Radio Network LLC.

Audio link for Saving College Stations panel discussion on June 4, 2011 at the Federation of Community Broadcasters conference in San Francisco.

Update 4-6-2011: The takeover of KUSF by Classical Public Radio network also threatens significant signal interference with KSZU, which broadcasts from the Stanford University campus.

Update: In March, the FCC denied a request for the KUSF transmitter to be removed from the USF campus, citing possible interference. Save KUSF's Irwin Smirnoff and Attorney Peter Franck discuss the latest developments: listen here (at 40 minutes after the hour).

On Monday, February 28, 2011, counsel for Friends of KUSF filed at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Washington, D.C., their Petition to Deny Approval of the Transfer of the KUSF license to a mysterious entity called “Classical Public Radio Network (CPRN)”.

On January 18th, the only college radio station in San Francisco, KUSF, was abruptly taken off the air as the University of San Francisco sold the broadcast license. On February 28th, counsel for Friends of KUSF filed at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Washington, D.C., their Petition to Deny Approval of the Transfer of the KUSF license to a mysterious entity called “Classical Public Radio Network (CPRN)”. The following is a summary of the petition, which can be downloaded via the link below.

Not In the Public Interest

The Petition reminds the FCC of its obligation to ensure that all broadcasting is done in the public interest. The Petition particularly stresses the FCC’s responsibility to ensure that all non-commercial broadcasting is carried out and must be “for the advancement of an educational program.” The Petition challenges the license transfer on the grounds that there is no evidence whatsoever that CPRN has any non-commercial educational program or purpose.

Stealth Attempt to Use KUSF to Develop a Commercial On-Line Music Service

The Petitioners point out the doctoral thesis at the University of Southern California of Brenda Barnes who is President of CPRN. In that thesis Barnes advocates a sophisticated plan to use over-the-air classical musical broadcasters to develop an on-line music service called “New Media Music Discovery Service (NMDS)”. This is laid out in great detail in 216 pages.

Attack on College Radio

The Petitioner urges the FCC to deny this transfer because it is part of a national trend to absorb college radio stations into elite, mostly classical, programming. The FCC is urged to stop this trend because it deprives students, graduates and diverse communities of broadcasting which is local, which is relevant to their needs, and in which they can learn and participate.

Violation of FCC’s Regulations

A broadcast license is granted in the public interest and the licensee is required by law and regulations to maintain control of its air at all times. The Petition points out to the FCC that to public, to students, and the radio audience, this transaction was presented as fait acomplete and that the University of San Francisco illegally lost control of its frequency before there was any approval of the requested license transfer. In fact, the Petition notes the defacto control of the air was transferred 10 days before the parties to the secret transaction even filed a request for license transfer with the FCC.

Parties Knew This “Sale” Would be Controversial and Opposed by the Community

The Petition cites CPRN’s Request for Approval to move its transmitter and antennae from the campus of the University of San Francisco to Sausalito, citing concerns over the physical security of the transmitter itself! They pointed out the “controversial nature” of this transaction.

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