Listeners Buy Into New Format at KCSN

Despite falling $8,000 short of its projected $40,000 goal, KCSN-FM (88.5) General Manager Ken Mills said the response to the station’s fund-raising drive last week indicates that November’s format switch from country/traditional roots to classical music has popular support.

“I’m a little disappointed,” said Mills, “but with a format change, we really didn’t know what to expect. For the first drive, I think it shows the format is viable. It shows significant interest considering we are only four months into the format and haven’t had time to develop an audience.”

The public radio station, licensed to Cal State Northridge, changed formats to capture some of the listeners who felt abandoned when KFAC-FM (92.3) switched from classical to rock in September. Mills said KCSN’s low ratings and lack of acceptance by the university community also precipitated the change.

In the recent drive, conducted on the air from March 23 to April 1, Mills said, $14,000 of the $32,000 pledged was promised by listeners who cited classical music as their favorite programming at the station; the remaining $18,000 was offered by people who prefer KCSN’s bluegrass, jazz and other programs.

Last September, in the station’s last fund-raising drive with the country format, $15,000 of the $38,000 was contributed by listeners who favored country programming.

Mills said the comparison between the two campaigns is another sign that the station’s acceptance by the public hasn’t declined because of the format change.

The average pledge was about $45, with the largest donations at $250. Half of the money pledged has been collected, he said.

The station’s projected budget for the 1990-91 fiscal year, which begins July 1, is about $500,000. Of that money, about 20% comes from private donations and official fund-raising drives. There are two drives a year. The remainder is given by the Corp. for Public Broadcasting and the state.

Miller still receives complaints by people who believe the station abandoned them when it made the November switch. Followers of country and traditional roots music said the station had ignored the widespread support they had been giving for years.

“The country people still feel the loss, and that’s unfortunate,” Mills said. “But we’re happy with the support the university community has given us.”