KPIG 107.5 Freedom / KPYG FM 94.9 Cayucos/SLO
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KPIG: A Brief History

Americana Music
Okay, so what is this “Americana Music?” Do a web search on the format and you’ll find KPIG in the mix. We were there in the beginning. Actually, we were there even before we were KPIG. (But we’ll get to that.)

“Americana” is a term that was coined in the early 1990s when radio programmers were trying to describe this new emerging format. It was roots-based music, an intersection of traditional country, blues, rock, singer-songwriter and gospel. It was definitely not contemporary country and had its “roots” (pun intended) more in Texas than Nashville. Labels such as “Alternative Country,” “Ya’ll-ternative” and “Western Beat” were bandied about. “Americana” finally became that label that the industry settled on.

KFAT
About that same time, there was a little renegade station in Gilroy CA called KFAT. “The station played a quirky mix of country, blues, old-timey music, raunchy comedy, bluegrass, Hawaiian, and whatever struck the fancy of the disc jockey. It was on the air from mid-1975 to Jan. 1983 at 94.5 FM. Broadcasting from high atop Mt. Loma Prieta (site of the famous 1989 earthquake) near San Jose, its signal reached from north of San Francisco to south of Monterey and east to the Sierra Nevada mountains.” (source: kfat.com)

Laura Ellen Hopper
Laura. Our founder. Laura Ellen started her association with weird, offbeat radio stations as a teenage volunteer at KDNA in St. Louis – a station whose claims to fame included a highly publicized police raid and a running feud between the two Marxist communes based at the station’s studios. Laura Ellen moved west and did a tenure at KFAT. After the demise of KFAT – she moved to Freedom CA created KPIG.

We lost Laura Ellen to cancer in 2007. Her photo hangs – some would say looms – over the DJs in the studio. Every single one of us at “the pig” think of Laura Ellen when we spin tunes, trying our best to live up to her standards and most excellent taste in music.

And Then. KPIG.
KPIG began broadcasting at 107.5 FM (aka “107 OINK 5″) in 1988. We’re a throwback to the days when real DJs picked out real music, and listeners expected something more from a radio station than just a couple of hundred songs repeated over and over with some “big voice” guy yelling about how great it all is.

We’re also – to the amazement of all of the radio “professionals” who make the rules we thumb our noses at – very successful, though we try not to let it go to our heads.

First On the Web!
William “Wild Bill” Goldsmith was the original KPIG engineer, and really pushed the tech side of “the pig”. It’s due to Wild Bill that we were the VERY FIRST STATION in the world to webcast our audio, and we’ve been webcasting continuously since august 1995. Over the years we’ve acquired a fanatical world-wide following. Our stream is available as a <link>commercial-free broadcast</link> for only $5 a month.

We hope you enjoy this thing we call “the pig”. Thanks for being a listener! Oink! Oink!

Past DJs and Other KPIG Staff
Here’s a list of who’s been at the mic – and behind the scenes – at the pig:

  • Laura Ellen Hopper (Founder and Mid day)
  • Aileen Aileen “The Traffic and Weather Queen”)
  • Arden (Saturdays, Sundays Lots of fill-ins, “Please Stand By” Cohost)
  • Austin (Weekends)
  • Barbara Denny (Overnights)
  • Bette Mathieson (Lard Card Lady and Keeper of the Archives)
  • Bill “Wild Bill” Goldsmith (Morning Drive and Webmaster Deluxe)
  • Bill Van Dusen (“Please Stand By”)
  • Bill Welch (Blues Show)
  • Brooke Bradford (Production)
  • Buffalo Bob (7:00pm to Midnight)
  • Caleb Lawrence (Mid ay Financial report)
  • Cuzin Al (Al Knoth) (Cuzin’ Al’s Bluegrass Show)
  • Christa Taylor (Morning Drive)
  • Carolyn Sills (Sunday Afternoon “House of Twang)
  • Chuck Thurman (“What’s Up Chuck” concert listings)
  • Corky Walsh (First Morning Drive DJ)
  • Choo Choo Charlie (Sunday Bluegrass)
  • Dallas Dobro (Morning Drive)
  • Dave Gordon ( “Please Stand By’)
  • Dave Jackson (“Please Stand By”)
  • Dave Neilsen (Dave Bob) (Please Stand By, Bluegrass and Fill-ins)
  • Don Husing (“Please Stand By”)
  • Elsie Lansman 7:00 to Midnight)
  • Eric Parson (“Please Stand By”)
  • Felton Pruitt (Morning Drive)
  • Frank Caprista (Station Manager)
  • Gerard Egan (Sunday Afternoon Twang Show)
  • Gordy Broshure (Morning Drive and Production)
  • Jamie Coffis ( Neighborhood Night Various Shifts)
  • Jay Lingo (Please Stand By)
  • Geoff Childers (“Please Stand By”)
  • John Johnson (All Graphics)
  • John Sandidge (Sleepy John) (“Please Stand By” Mornings,
  • Midday, Saturday Afternoon)
  • Jimmy Jackson ( Weekends)
  • Karson (7:00pm til Midnight)
  • Kiana (Sunday Afternoon)
  • Laurie Roberts (Program Director) (Midday)
  • Lester (Emory Joseph Sorrentino) Week ends
  • Louise Salazar (All Night Nurse) (Overnights))
  • Major Lance (Overnights)
  • Marilyn Taylor (Please Stand By) (Fill-Ins)
  • Marky Stark (“Please Stand By”)
  • Marla Davies (Fill-ins)
  • Mark Mooney (Saturday afternoons and Fill-ins)
  • Michael Gaither (Fill-ins, webmaster and social media)
  • Mr. Earl (Rob Mullen) (Late night and Overnights)
  • Mr. Hedge 7:00pm til Midnight)
  • Paul “Kid” Keegan (Fill-ins)
  • Ralph Anybody (Morning Man, late nights and Production)
  • Ramblin Ror’ (Afternoon Drive)
  • Randy (Weekend Blues Show)
  • Rev. Billy C. Wirtz (Sunday nights) Rhythm and Blues show)
  • Rich Berlin (Overnights)
  • Richard Stockton (Morning Drive Comedy Spots)
  • Rocky (The Surf Guy in the Pig Sty)
  • Rob Bleetstein (Saturday Afternoon)
  • Sandy Shore (“Backstage Pass” Interview show)
  • Sherry Austin ( “Please Stand By”)
  • Sister Tiny (Afternoon Drive)
  • Steve Palopoli ( “Please Stand By” Fill in Host)
  • Surf Dog (Steve Davies) (Surf Report)
  • Trina DiNapoli (”Please Stand By” )
  • Terrence Martin (Overnights)
  • Travus T. Hipp (Weekday News Commentary)
  • Unkle Sherman (Saturday Nights, Sunday Afternoons, Fill-ins)
  • Vicki Lowell (Saturday Morning and Fill-ins)
  • Wallace Baine (Commentary on “Please Stand By” and Fill-in Host)
  • Warren Sampson (The New Guy)
  • William Strickland (Voiceovers and PSB theme song)
  • Zeuf (Robin Janiszeufski Hesson)(Girl in the Curl)

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