October ’23

Good Morning Good All worldOneloves…

Rising again, off the rope~hopes…  we’ll see what these next seasons have in store , as our world politic rages on in exacerbated warings, touching everything in related anxious dissonances..  

May Peace Prevail In Every Heart  ..  WAR NO MORE ..  The Best Way is To Love 

Please see the site’s  “about” page for lately worldOneify globalharmonicsonictonic..

personal Spotify playlists for enjoyment and soc~sharings~carings .. hundreds of selections posted weekly ish… hopefully delish + cocreate a benevolent wish …

Well…. as the Ed world churns, akin to corporate~schmorporate, and some worst-of practices which it institutionally imitates … variably those with “power” will often enough chop, duck, shuck, jive,  kick~the~can~down~the~road, move out or on, hope folks forget ( it happens and history repeats and  actors generally cya throughout ..   then they l e a  v  e  town

…  by the demonstrative way … an evidently rough~edged site Principal drove the dissimulative force~exit groundwork, followed closely by Admin / Comm. joining the hatchet agenda : UPSHOT ! Site Principal + Comm. Director, within a few months of each other, have recently Resigned, Exiting district unchecked in short term  miopic / chopic , disastrous professional dilettantism, ultimately low blow unprofessional practice, utter failure to Listen, Respect, much less actually collaborate, ultimately ducking Daylight and accountability for decisions and actions, with no genuine~roundly solicited community input = Public Ed ?   ARRGH.

Thus the worldOnelove L.U.V now displays new “call letters” , perhaps a bit like Billy Bobby’s Talladega  ?.. one side reads  K W T *   and the other, K N X T 

May g~ bless and keep hatchet wielding middle~managers and any radio czar(inas).. far far away?  lol? 

WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS NOW  …  IS  O N E L O V E   S W E E T  L O V E ..   

July 2023 ~ A rolling journal …. 

Dear Radioescuchas ~ keCg Listening Community .. SyntheSiStars  + Double Rainbrros 

worldOneradio was summarily C U T from Public Radio keCg, effective May 8, 2023, following 27 years of service.

This NOT for cause. Quite the opposite. The unreasoning is expanded and distilled here. Saddening. A  let down, a big bummer, a Grief m as I had labored hoped to cultivate relatedness and support for keCg Public Radio / related programs, wrapped in worldOne glocal banner (an original LlittleBig vision, an intended  Gift~Lift for the station and kultimulchural CTE Ed program, musicultura que cura), steeped in long experience and glocal Listening, inviting “True Believers~Friends” among site and district admin, indeed e x t e n d e d sites Teachers and glocal Community. Our Community GOTiT! , Students learned~benefited~expanded perspectives and appreciations, Dreaming Big and ~er (than the “box”,  a very colorfully+culturally+student +community arts~curated musicultural suite, now blanched), and earned JNL accolades and awards, sponsorship grew, while, District fitful year by year, supervisor by supervisor.  Overwhelmed, beleaguered, beset by daily crisis after drama after crisis after drama. Then agenda and egos. Which naturally includes my lively musicultural human pov. Net net,  with successes on many levels, enduring persistence~resilience, ultimately a failure to persuade, due evidently to rebuff~ignore, and an end~run by most recent and exited admin. Hmm. 

Confession: With the exception of a few truly supportive District Administrators, a few Site or County CTE Principals, I found it too often difficult unto contentious maintaining the station/program throughout my ECHS/keCg CTE teaching career ( recruited in ’95 since 1998, and (station manager) tenure of these recent ten or so years, while otherwise contributing to keCg as a volunteer over 27 years.  Actually very difficult, from ephemeral slippery slope tech budgets to admin support enrolling and maintaining classes ( ECHS (and KHS backinnaday, which was cut) . We moved the studios and 88.1 antennae moved three times due to site reconstruction. We renewed two FCC license cycles. We grew in listenership and sponsorship, and direct fundraising. We certainly amply demonstrated our Potential, Ed and CTE training success via a recent and diligently earned Student and Civic accolades and awards (deets below).  Admin evidently was distracted or agenda~set against, or bit’o both. Admin churn~turn, and burnout was, and likely still is a factor. Alas. 

Hopefully there will be consistent new resolve to set the station and program on a solid foundation of support for Student learning, and this precious resource.  If you please… This journal may ring to some as sour disgrutagrapes to some, while, without curative conversation, Daylight, new integrative synergistic thinking and collab, it all very likely repeats again. I hope not, thus this joys and pains journal, and a Genuine Wish for higher ground for keCg as Community and Ed resource. 

The only questions that remain on the table for me, personally and professionally, were put to Comm in October ’22, and in short form to our Superintendent most recently in June. The quintessence of same revolves around Process and actual communications, or the absence thereof: how was there no willingness to engage and find a collaborative~progressive~intergen~synergistic~respectful-cocreative Middle? around any new keCg identity/agenda?  (A next Daylight zoom is on deck, while respective vacation schedules  and a google calendar mail miscue have delayed same). 

Throughout any and all of what follows, which will read yelp of sorts… through any hurt, I hope you can discern intentions in the chords of LOVE, HOPE, Concern, Sweat, Commitment, Prayer, Persistence~Insistence, Community, Well Being, Service, and yes, the pulse of my predominantly sunny persona and good at the ready ready humor. If anything, I hope that the protest further raises awareness of the VALUE of little radio station, and leads to more support for its Community, Students, Contributors and Staff.

Thank you, Dear RadioEscuchas for your letters to District and moreover, direct~personal , in person, EyetoEye HeartSpoken Words of Grief, Loss … of Something You Cherished and Valued… Aloha aku, aloha mai….

Clearly, some were not similarly attuned, or appreciative, or particularly interested in hearing from you, keCg Community Listeners. In this season District certainly did not express genuine interest in my experiences, perspectives, or mice elf, on this matter. Que lastima. For those of you who lovingly and in good humor expressed expressed something akin to “a good run”.. I ultimately, onelovingly, must disagree. It lands like saying earthday had a good run.


The more we Care about something of heartfelt value .. the more we are compelled to Seek , Embrace and Value Transparency …. 

Back~story ~  

... if you love worldOneradio this journal , tedious albeit, is for you

if you may be hatin’ on worldOneradio, even a little bit, or parts of it …  tempted to be defensive, or passive aggressive, or aggressive aggressive ?… or perhaps misunderstanding the holism~gestalt of it, worldOneradio intention, this journal is for you too, with unbounded iniversal L O V E  …  

While worldOne approach to radio broadcast and instruction around same is expansive, generous, and benevoloving, opposing energies and agenda which gathered, incommunicado, while I was on ( Critical then 5 months~on~Precarious~brink~) sick leave and thereafter, now boldly present as rather narrow, shortsighted. Maaaybe initially velvet~glovey? Then certainly pushy~shovey~temporizing, ultimately unapologetically ousting …hurtful, and a Harm to Community, despite any signature lines or PR. Official tone devolved by Spring to institutionally aggressive and balmey~shamey~defensive, seeming to justify an already~launched agenda to summarily Cancel / Replace ( district offered ..”students should not be caught up in adult disagreements” , and additionally, of late, reportedly, “some students uncomfortable with (my) comment made on line”).  This rings as disingenuous. Students are made uncomfortable by all kinds of Ed disagreements /decisions made by adults, directly and indirectly, especially elective and arts class cuts, sports, library, health services cuts, inclusions/exclusions in curriculum choices, grading policies, food services, unto safety, under funding, under staffing, supplies/soap and even bathroom closures .. Students and Staff have vociferously protested all of the preceding.. I mice elf escorted a massive ECHS Student walkout backinnaday, which lead to virtually every Bay Area newsroom, vans and choppers, and District admin converging on ECHS.  That day was remarkable and uncomfortable in many ways, and ultimately safe. A triumph of collective activism. Days later I later greeted and mediated the KHS Student walkout and walk to ECHS KHS. That day was memorable too, UNcomfortable for all,  and more than a bit rough, including students getting face~down~zip~tied by local authorities, who regarded me with demonstrable ire, while I assured them ( and the wary KHS Student Leadership, on the dl, in Spanish, in my dusty Dickies, that I was there as ECHS Principal’s official emissary. They were turned back by Police at the corner of Moeser and Pomona, amidst much clamor. As they agreed to retreat, I read their KHS Solidarity Message to ECHS on the PA to ECHS sitewide. IMPORTANT BTW, I am appropriately respectful of Police and their difficult work. I regard many ECHS Police officers as Friends. 

In terms of Student comfort, learning environments, culture and climate .. let’s not overlook vital recruitment, support and retention of highly qualified culturally competent Teachers and Staff. 

In any case, what is teaching~learning without critique? I feel I am enduring another round of what I urge we/WCCUSD get to the bottom of in terms of top heavy bureaucratic Telling, not~Listenting~Including. I have taken it and am still taking it on my Heart and right on the chin. I am not alone, as an Educator, while this is a particular frame~boxing ring, is reflective of broader patterns. A fractal. Micro in the macro, you know.  Nowhere I want to run, nowhere to hide. I have broadcast all intentions quite publicly, over decades and all cards are on the table. There sure is no “going back”, as there is no going back.   While only a rewind with daylight an end~run agenda. If not, institutional repeat. I have seen this radio cut program tactic employed several times implemented in public and commercial radio ( a corporschism, from which, I suppose, it was imported to the public area, hardball). Kidney punch low blow.  Such should NOT be part of Public radio ~ Public Ed Process.   There remains to see Clearly to the bottom of the as~ yet~muddied~pond.

All in all, a startling moment regarding institutional bureaucracy, practice and politic. This is a “Teachable Moment”, omnidirectionally.  Let’s see if its a Reachable Moment. Ojala!

If you please, this particular web page~soapbox  (Dr. Bronner had his magic one)  is not an easy, casual read, for which I A p o l o g i z e  in advance…  herein > plenty time line loop~de~loos, ostinatos, cross~references, and this ~ just ~ ins…  a bit of an adventure.  This is my experience and indiosyncratic truth, only that. I have no Title, no Office, no bureaucracy,  just Me.  

Former ECHS Teacher colleague Kym Kuzmic encapsulated context and circumstances in a way most can approach and understand far more readily, here:

Please know that worldOne wishes the Students of keCg the BEST! in their new broadcast adventure. Corey/worldOne joined keCg as a volunteer in 1995 upon Invitation, and subsequently guided six successive Gr 10-12 Gauchx  generations in same, over the last 20+ years. I proposed a dynamic Vision and Plan to continue and expand the program on site and District wide in 2021. If you wish to jump to that Proposal, scroll down to * keCg Mission~Vision Invitation + Proposal 2021. 

I have however, made an appropriate direct internal Protest of District / Admin practice (not a theatrical pots+pans, or Radio Flyer wagon protest) around this transition : the way it is been being implemented: CUT, no chaser.  It has been, at best, awkward, opaque, oblique, or passive aggressive, and directly disrespectful on many on many levels “backstage”, and more lately forestage, leading to this particular season, and “polarization”.  Signs of the times?

Everyone has something to learn in this scenario, all around, you ~ me ~ we … now or a later revisit resonance or reverb. 

Ba rekhu  ..   breathing creative light~filled breathe …  may all covert curses, aggressions be neutralized, transmuted, healed, alleviated …

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”  MLK

Good time for musical interlude by George Formby et alCount Your Blessings and Smile 

For those of you with backgrounds and passions in community/public radio, the tug of Ed may shake out like this .. shall keCg be considered a ( a relatively expensive) High School classroom with an antennae, or  a Community Radio Station and resource with well developed and supported integrated Youth Ed .  Given that Youth are in high school on their way to adult choices/options and life , I urged the latter perspective , much more dynamic, and appropriate to Career and Tech Ed and Glocal Citizenship , even as a general Ed elective. 

I am Grateful to all district Employees who have collabed Positively a gazillion other ways. (By the way, with issues bogged or buckarooed, I pivoted and have been subbing in 7 WCCUSD Elementary schools TK-6, over this last year, Utterly Refreshing ! .. Super~duper Collaborative and Appreciative Colleagues, Staff and Admin at sites and Sub Office. YAAY!  

Students Matter, keCg Public Radio Matters, and Adults who Steward programs and Teach Students Matter. This is a an intergenerational and Community “Teachable Moment” for all stakeholders, perhaps especially? for Broadcast Students ! learning about media, public radio media, related careers, relationships and interconnectedness vs. any institutional sheadminanigans or any bureaucra~wash.  

I am sharing comment here to DAYLIGHT process missteps and disrespectful practices. Hopefully to Illuminate.  Hopefully to Encourage Improvement in WCCUSD Climate and Culture, to rebuild institutional TRUST : to avoid these kinds of grievous misunderstandings, chronic program underfunding or mismanagement, any pushy~shovey admin practice, veiled and overt tactics or top~down agendas, to help heal HR and professional relational chafe. Inshallah!

I do have a newly scheduled “EXIT” meeting, requested~advocated by me, with public support, scheduled with our Superintendent, on June 20 ( I’ll call it an “egress” meeting, more omni~open ) My intention is to context a positive and helpful conversation around WCCUSD professional Culture and Climate. We’ll have 30 minutes scheduled that day.  This presents a time and focus challenge, as I have served in WCCUSD nearly 30 years.

UPdate:  A Meeting with Dr. Hurst June 20 : 

We met via Zoom … Dr. Hurst was very Present, Cordial, and leaning in to our conversation.  It was our first Direct get~to~know, and, characteristic of my experience of his Persona, interested, “composed~relaxed”, Listening.  It is Clear that Dr. Hurst has so much to super~monitor, that the nuances of the current circumstances have not yet risen to higher and clearest vista. There are 50+ sites, and the District is almost daily dealing with serious emergencies. That said, he has proposed, warmly, that we meet again in mid-later July. In follow up, I sent along a few questions which remain unanswered since  initial Process / Transparency query in October ’23.   So, there is some Openness for Restoration of Dialogue. Dr. Hurst Cares about institutional Trust, around which theme he led his Zone Meetings upon entry to District. Any next DAYLIGHT dialogue has yet to be scheduled. He suggested late July. Will advise.

ALLAWE note:   With Professional + Human Empathy ( and nearly 30 years of personal service experience, good, bad, and grievous,  or perilous), WCCUSD includes operations for 50 + school sites operations and staff, deals with Serious emergencies virtually daily, every level of function. Beleaguered, wilting stress and pressures, economic deficit. Signs of the Times, in American Urban Public Ed. Thus it takes time and often enough a crisis, larger or lesser, to earn appropriate Attention in any season. Especially around an elective study, enrichment programs, community services further out on the branch from core academics/data/testing.

I have seen what priorities are important depending on the day and moment. Helping a Student keCg podcast find its way to the New York Times “Best Of”, consoling~guiding adolescent grief~loss, anger, misbehavior, and fears, college prep, military prep, media literacy , helping 1st grader C., locate his misplaced glasses, again and again during the school day, and making share that everyone is Sharing and Caring in El classrooms. All kinds of troubles bubble when we don’t.

We were informed (TU 06.06), a roundabout verbal report regarding a direct written query few weeks ago, that keCg will not be participating in our 25th annual worldOnefestival, due to a few reasons which include, apparently, no keCg staff~students available?, and some reticence to acknowledge City festival~direct sponsors on~air?  District and station reconfirmed participation in March, now desrever    Hmm. 

This is a journal of events and Perspective which may hopefully be helpful to Admin, Teachers, Students and our broader community. It is only one POV. 

R E W I N D … to move ahead .. first a bit of gau~chachacha :

Mr. Paul Daniels was Principal at ECHS when I was hired in 1998 to instruct Radio for keCg. Paul turned to a keCg colleague in my intake meeting, and clearly stated aloud, kind of like a caveat, about his impression of me …“this guy’s a Lightning Rod” ..  kind of a prescient prediction, it seems ... as, what a long strange trip its been (Grateful DaEd) ..  I happily donated and installed my personal professional worldOne PA and  djworldOneloved UP! Mr. Daniel’s official district retirement party atop a rooftop ballroom in Emeryville. A good time was had by all.  We remained cordial as El Cerrito neighbors. ( btw .. I have worked with 7 principals/teams at ECHS and one/team at KHS, through 4 Superintendents / district administrations).

May 4 ’23:  On this day I personally picked up an HR settlement letter, along with an Appreciated, warm…

Letter of Commendation for Service to District and Community from Dr. Hurst … which includes in its text:

… As we turn this wrong into a right I would like to personally recognize the following testaments to your impact as a teacher that I have heard from community leaders and from your former students:

~    Your efforts to create and inclusive and accepting classroom environment, embracing the learning styles of all students.

~ Your engagement with community members and community leaders in order to situate the District and radio station as not only an educational resource, but a vibrant community resource. 

~Your presence as a caring and compassionate adult throughout many eras of change on the El Cerrito High School Campus.   

… your impact on the community has been immeasurable .

I Thank you sincerely here, Dr. Hurst, and to all who have supportive words to offer, these kind words are honey in my heart, and I Bow with Gratitude to you all.

There of course remains to resolve the disconnect regarding keCg Public Radio and Ed, Community program plan. One has to enquire , if the above is offered in response to abundant, credible testament and true (THANK YOU ALL WHO WRITE YOUR SUPPORT), then why the stonewall and ‘ol 100% heave~ho? 

I’ve seen the clouds from both sides now ..     J. Mitchell 

and

Hana says, “don’t get me wrongThis is no simple Sunday songWhere God or Jesus comes alongAnd they save ya”You’ve got to be braver than that …Light the lamp.

May 18:   At my urging and with Support, I have been offered a date and time  for a direct 1:1 meet with our Superintendent Dr. Hurst, in June. This a Positive and Good Step, in terms of Reciprocal and Respectful Will to Listen, insplore behind~the~scenes Process : dialogue to correct and heal misunderstandings, Daylight + Transparency.  Will Update. 

The nuts +bolts of it, again from my particular POV… 

Noting the praise in above comment by Dr. Hurst  .. it is astonishing that somehow I was evidently systematically excluded from Site~District keCg conversations between June ’21 – Oct ’22.  Having returned from an urgent care emergency and precarious sick leave/recupe in Jan. ’21, my report was to District Communications, and Comm was understaffed and not responsive. In Jan ’21, I submitted a new Mission~Vision for keCg, integrative of recent Student successes and demonstrated program strengths to UTR and HR. On the heels of many recent keCg student successes and accolades, I proposed for a FT assignment as station manager to guide the development of same and train~transition a new next~gen Teacher. HR/ UTR were immediately enthusiastic, then cooled, then incommunicado. I continued working diligently to maintain keCg through June.  In June 21, ECHS Principal asked via email “ what do you want to do with the Radio Station next year“.  I happily responded with a copy of the Proposal (*below). By Fall ’21, I was subsequently invited by Principal to (re)start an ECHS afterschool radio club ( as a Volunteer, more details will follow).  Students reached out, I reached back. We ( Sophs and Seniors) recruited another on~site Teacher, and met twice,weeks apart. The Principal then scuttled the effort with ” equipment is too finnicky” (nonsense), then stonewall since. 

In Oct ’22 I received an email from ECHS informing me that a new Teacher had been hired along with a newly hired District Communications Director.  Evidently, much transpired in conversations I was not invited to. A unilateral agenda was evidently set. 

It is regrettable how circumstances and communications haywired, disconnected~disassociated the way they have. Here’s to some DAYLIGHT, and prospective rewire?   Certainly toward some higher ground.

ECHS~WCCUSD Admin internally announced plans to introduce a new keCg Format~Programming and Identity, imminently, to be introduced on April 27. I was aware this concept was simmering, indeed I had integrate student~centering 2021 Proposal (*below) while here it is, now, with a hard twist.  

( UPdate 04.25, I was advised the keCg format change, which excludes worldOneradio, a 100% worldOne identity and programming CUT, was moved to May 7, due to keCg “tech issues”). 

You may have already noticed incremental changes on~air :  UnderCurrents was discontinued,  and worldOneradio Rise + Shine is reduced to 90 minutes daily. More changes followed day by day.

worldOne was finally advised, without additional details, on Friday 04.09, in a personal live meeting with District Comm. that the planned date for broad changes was evidently, newly and finally scheduled for 04.27.  The station’s identity will change to Gaucho Radio”, and will be promoted as “Student Powered and Created“.  Nice ! 

BRAVX!

Hey! Gauchx ! direct to y’all with Respect !  .. I am Listening, Appreciating,  and a Fan/Educator of Youth  Voice + Cocreativities, over dedicated decades.  I am cheering for y’all and Publc Radio keCg. and NOT this process and excluding agenda.. Please feel encouraged to Ask questions, of anyone, me .. about any matter Public Radio ~ Public Schooling.  Are y’all aware of any of this format kerfuffle?  Is it a point of discussion among current keCg Students ?  How do you feel about it?  Were you invited to consider station legacy, extant keCg Community Connection or general circumstances,  worldOne original INclusive identity ?  How would you best have approached same? I feel this is a Teachable moment that Educators usually prize, even crow about. Hmm.   Do you feel that intergen collab with worldOneradio may have something to offer you? as it has for decades of keCg Student alumni? instead of simply just having it pushed aside ? Is this process wholesome? Speak UP !  = : )~    

While we would have liked very much to whole heartedly collaborate and celebrate the new resolve to thoroughly support the station and associated student programs, its a new moniker on what we formally worked toward, and actively recently Proposed (shared below*), to HR /Admin, UTR and Superintendent, from which Corey/worldOneradio has been strategically excluded from management or planning, unto exited. I proposed and asked for meetings and collaboration, all delayed, or diverted or seemingly ignored since January ’21. I have asked again and again for DAYLGHT, Respect and Transparency.  

Qualifier here:  This is only one particular POV from a very human human. I know the District may present an almost diametrically opposite opinion on how and what has transpired. The fact is there has been no inclusive roundtable, at all, to discuss this new plan, and this is evidently by design.

More to follow.  Its both plain and complicated. Sorry, for a laborious storious. In the absence of internal channel Transparency, this matter calls for documentation somewhere public. 

All the seemingly circuitous context may serve to demonstrate and illuminate Pattern of institutional practice while fell upon me and likely others. Without Daylight, and Corrective measures, it will persist.

worldOneradio was not made aware of any additional details, especially how much, if any worldOne, themed programming may remain on the station, until 04.11 (INFO!).  I suppose District believed I knew the 100% cut plan, while I assure All I did not, until this was clarified verbally, then in a memo email a few weeks ago. I supposed and trusted that the transition would be integrative, you know, honor tradition and embrace change.  On that 04.11 date, in another personal, face to face meeting (at worldOne request) at keCg, Station advised that worldOne programming of any stripe, was to be summarily CUT from keCg as of 04.27 (moved to May 7).  While we have engaged in the some brief discussion of rationale, and prospective options previously (and conceptually), this summary change, related decisions, have been unilateral, and autocratic, top~down~telling~not~asking, without any public input or collaborative / community stakeholder discussion. Certainly not any solicitation of my perspectives and experience over nearly 30 years as keCg Volunteer, Station Manager, Programmer and Teacher.  Hmm.

More student voice via keCg is a GOOD THING.  We’ve worked diligently and successfully for 24 years, since worldOneradio / Corey was invited joined keCg as its Broadcast Teacher,  to promote and support precisely that, as our growing and recent award-winning work can attest.   Student-generated keCg Student features were distributed additionally through Youth Radio, KQED, NPR National, and New York Times ( 2016-’19) earning journalism Awards and accolades.  worldOneradio naturally applauds renewed Admin interest in supporting the station and related programs!

When Corey was first recruited to teach radio broadcasting classes for keCg in 1998, after 3 full years of volunteer work at keCg ( 4-9P, Mo-Fr), he taught Radio Career Tech at two schools ( ECHS + Kennedy HS), 4 classes total each day.  After a bitter squabble defending the KHS keCg program and its enrollees against a hostile, utterly wrong~headed Principal’s demand for class enrollment~chop at KHS ( an astonishing demand and circumstances), They locked us out of our classroom ( where I had previously diffused a gun violence threat, wherein I confronted~diffused the threat, while kids dove for cover on the the floor, documented) and we had to meet en plein air in the quad the next six weeks. Until a Student reported our predicament to a visiting WASC team.  Regardless, Corey was CUT from KHS and that program withered ( as did my paycheck and health insurance). This reverberated through Contra Costa County Office of Ed, which, after defending~aligning with the principal ( I was written up for “insubordination” ).  After being chastened by WASC, the principal forcefully threw the keys down the hall at me and the Broadcast Students, some 25 yards~skidding~on~linoleum, huffing,  “Here, Take your key”!  The erstwhile CCOE Superintendent admonished me, snarling incisively, “you’ll Never work for County again!”, two years or so later welcomed me, rather tenderly, glowing sincerely with “its nice to have you back with us“.  Appreciated! while there was no apology, no restitution of lost wages/benefits. A few years later CCCOE concluded that I should be twice~nominated by CCCOE for Warren G. Eukel CTE Teacher of the Year.  

ECHS Radio classes were reduced through subsequent years to two classes daily at ECHS, and then down to one per semester. The reasons for class cuts after Student recruitments each round were “low enrollment”.  This practice, amply demonstrated by currently exiting principal who exhorted that ” keCg erstwhile keCg organization “was stealing opportunities from students”.  One has to ask ..how is cancelling classes, and/or chronic program underfunding NOT stealing opportunities from students?!  Some principals~colleagues, ya gotta onelove’ em.  Even High School Power corrupts?

( Forgive them Father …  Yeshua the Nazarene   … Lauren Hill‘s lyric, sic The Miseducation of Lauren Hill … ) 

(That KHS principal might have been suspended, assigned to anger management and appropriate interventions. Instead, somehow insulated, they coasted along to comfortable retirement. If they were chastened , I never heard of it. I tumbled into bay rim low income stressures, sans health insurance, and job insecurity. This is just a chapter of the whole story (though goes to Admin ranks’ privilege and insulation.) That retired principal and I chance~encountered in Bissell Admin lobby some ten years later.  They greeted me with such effusive warmth that I was bewildered, as they joyfully and literally lifted me up and swung me around on their skirt~hips like I was a ragdoll! No apology offered, while, it felt like there was some unspoken understanding and healing in the flow of time. KHS Students and mice elf previously paid a significant price for that moment.

This term, ECHS is bringing back two classes per semester. YAAY !  It started up again in Fall with @ 9 or so? Students per class ( while current classes NOT cancelled due to low enrollment ? !  Renewed resolve to make it work, train Students. Hmm).

Since October ’21, The radio station and classes are now under the direction of a new, Skilled Broadcaster and Teacher with a background of experience at both KALX and KQED, and a Skilled District Communications Director (a former ECHS Student and ECHS Teacher). This follows several years of Comm. department and supervisory evident apathy toward keCg and Comm. department churn ( three directors in three years, then an absent position for a next year). I am heartened that our Superintendent Dr. Hurst has been remarkably responsive to my emails since joining the District, while other channels were, or remain bogged~intractible.  He has not directly commented on the proposed plan to Cut worldOneradio.  United Teachers of Richmond is newly re-engaged in trying to DAYLIGHT a rather conflated mess and is in again in contact with with HR on related matters for sick bank/compensation Resolution, as I was compelled to retire, pending approval of Proposal ’21 ( below ) . As of 04.26, there has been some indication of reply from HR after nearly 2 years of appeals. YAAY!  Ojala! We’ll see.

MAY DAY 05.01 .. this just in.. Grateful, not joyful, that following nearly two years to the day of direct and often solo appeals and appeals and appeals and ..  I spoke on May 1 with District Labor Relations, and was assured that erroneously debited (6 months worth, significant) and service credit would be adjusted in my CALSTRS account. YAAY. I am also to receive a modest stipend for maintaining the station for 17 unsupervised months( June ’21 – Oct ’22. This is fine.  A next goal is DAYLIGHT for the compromised process : miscommunications and missteps which lead to the current discord. Let’s see if collective will can be focused on atonement and healing. Ojala!

By the way, during those 17 months, my professional and personal belongings in classroom and studio were boxed or moved “for me” on three occasions, The keCg Station Manager Office phone was reassigned to another (not a Radio) Teacher camped in Radio Room Suite B 200 and the little keCg Office.

Also during this interlude, someone, as yet unidentified, deconstructed keCg Studio B requiring two days of work to reassemble with our Engineer.  I wish I were making this up.

June 1 Update:  I called CALSTRS and confirmed receipt of HR request to restore sick bank credit, as promised in writing in Early May. YAAY! The request is in progress.  keCg has yet to commit to supporting the annual El Cerrito worldOne July 4 community festival. Hmmm.

Following  27+ years of worldOne pionEARing mixologies and of educating several generations of students in Broadcast Production Skills, the Art of it, Media Lit/ POV and related “soft” career skills, I lament the circumstances of this transition sadly leave ample room for misgivings.  This is of course, very stressful. TRUST has been rather shattered. Especially around any will to pause the current agenda~train, take a more integrative approach, and DAYLIGHT what drives this new agenda, why, how ? and draw in stakeholders to collaborative synergistic creative dialogue.   

The combination of administrative opacity, disrespectful practices/behaviors, and plainly poor communication (or summary absence thereof), which rather reflect the opposite of the values stated in WCCUSD Mission Statement. I have received singular, unofficial Apology for disrespectful treatment ( via Zoom) and a singular written statement of Empathy ” for how difficult this is”. Oh, and an emotocon heart email of “thanks for taking care of keCg  “.  That’s lands as kind of a .. don’t let the heart~doorknob hit you in the okole on the way out … Nonetheless, the agenda is set, CUT is sharp, and there is, to my ears,  no truly satisfying rationale proffered for a 100% CUT / Replace, following nearly 3 decades of creative,  Student, Civic, and Arts award~winning public radio programming and community engagement. Nor has there been any evident Admin reflection~atonement for years of chronic disrespect and underfunding/cuts to keCg program, or actual acknowledgement for creativity, initiative and persistence as a professional Educator.  This treatment, from educators. What a long arduous trip its been, now with this explosive ciao~arrividerci ” Farewell worldOne” twist. Of course I refused to participate in this on~air transition.

We really must expect more, hope for more, demand Integrity in Process and Practice among Educators and Administrators, purportedly committed to Collaboration, Transparency, Inclusion, Communications, Community, Connectedness, Professional Support, ultimately professional human~relational RESPECT!                                                           ( ….. Why don’t you flow ..  PamPam )

In any eventuality, worldOneradio wishes ALL well, and hopes for highest ground and sound all around.  Some things gotta break, True, some Truth~telling and witnessing too, for there to be a breakthrough.  So it is.  

Stand ! in the end you’ll still be you ….  ( Sly and the Family Stone) 

This award was presented to worldOne at our 2024 festival celebration…

Open Hearts + Open Minds+ Open Possibilities.  Pa’ delante!    = : ) ~ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yet More context :

We’ll be adding to our current short playlist stack currently on soundcloud , and will announce any additional worldOneradio i-net and/or any terrestrial broadcast platform as they may manifest. The task seems formidable. Its a heck of an archive ( recorded on reel to reel, then , dat, cassettes, minidiscs, cd’s, hard drives; daunting, as this current station mosaic was assembled one set and one feature an one listener comment, and one promo at time, in space and time.  In any case, as the format flips, The Radio.co / tunein / third party apps will silence.

It’s going to take some time to ponder next steps, any reinventions, landings, platforms. Would it surprise you that I am not kindling to so much computer time …. feeling more like a season for DAYLIGHT and letting GO … a Tibetan sand mandala~painting, or a Balinese pyre. I have hand deep healing around the issues, while I cannot yet foresee the 3D terms for atonement. 

What’s left …. Trust Jahs’ Way and Prepare to be Amazed..  Axe! ..  Hozho Naasha  … Aho!..   ALOHA kakou …. Ho’o make make!  Maka kilokilo …

25th annual worldOne festival is rising, and call for close seasonal attention along with other projects.

I am grateful to WCCUSD for whatever keCg program support it could muster over the decades, through thin and thinner.  worldOne labored mightily to keep it all running through chronic budget crises and freezes, and to bring something valuable, original and unique to our Communities and our Students, via Broadcast and classroom instruction.

Several Civic and Arts / Ed awards and nominations attest to the work worldOne offered to the constellation of this district community and to the larger Bay Area.  worldOne even dj’d side~by~side at Nicholl Park trading bars on MiC with our former Superintendent Bruce Harter! That was some Memorable roots~rockin’ to this one, by Anthony B ).

Let’s see how this all shakes out… g’wan, keep on Shaking your Beauty. 

In the meanwhile, about a month ago worldOne invited keCg to participate as media sponsor our 25th annual worldOnefestival in appropriate Gratitude and Respect for the decades of positive association. keCg Accepted. YAAY!  While 04.11 information~reveal casts a twist of irony? over the very recent acceptance of a primary “media sponsorship” ?   Ultimately, in June keCg elected to not participate in the festival. A few different reasons were cited in different emails ( “no staff”,  come concern about sponsor acknowledgements, and finally students “uncomfortable”). Hmm..

We were Grateful for the volunteer help this year of current ECHS (not radio~enrolled) students, entering 9th graders, former El Cerrito High School Students, and the professional assist of UC Theatre Interns. A  harmonious intergen community collaboration !

We Are the Public In Public Radio.

GO ! Gauchx ! Go ! World ! 

E Komo Mai ... Always in the Spirit of LuZAMor+ViBraBueNa ..

Blessed Be ALLAWE

= : ) ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FYI backfill, even more context for those who may wish to know more : 

This may be laborious to read, again sorry. At the moment its our only DAYLIGHT option. And our POV.

The  rationale we have heard, in pressing for two very recent live meetings, is summarized in the following.

1.  The station is overly identified as “worldOneradio”…  I was told .. when people think of keCg they think of Corey… The station cannot move forward with its plan with worldOneradio as a part of its new format ….  This may change as the station decides it may re~invite community programmers in a few months. 

Noted, I replied that the station invited worldOne to keCg in 1995, and ultimately needed a unique Identity in San Francisco Bay Rim. The identity I introduced the station was unique and broadly genre inclusive : keCg ~ worldOneradio…. EVERY ONE INVITED ~ BE  WORLD ONE ! …   

It was this Identity and programming approach that was invited~recruited to keCg back in 1995 as a daily program 4P – 9P weekdays, with the intent of broadening and quilting musicultural genre, what we like to refer to as kultimulchural musicultura que cura, connecting hearts through the arts . Later Approved for further implementation and identity by keCg’s assigned District Assistant Superintendent and supported by several successive Communications Directors and Principals. Evidently worldOneradio did quite alot with a realtive modicum, leanding The current outgoing~exiting principal evidently saw things differently, and lobbied for this particular flip.

Did you know that around 13 years ago Corey alerted the Board to a plan to sell the station ( basically a live Board meeting whistle~blow)  to the entity to which it had been contracted with via a Local Marketing Agreement? In that arduous season, it took six months of persistent requests to receive the ten or so page fax outlining same, which was @ 80% sharpie~redacted. ( This was after the aforementioned  necessary square~off with the principal at KHS, and lost my job there, which catalyzed retribution from Contra Costa County Reginal Occupational Programs for the remaining position at ECHS . I retooled to Teach Spanish at ECHS, and kept worldOne bubbling, effectively in exile. 

As I recount this, even just this part, my head is spinning.  How are you faring with this?  Thank you for hangin’ in here… 

I copied the HEAVILY redacted fax for each of the Board members  and made live appeal on (cable TV and keCg simulcast). We received Permission to develop the station internally and program as such, YAAY ! in place of a network and its choice of fill, a few hours parsed out for keCg Students.

After years of cutting student classes, chronic underfunding, customary late pay which greatly irritated vendors, program sources and even our FCC attorney alike, we filled the station with what we could generate with the extant funding resources, with a sole station staff member ( Corey, along with keCg’s long~serving contract Engineer), along with a dwindling number of Onederful Students enrolled into the class each term. Despite obstacles our robust and skilled professional and Student daily palette grew to include Doug Wendt’s World Beat, Native Son Rising, Midnight Dread, Radio Edsoft and Native Voice 1 / Undercurrents.  Students were on~air as they gained appropriate skills each semester during class time  and /or returned after school as volunteers. Their guided music direction was for them to assemble individual play lists , then combined in Student host ensembles to present musics from around the globe, along with their perspectives (Flopinions) Interviews and the news comment of the day. 

2.  The station/district is evidently “nervous” about considering~creating~entering any agreement with worldOneradio “proprietary programming” I suggested we simply make friendly agreement in appropriate, reciprocal, renewable terms, like keCg has done previously with KLON, or MORE Public Radio, or NV1. No biggie. Just be clear. While , at the moment, honestly we ourselves are given deep p a u s e, as institutional TRUST is currently broken. We honestly do not know what end to hope for, while we HOPE.   

3.  There was some additional expressed peripheral ? concern of ephemeral and/ or source~cited, source~requested uses of already published media in the voluminous body of wordOneradio (DMCA). We get it, and suggested that any such uses of concern be specifically identified and assessed.

Did you know? that around 2000, Mason + and ECHS + District + CCC Admin team earned a 350K SSP Grant to launch  worldOneAcademy at ECHS, around themes of Global Citizenship!? True. Sadly ,SSP Funding was cancelled two years later due to site admin failing to schedule and adequately enroll Academy classes.  This pattern persisted through the next 15 years of General Ed / Elective Radio classes scheduling. Class cancellation after cancellation, semester after semester, until Spring ’23.  We’ll see what happens next. Maybe this particular journal may inspire more conscientious  attention to a valuable elective, and the practical glocal conceptualization of global citizenship. I know first hand that the now exited Principal, was hostile to the notion, exhorting ” students need to learn to be local citizens before they can be global citizens”.  The principal also exhorted that ” you are stealing opportunities from Students ” while Admin were busy cancelling classes semester after semester( and/ or stalling/cutting keCg budget expenditures)  over y e a r s .  Another District CTE Administrator declared in a roundtable that “keCg curriculum can not be about music”.  Ayayay, its as if they never listened to radio, public radio, keCg public Radio, or had any real insight into related Arts careers.  You’ll forgive me here I hope, this all rang and rerang as rather narrow minded foolishness.  These are how capricious admin winds can blow, don’t you know.

BTW..  Admin have very rarely attended our annual award~winning, community and intergen synergistic,  worldOnefestival ( in July 2023 we warmly welcomed and collabed with New ECHS Gauchx volunteers, ECHS student alumni, and UCT CCP completers.  And,  worldOneradio+festival was Honored with its annual Community Resilience Leadership Award by Random Acts of Kindness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*keCg Mission~Vision Invitation + Proposal 2021

I proposed the following directly to Dr. Hurst, HR, Admin, and Union as Dr. Hurst entered WCCUSD and I was recuperated from critical, precipitous illness ( 6 mos. sick leave Sep ’20 – Jan ’21 ). I resubmitted the proposal regularly at all levels, from ECHS HS Admin to Superintendent, Board, and around again. And again. The way this has played out and added up, it appears as if as some were genuinely enthused to advance, then cooled, without ANY explanation. Perhaps some pretended to listen, or no one really listened, and/or the was a concerted effort to stonewall, marginalize~exit, then cancel? Without daylight and transparency, difficult to discern, while we see where that process has lead. ARRGH.  

BTW : All the while Corey was ill , and subsequently in recupe, Corey was serving to manage and maintain station and programming, including renewal of keCg FCC license, without an assigned / responsive District Supervisor in Communications (June ’21 until Oct ’22). Last term I proposed reviving the dormant ECHS Radio program on~site at ECHS ( while the Proposal purportedly was recirculating) via an afterschool Radio Club. I recruited Sophs ( who had reached out) and Seniors ( I had instructed as Sophs) to a few initial meets in Studio B. Another radio trained ( KALX) Teacher agreed to cohost. We imagined and proposed two afterschool sessions a week.  Initially encouraged and encouraged by Principal, subsequently stonewalled, with NO!  “equipment too finnicky” ..  Ayayay?!  I helped choose, install and maintain same.   Hmmm.. 

I must add here, that for my part, I have always lobbied that while keCg may be a ECHS domiciled resource, it’s license and signals were intended to serve the Communities of WCCUSD, thus TWO small partly congruent signals were awarded (separately).  Thus, all instruction and the tone of broadcast was instructed toward glocal bay rim citizenship,  bay rim inclusive village. Gauchos as such had lenty of tribal affinity groups on site, where keCg had and has a much greater potential,  to cultivate content contributors and support from any where within its FMs range, and of course via inet. Corey proposed to develop those broadcast instructional ( podcast) modules and Educator /Student connections with respective WCCUSD sites over these last two terms, as proposed, below.  While water under the blurry bridge, herewith …

For your consideration ..  transparently … toward DAYLIGHT 

worldOneradio initiated this Proposal, shared with HR/UTR Jan’21 onward…

 

WCCUSD Mission : 

We provide the highest quality education to enable all students to make positive life choices, strengthen our community, and successfully participate in a diverse and global society.

keCg will continually develop, evolve, and integrate its curricular offerings in general Ed and CTE Broadcast Journalism, and extracurricular club/event opportunities. keCg will curate diverse glocal, multicultural on~air programming for its listeners, actively engage with our WCC Educators, Students and our Communities in synergy with District Mission and all related Ed, nonprofit and business organizations.

Vision  :  keCg Teaching + Admin +Student Leadership Team will ..

Offer rigorous, engaging General Ed elective, CTE introductory and advanced creative and production skills development in radio~podcast disciplines, toward tertiary Ed or entry into marketplace.

Research, develop, offer and promote course offerings in Advanced Broadcast JNL.

Thoroughly support keCg through close Administrative, Counseling, and interdepartmental collaboration: Updated and adequate engineering and IT tech support, fulfill related budgeted and fund-raised tech expenditures.

Collaborate transparently and professionally to revise and refine integrated programs in practice and in development, consistent in master scheduling, recruiting and maintaining sections.

Create and support a full time position for station manager whose duties will include : support instructional programs, admin liaison, maintain engineering/operations, coordinate diverse program and musical direction, FCC integrity, development-fundraising, community relations/events, tertiary Ed, industry, and business / FCC relations, related requisite reporting.

Continue to develop and support after school extracurricular/club activities and summer enrichment programs, cultivating whole person education, community and glocal citizenship.

Expand keCg program outreach. Promote-invite-welcome appropriate broadcast~quality material from off~site WCCUSD contributors; secondary, middle and elementary Teachers and Students across grade level and disciplines: Media Arts, Journalism, Creative Writing General and Special Ed, ELA, ELD.

Create and support active internal keCg Student Leadership positions ( see representative roles NFCB link above), in an internship model, to include keCg website and social media. Develop original and curated Student content consistent with Mission in our role as Community (all gen, diverse, family) Educational Radio Station, for keCg and other media ( ex: KQED, YR Media).

AND .. as further shared in context and prep for Spring ’21 WCCUSD Zone Public Meetings

May 24, 2021 

Welcome Aboard Dr. Hurst,

If you please, Sir, herein another enthusiastic chime of Warm Welcome along with our collective chorus of Congratulations and Best Wishes for this new chapter of your ED Journey, Leadership and Service within WCCUSD.

Thank you for sharing the Entry Plan you’ve kindly distributed. As keCg Station Manager, I offer a brief introduction to a unique WCCUSD Community and CTE Resource, KeCg Public Radio.

keCg is an East Bay/West County  “gem” to which Mason was recruited, has contributed to, and cared for these recent 25 years, as a Volunteer, Keeper~Steward and CTE Educator. The demands and pace have been relatively “double time”, the experience very challenging and fulfilling. With a particularly difficult year behind we All, Mason personally navigated a serious personal health crisis. Having arrived at 64 years young, I find myself recovered, yaymen, and on the threshold of Retirement, or not. Some of this will likely hinge upon revisit of District priorities, Vision, and your Admin Team’s particular assessment of value and how to appropriately support keCg Community Radio and related CTE / General Ed elective,and extracurricular opportunities.

Open Minds + Open Hearts + Open Possibilities  =  Ojala ! Let’s see !

What does Dr. Hurst need to know?  What would we like to share with Dr. Hurst as incoming Superintendent ?    

WCCUSD/El Cerrito High School is FCC licensee for Public Radio 88.1 keCg 97.7, since 1978. Recently, CTE class offerings have shrunk, over years, with CTE /General Ed elective class scheduling now strictly limited. This was certainly not the case at the time Mason entered the district in 1998, when the station held multiple classes daily both at ECHS and Kennedy HS.

Despite internal program challenges, keCg, its students, have recently distinguished their work via YR Media (Oakland) and KQED Youth Takeover, with dozens of features broadcast regionally and a few pieces lifted to National NPR, including NYT Student Podcast of the Year Honors. The station itself, and its work in our Communities has earned local, county, and State Civic and Arts Awards.   

In any eventuality, in professional goodwill and dedication to public radio, following requisite

180 days CALSTRS hiatus, Mason is ready, willing, and able to serve in any station management transition in volunteer capacity, or perhaps rejoin staff at 40%. This availability will necessarily be conditioned by any outside~district work.

Helpful links/context:, FYi :  Student work 

https://www.kqed.org/news/11745032/high-school-students-take-over-the-airwaves

https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/30833/kqeds-youth-takeover

Audio Stream:

https://stream.radio.co/sc91461019/listen

https://tunein.com/radio/worldOneradio-881-s32422/

PR Red Flag : A “pirate radio” signal is operating in North Richmond, occasionally at first, late 2019, and more persistently since early ‘20. They chose to transmit illegally via 88.1. Their programming is often laced with profanity, violent imagery, explicit/salacious content. We filed appropriate complaint and request for relief with FCC last year ( new FCC Ticket No. 3997891). We are urging FCC action, and pressing for FCC update, enforcement.

Strengths:   

Unique resource, community celebrated, FCC licensed since 1978 (renewing FCC license this calendar year, counsel is retained).

Original visionary intergenerational~kultimulchural programming, multiple civic, arts, and media award~winning.

Some would say, keCg has flourished of late, within its means, under the direction of an eclectic, energetic, wholistic, seemingly tireless Radio industry veteran (Honolulu, Los Angeles San Francisco markets), active contributor, community liaison, and Student~Youth Voice Advocate.

Additional strengths: 

Original curriculum certified as UC A-G; Well rounded broadcast~podcast training preparatory for tertiary Ed, college or commercial radio.

21 consecutive years of summer family world music festival with City of El Cerrito (fest in Covid~hiatus, estimated average 10,000 attendees). Our original festival is freely presented, volunteer driven, family centric, multicultural. Fest cycles have included grant funded ECHS Jazz performances, along with related direct keCg fundraising support.

Student community career internships, advanced training opportunities, active collaborations with media professionals

Student~lead journalistic engagement with Community social~emotional health, eco and STEM professionals. Enthusiastic listener support and praise. We have accomplished much with a modicum.

An absolutely unique radio marketplace identity: keCg~ worldOneradio.

Weaknesses: 

Physical/Low Power Hurdle : Low power signal strength, two signals  (signal limitations offset by streaming, ex: tunein app displays 3K favorites, which can naturally expand). Enthusiastic listeners readily navigate between the two signals, while more listeners overcome the obstacle employing direct streaming. Low power does not necessarily equate to low influence.

Variable Admin support :  Upchain communications/relations + work flow disconnect :  (Notably, repeatedly, over years, CTE general Ed classes reduced/ canceled). Supervisorial Admin chain CTE upchain interdepartmental discord.

As yet, Admin has yet to embrace a broader integrative concept in support of  keCg as community broadcast podcast Hub. It seems that a current shared view of the station is more as a singlet (relatively “expensive”) ECHS classroom-with-antennae.

Historical notes :

A small robust team of Educators and community advocates applied made a complex and persistent application to FCC, and  battled mighty KQED back in the 70’s for the right to this Class D license. keCg Ed and community advocates even faced civic aesthetic blowback over the proposed antenna atop ECHS. Advocates prevailed in both arenas.

Later, KeCg fell “dark”, off air for nearly 5 years in the late 80’s, early 90’s (and thus almost surrendered its license)  due to some combination of absent leadership, will and/or commitment /budget. keCg was revived and classes reinstituted as facilitated by a fine arts grant at the District level. Mason was subsequently recruited (by Philip Morgan) and arrived as a volunteer programmer in ‘95. At some point some 8-12 years ago, the station was assigned a LMA (Local Marketing Agreement) leased to an outside nonprofit. Mason appealed to the School Board to wrest back the station from what read like (though heavily redacted) an impending sale.  The Board and an advocate Assistant Superintendent, Wendell Greer (retired), assured that we had an opportunity to demonstrate what we could do. We have. Nonetheless, consistent admin support flags.

We’ve won all our awards, grown sponsorship, community engagement, and listenership since “ taking keCg back in~house” eight or so years ago.

Observation: Virtually all administrators leaP! in appropriate Pride when our Students are connected and celebrated by outside professional media, aspiring that we be like them.  An irony therein, as we, our Students  indeed have produced this work within our own resource; a resource much wide~eyed wide~eared admired by those same prestigious outside media .orgs!  We ARE like them, they look to us for content and recruits, while, they have dozens of employees dedicated to their respective youth media programs. 

If WCCUSD genuinely wishes to internalize the work, expanding opportunities for our Students, we will need to take tech capacity, tech support, instruction, and infra-buildout seriously, importantly cultivating and supporting our assigned human resources/staff. 

The annual festival itself, while City sponsored (event fiduciary), has won numerous “BEST OF”  awards itself, while District has elected to not actively promote same.  It’s worth noting that Contra Costa College was a cornerstone~seed sponsor back at the inception of the festival. The times, budgets and leadership changed.  Aside, the station would regularly co~host events with erstwhile Superintendent, Dr. Harter, and has co~produced or hosted multicultural, Ed, Eco events all over our District, over decades. Times have clearly changed. Perhaps it’s time for a revivifying come back around. 

Challenges : 

But for the rare and welcome Admin chain purview, the station itself, related programs and potential, defacto support has been internally stifled by underfunding (including direct capricious summary cuts) understaffing, under advocated in churning Admin tides on site and at County/District. There is naturally a wealth of diverse talent and Interest in broadcast~podcast, Student Voice and Community connectivity. This has been the very nature and life~blood of radio broadcasting creativity, especially public radio.

keCg is a genuine, amply demonstrated, long serving, unique “mighty mouse”. One of a vanishing breed of Ed community~high school radio signals, while community .orgs  are indeed clamoring for new awards of low power FCC FM bandwidth (note: religious broadcasters commonly do not miss a beat when AM/FM bandwidth becomes available).

It is urged that keCg should, upon demonstrated merit, naturally earn support and perception as a dynamic Community hub and District~wide Ed resource, congruent with its broadcast~podcast skills, media lit, career training, and public service. 

 Opportunities :  

Develop keCg Public Radio as a Vibrant broadcast~podcast District~wide media lab and public Community Hub, resource and production center.

Facilitate curriculum modules and invitation for submission available online.  Staff up, professionalize keCG with a full time station manager. Actively recruit Teachers and Students to contribute from all WCCUSD high schools, including offering training to Teachers in training in middle schools and elementary schools: invite Voice and creativity at every level K- 12, likely much tech-facilitated by our remote year and requisite tech adaptation all around. It is likely we will meet a new tide of tech capacity and capability, Teacher and Student interest in student journalistic and creative Voice, music and cultural learning, as we may dynamically offer accessible remote, district~wide broadcast-podcast training.

Develop an Admin chain of collaborative support from site to Bissel. Invite and deliver keCg training and resources to our WCC communities of service.

Develop and institute progressive levels of Student Leadership : Meaningful internal internships over several years of high school experience: live on~air, general programming, production tech~editing, music direction~curation, broadcast tech, narrative~creative, social media.

Develop and Institute a District~wide, student co~produced and hosted Morning Show:

what to listen to on the way to school daily, a beacon, for aspiring glocal citizens and our WCCUSD families.

Develop a district~wide collab and curated portal for the publishing of student multimedia: audio, video, music, writing and fine arts creativity.

Explore tech possibilities with Consulting Engineers, for suitable reinforcement or boost of signal / power, signal tech for each of 88.1 and 97.7.  Identify options and make application to FCC (again, keCg general broadcast license renews this calendar year, local counsel Michael Cousenz, is retained).

Go ! WCCUSD Broadcast Podcast !  Go ! Public Radio keCg ! 

Net~net …. is the current cccold shoulder flatly remarkable?  ..  how it is getting done.  If you please… upon inquiry you may find the rationale offered for a 100% cut lands as a rather narrow,  cancel~driven agenda, with a happy face on it, as the Process has not been any of :  OPEN~Transparent, INCLUSIVE ~ Respectful , COLLABORATIVE / Community~minded~hearted : a most UNpublic process for a Public School system and a Public Radio Station ?!  Ay! de we the Peeps. 

Here’s the published WCCUSD contact link for WCCUSD Board Trustees, including Student Trustees. 

.. we’ll likely all find … It’s Safer in the DAYLIGHT ( A. Krauss/Union Station)

You may be aware that worldOneradio emerged from lifetime of radio Listening Appreciation, some significant immersive world travel and a robust professional radio career in Creative and Management with :  KSSK/KiKi HNL, KTNQ/KLVE LA , KITS / KJAZ SF. worldOneradio represents an evolving synthesis of Musiculture, Media and Ed Appreciation, Experience and Vision.

FYI :  keCg is an FCC Educational “Class D” License.  It is is a Precious and Invaluable Community resource. A dedicated cohort o Teachers and Community volunteers labored mightily in the mid 70’s to apply for and receive the broadcast license in an era when Radio was Queen ! They faced all kinds of opposition , including direct FCC protest from KQED ( concerned over dial adjacency and any particular growth by competitor keCg!) keCg prevailed.  Onederfully, keCg Students shone brightly in KQED Youth Takeover in each of 2017-2019. YAAY!

keCg’s defacto Board is indeed the WCCUSD School Board.And we ar the Public in Public Radio.

I am naturally aware that District Comm has replied directly to directly submitted appeals and testimonials. I am aware of the languaging in those replies which I find, lamentably, a bit shaming and otherwise disingenuous. This follows what I feel was, at first, a more brightly and softly intended velvet glove approach to coax me into actually helping District to unilaterally exit me and cancel. When that push came to shove, I bUCKed.

Here’s a brief public rebuttal to points made in those Listener reply letters (excerpted here), and which you might expect in reply: 

In recognition of Mr. Mason’s legacy with the District radio station, and in effort to have a smooth transition, WCCUSD has:

  1. Provided Mr. Mason with paid time to work in partnership with the new instructor, which occurred in the fall.  This allocation was ( 40 hours/ 5 work days) provided to assure tech continuity. In no way was this time afforded to receive any input regarding programming , radio club, or continued association. The unannounced plan was to cut 100% of identity~association and programming. This was NOT made clear until 04.11. 
  2. Worked with Mr. Mason and the new instructor to ensure that Mr. Mason has been able to retain digital copies of all worldOne content, preserving his ability to continue worldOne as an online streaming station or in another format of his choosing. This is largely unvarnished and true. keCg’s new Teacher was very helpful in this regard.  While, virtually all the material I created generously promoted keCg Public Radio call letters and dial position. Well , it looks like I have permission. 
  3. Held multiple meetings with Mr. Mason at both the school site and district level to receive insight and input from Mr. Mason as a longtime steward of the station. Revist pint #1. There was no substantive dialogue or interest about my approach or continuity of original curriculum or worldOneradio programming philosophy. Rather the opposite. As district endeavored to velvet glove~PR my exit, the unilateral decision and evident strategy, District summarily ignored my requests for HR settlement for another 6 months, and failed to respond to plainly advanced questions regarding Process over the recent two years, and further veiled the CUT agenda. The HR settlement was achieved, due to my persistence and UTR jumping in, the same week the CUT was implemented. 

Again, we appreciate you taking the time to communicate your appreciation for the content that has been playing on the WCCUSD radio station. We hope that you are able to continue enjoying Mr. Mason’s creations and brand in whatever capacity he continues to share his work. If you do tune in to the next generation of our young broadcasters, we hope that you are able to appreciate and enjoy their creations as well.

Signed.. “In community” …  (can one hear any irony in that?) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ridin’ along with the  The Dixie Chicks about here …  Truth#2 … You don’t like the sound of the truth coming from my mouth … You say I lack the proof … baby that might be sooo.. … Gonna get to end of my life …. find out everyone was lyin …

( lying … a human predilection.. I~we can very much tend to see what we want to see, only what we’re ready to see, reflections of ourselves, through our smaller and bigger fears, the often not~so~funhouse mirror~lens of ego v. soul… Ay! de i~we .. )   …

I don’t think that I’m afraid anymore .. I say I’d rather die tryin’ ..

Swing me (We!) WAY Down South …Sing me something Brave from your mouth …

All I want is the Truth .. just give me some truth .. (John Lennon)

Here’s to Everyone’s Bravery ….  Honesty …. Vulnerability ….

ALL Awash in Healing~Waters ~ 

Here’s to the Returning to Open Heart, Listening roundly, from the Center ..  B a r e k h u…

a warming hearth~fire …. Circled, syncretically,  re~evolving around a Middle …  A h a b a

Po~si~tive Vi~bra~tion Ye~ah Irie~ites …

Here’s to Mo’Bless  …  Less Stress ! 

Recent representative Listener and Alumni Comment Appeals:

RE: WorldOne Radio

WCCUSD Officials,

I am writing in support of the WorldOne Radio programing that has existed on KeCg and hosted by Mr. Mason and El Cerrito High students, for 24+ years. I am personally sad to see it and it’s mission, completely gone. As a long-time resident of El Cerrito and practicing Psychologist, I have been a regular listener for 20 years.  I especially enjoyed the morning Rise and Shine program, which I found to be an inspirational meditative start to my day, helping me hold positive perspectives on both world and human concerns. Mr. Mason’s unique and playful use of language has delighted me for years.

I feel Mr. Mason’s impassioned creative vision of multi-cultural inclusivity, community values, and artful curation of music, to be particularly important in this time of cultural prejudices and political polarization. I am hoping some consideration will be given to finding a way to continue bringing some of his talent, messaging, and student guidance back to KeCg and the students of El Cerrito High. Thank you for your time.  A W, Ph.D.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WCCUSD officials,

I’m a graduate of Madera Elementary School, Korematsu (née Portola) Middle School, and El Cerrito High School (Class of 2014) – more specifically, the Media Academy at ECHS. I’m the second generation of El Cerrito schooling and the son of a WCCUSD teacher in my family, and I am writing in to express support for WorldOne Radio and Mr. Corey Mason (as I refer to him, Mas) and advocate to push back the current plan to change format for KEcG Radio on May 7 until more input is given from the community (with three specific action steps listed below).

Corey Mason was absolutely instrumental in my learning process. I was someone who always wanted to work in media from a young age, and Mas helped to develop and encourage my passion. He has taught me and thousands of other students practical skills in radio production and journalism, as well as life skills and values such as communication, civic education, critical thinking, improvisation, a love for the arts, media literacy, equity and justice, and moving through the world with joy. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and became comfortable playing music from all different genres and places from all over the world. As he would put it, people love peace, eco power, and unity. During my time at WorldOne Radio, I interviewed a Disney Channel/Cartoon Network star on his advocacy for ocean life, raised money for the ECHS Bands program by hosting a radio play-a-thon feat. live music and recorded bits, and hosted a roundtable comversation featuring community members discussing the then proposal to rename Portola Middle School. I learned to hone my voice by hosting my first radio shows, and partnering with him on the daily morning announcements and news. I won two awards from the ROP program and Linked Learning pathways for my work at WorldOne Radio.

My time at KEcG and WorldOne Radio led me to work at KALX (the UC Berkeley radio station), get my first paid work after graduating at KQED Radio, and work on the popular live call-in show Forum w/ Michael Krasny. I used Mr. Mason’s educational principles to guide young high schoolers in San Francisco as they created a podcast speaking to the issues of our current moment and produced my own podcast featuring Asian American artists. My current work in the entertainment industry is framed through a lens of equity and justice that was honed in places like Mr. Mason’s classroom in Room B200 and Studio A.

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I can understand the initial idea to form Gaucho Radio, but the current proposal ignores the decades of service that Mr. Mason has shown to the district, this community, and his students. Mr. Mason has put his all into supporting his students’ work and exposing the community to a vast diversity of music, art, and food. I ask you to proceed with the following steps.

  1. Retain Mr. Mason’s wisdom and 27+ years of experience in a paid, advisory capacity to help shape the future of KEcG Radio. From my experience working with young people as they learn how to use media, it’s so vital that they are guided through the process with great vision and purpose. Youth learning journalism and cultural commentary skills doesn’t happen by accident (nor does ECHS students’ pieces being featured on KQED, NPR, and the NY Times), and Mr. Mason’s presence would greatly assist in this transition without stepping on the toes of the new instructor. We are asking for a smooth transition, not a closed door to an educator who has made this station part of his life’s work (and even saved it when WCCUSD considered selling it over a decade ago).
  2. Consider the continued presence of WorldOne on KecG Radio. Mr. Mason has always been warm and generous and is open to conversations on how to use the WorldOne brand moving forward in big or small ways – there’s no need to be afraid in talking things through with him.
  3. Open up the decision-making process to the public. I have struggled to find any kind of district response or rationale for the transition to Gaucho Radio, let alone a vision beyond “being run and curated by students, with teacher support.” Please see Point 1 for my critique of that vision. At the same time, Mr. Mason has sent numerous proposals to the board on what this transition can look like. Please consider them, as well as opening up community feedback to what the future of our radio station could look like – I can imagine ECHS’s designation as a community school and its funding leading to a district-wide media lab and production center for local news and commentary produced by our students and civic leaders/activists, for example! There is much more out there if we are given the chance to ideate in addition to the Board.

Our community has a long memory, and thankfully, that includes the legacy of what we’ve built. We built a museum at El Cerrito High to remember who and what has come before us as students walk through newly constructed buildings. We are remembered for how we treat the greatest and least of these. Mr. Mason has treated our diverse, creative, powerful community with love, respect, dignity, and celebration. Please treat him the same way he has treated all of us. Thank you for your continued support of media, radio, journalism, and the arts!

Sincerely,

J K     ECHS Class of 2014

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~WCCUSD officials –

I’m writing to express my support for the WorldOne Radio program and Corey Mason and to advocate that you keep him on staff, and maintain the WorldOne program for KECG radio.

I spent my entire life in WCCUSD schooling with both parents working for the district at one point (My father was a grant writer for the district, my mother a conflict mediation coach and dance instructor).  I went to Harding elementary, Portola Middle School and graduated ECHS in 2003.  Since then I have worked in marketing firms for some of the largest brands in the world, started my own business and am currently a VP at a major financial services platform.  The communication lessons, worldly lessons and everything else that Corey and KECG provided were a major part in my success.

Corey and his class taught the ins and outs of how radio, and broader media works – but the lessons we learned in that classroom stretched far beyond media.

His practice and teaching on interview tactics bred confidence, but also taught me tricks to keep a conversation going.  I learned to help someone feel heard, and to prompt and prod to learn more about someone else than they might share alone.  This was crucial for me in climbing the corporate ladder.

His focus on world music, world people and different genres and cultures were a beacon of light where most of my friends group valued misogynistic and violent hip hop.  His class was the first step in my own musical exploration rather than “following the crowd” and listening to whatever was mainstream.

I wrote my college essay on Corey and KECG – which got me into UC Berkeley and began my career.

Don’t cut Corey out of the radio programming at ECHS.  Keep him involved – if not maintaining the WorldOne program and his full ownership, as a paid advisor.  I’m very concerned that the plans for a “student run radio program” would remove the integral lessons that Corey has weaved into his classes and overarchign lessons.

The young adults at ECHS deserve to have him as a guide, mentor and teacher – to rob them of that is a terrible waste.

Sincerely,

J F – C/O 2003

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WorldOne Radio is the jewel in the crown of radio stations.  Shutting this program down is the worst mistake you could make.  If history is any indication, you will replace unique programming—found nowhere else on the radio—with content that appeals to a less diverse audience.  While it is commendable that students are given a voice,  this narrow approach is not, in my opinion, beneficial for the students overall.   WorldOne Radio embodies the experiences and exposure that will help to achieve the goal  of  “enabling “students to make positive life choices, strengthen our community, and successfully participate in a diverse and global society.” a core concept in WCCUSD’s Mission Statement.   Students do not develop in a vacuum.

I accidentally stumbled upon WorldOne while desperately trying to find something on the radio that was even remotely palatable.  My radio has been dialed to 88.1 ever since.

And, speaking of unique, Corey Mason is one-of-a-kind.  Lose him and  you have lost an incalculable treasure.  His knowledge of all genres of music is unparalleled.  Part of the appeal of his program is that you  never know what he will play next…Gregorian Chant back to back with a classical piece.  He has a way of phrasing words and thoughts that make me smile.

Most importantly he brings hope and comfort to his listeners.  He taps into the angst and fear of our times, and comforts those of us who listen to him every day.  Many of his listeners, I will bet, are your students and their parents.

Finally, I know of no other radio station that supports Native American peoples the way this station does.  As someone who treasures these people and their culture and traditions, it is particularly devastating to lose this connection.

If you change this format…Instant Karma’s going to get you.  ( John Lennon)

Please reconsider this disastrous decision.

HC

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I am …. and have been a West Contra Costa County resident since 1986.  I lived in El Cerrito from 1986 – 2018. I am currently 83 years old, and a Tribal Art “Show Dealer” with a specialty in Native American and South Pacific tribal creations.

I became acquainted with Corey Mason after I met him as a volunteer for many years at the WorldOne July 4th Festivals at El Cerrito Vista Park.

I often listened to WorldOne radio, as this station was unique in broadcasting music created by little known artists living in diverse communities around the world. This was a wonderful experience for me, as often there was little opportunity to listen to the sounds, rarely broadcasted that were created by cultures with little opportunity for exposure.

I believe Corey’s educational contributions to Bay Area Radio, El Cerrito students, and our Contra Costa community should continue, so that all in listening distance, can continue to appreciate, and find joy in the world of WorldWide music from WorldOne radio.

J W

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Don’t let them fool ya…
Or even try to school ya! Oh, no!
We’ve got a mind of our own
So go to hell, if what you’re thinking isn’t right..
Love would never leave us alone..
I in the darkness the darkness, ya must come out to light..   (Robert Nesta Marley)

Could You Be Loved  

Older posts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear keCg Radio Escuchas .. 

In consideration of seasonal giving … goodness knows we know how tight , lean or mean econ can be …  please consider, and donate, doin’ what you can do in your tiny canoe to help little keCg on its way… calling all po’lanthopists and philanthropists .

Digital donations can be received through this El Cerrito HS PayPal portal   ( tiny url ) .  YAAY !   If you choose, you may elect a monthly , repeating support option. 

We have a new donation account pathway through ECHS Student Activity Fund: 

Checks payable to :

“El Cerrito Student Activity Fund”

memo line note ( ESSENTIAL )  : “KeCg Public Radio”  

El Cerrito Student Activity Fund

PO Box 2376

El Cerrito, CA  94530

Please feel warmly invited to to contact Corey with any donation/sponsorship queries:    cmason@wccusd.net

Additionally, several innovative listeners have had success in setting up KeCg as a Vendor in their personal bank’s Bill Pay account.
 
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if you find any play apps are squirrely ( Respect ! to actual squirrels!)   ..   here’s a direct link to our radio stream 

Our Thanks to Contra Costa Marketplace for a supportive September 2019 chime + reverb  regarding the importance and value of Student Voice and Community Radio … 

Our glocal chanteuse of “This Pretty Planet”…   

88.1 KeCg 97.7 from El Cerrito High School, is a broadcast service of West Contra Costa Unified School District, since 1978. We have had the privilege of educating, sharing + caring  among our community for several decades across generations …  

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Dear Corey Mason, the entire worldOne radio crew, and WCCUSD School Board,

I am writing this letter to you to express my love, thanks, and absolute gratitude for all that you have done. You know you change lives on a daily basis so I want to share with you how yall have changed my life so significantly.

In 2004 and 2005 I cohosted a radio show on KECG titled “the dose”. We played conscious hip-hop music which is starkly different than rap music I learned. Unlike the messages in mainstream rap music that is fed to us by smart marketing and now data utilization, hip-hop artists speak about poverty, racial discrimination, and other messages to bring awareness and elevate consciousness (I’ve learned this is the theme to all music of/I love). Now 15 years later, I still find your station on heavy rotation in my home, car, and ultimately in my operating room when I am a surgeon.  Instead of the Pandora “today’s hits” station that plays in the majority of Operating Rooms, my OR is filled with KECG and worldOne flavor.  I believe this is superior for patient care and all of the world. One Love!

Not only has my musical taste become finely tuned to love and consciousness predominantly because of KECG, I also truly attribute where I am today with my career to your commitment to student education and opportunity. My experience as a radio show host at KECG has always helped make instant  interpersonal connections, start profound conversations, and truly stick out from the others along the competitive and at times cutthroat interview trail of medical school, residency, and fellowship. During every interview along the way, I was able to shine and get to where I am today because having radio hosting experience is intriguing as a physician-surgeon, right?!

Now as a practicing physician serving Ojai CA as the only ObGyn in the valley, I have a lot of responsibilities as you can imagine.  Not only to patients, myself and all things here now, but also to the next generation of students. Therefore, I made a donation to the station.

Now, I ask that however possible, my prayer is that KECG and worldOne stay so that others can fill the world with the only thing it needs more of…love.

Kayvahn Pierce Steck-Bayat MD

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July 2022

Dear Members of the Board of West Costa Costa School District,

 
I am writing to express my admiration for a school district that supports an important resource for West Contra Costa County students: a radio station! What a wonderful way to provide instruction in responsibility, creativity, and hands-on learning. It helps offset the ongoing defunding of arts in the schools.
 
I am sure that you are aware that arts education is especially helpful in reaching students who are not enthusiastic about subjects such as reading and math. But once engaged in a creative enterprise, their learning capacity and interests turn around.
 
I am also sure you are aware of how often students in public schools are under-resourced (a problem exacerbated, in not created, by wide-spread private and charter school businesses). It’s fantastic that WCCUSD has this resource to provide to its students, and to the community at large!
 
I am much more aware of what is going on in my community and school district because I listen to KCEG. Thank you for keeping it going and glowing!
 
And thank you for taking the time to read my message.
 
Sincerely,
 
Melissa Murphy
El Cerrito, CA

May 2020:

As the year is quickly coming to a close we just want to thank you for being such an inspirational teacher/ mentor/ wise person for (T) and all of your students. You have made great efforts  to engage these young people’s head and hearts. You are such a gifted teacher. We have recommended you for Teacher Of The Year! Regardless of where (T) lands at the end of your class your words and ethics are solidly in his heart. May you have a restful and healthy summer. Many blessings to you and your family.

Cheers,
(M ) and  ( K )

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Our thanks to KQED Youth Takeover 2018-20 for extending their collegial broadcast wings to further amplify  WCCUSD Broadcast Journalism Youth Voices and their perspectives across themes of  Gender Identity, Ethnic Representation,  Depression/Anxiety,  school start times, Health and Well-Being … on and on til the breakadawn.  Contributing 2019 Seniors in ECHS Media Academy here: 

We have two open house events each year to meet and mingle, in November and May. They are a lot of fun, always surprising.

Open Minds + Open Hearts + Open Possibilities + Open House Saturday April 18 11A – 3 P @  …  meet + mingle potluck ..   P O S T P O N E D 

Our public health crisis has all of we watching the calendar .. as thousands of public events and necessarily postponed or cancelled.  Our annual July 3+4 festival is clearly in the concern zone. We’ll be watching all CDC and local advisories.  We anticipate a requisite festival hiatus for this season.  We will seek to constellate the 2020  festival in its full blossom when the time is right.    Practice Prudent Preventatives. Go Easy As You Can. Blessed Be…  ALLAWE.

540 Ashbury Ave.  El Cerrito, CA  El Cerrito HS + Performing Arts Center

easy free parking, curb your wheels,  wheelchair accessible, ramps from Eureka Street

BTW .. if you love it .. commend and recommend it, friend it, donate, and vote for it !! 

https://myfundingpal.com/kecg  

 
Since 1995, in association with SF Bay Inner Bay Rim Public Radio 88.1 keCg  97.7, West Contra Costa Unified School District … a small and precious Public Radio resource, KeCg, was founded.  It began with a dedicated team of Educators and Community members in the mid-seventies and was founded by Elmer Peterson and John Tietjen (before “video killed the radio star” / The Buggles). KeCg is FCC-licensed to El Cerrito High School (de facto Board is WCCUSD School Board), with two concentric (Venn-like) signals on the East Bay Rim, transmitting from FM perches in El Cerrito ( Stadium) and San Pablo Ridge.

Girls Inc of Contra Costa  Tiffany + Youth Crew Rockin la Casa above … ViBZiNitUP with film maker Joshua Bee Alafia below  ..

All the while, KeCg has educated generations of young aspiring broadcasters at ECHS and Kennedy High Schools, interested and passionate in the palette of skills and career pathways related to Broadcast Journalism and naturally, appreciating and sharing music! We are Grateful for additional guidance and support of Contra Costa County Office of Education/ Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) , and California Partnership Academies/ WCCUSD Career Technical Ed, College and Career Readiness. Here, connecting our dots with The UC Theatre Interns. 

KQED Youth Takeover inaugural adventure in 2018 invited collaboration with 11 Bay Area High Schools. El Cerrito and Richmond High Schools ( Respect ! Maya Kosover-Teacher-Who-Roxit ) were selected among these.  Students produced their  own pieces for Youth Takeover Week, broadcast and blogged by KQED.  We extend our thanks and Appreciation to  KQED YT Team : Ariana, Chanele, Randy, Joanna, Sasha, Randy,  and Rachel, and to the  KQED  studio production staff who welcomed and supported our Youth Journalists on-site at KQED Mariposa St. San Francisco, and all the way to live theatrical presentation at BRAVA Theater  …  a potent demonstration of the imperative to Support ALL  Public Spirited Media and Youth Voice ! RESPECT ! Chanelle + YT Team !   

worldOneradio was invited to join keCg in 1995, celebrating 22 years of broadcast September 2017. 

worldOneradio was founded in 1995 (via cassette tape submission) and while casting around country-wide and internationally, invited to contribute programming to WCCUSD Public Radio 88.1 keCg 97.7 FM by Mr. Philip Morgan. Inaugural keCg broadcast was on the date September 11, 1995. We express our Appreciation and Respect for the contributions of Mr. Morgan.  Hayward/Oakland-based MORE Public Radio, Prentice + Jeannie Woods were long-time collaborators of keCg, as was KLON Jazz. Since the 70’s keCg has been evolving and surviving the vagaries of economic/political times and tides, benefiting from many blessings, or recuperating from and avoiding disaster, and otherwise thriving musiculturally, and doing what we can do in our tiny canoe to benefit and amplify goodness in our communities of service.  

 

The inaugural worldOne festival followed naturally in 1998 though collaboration with El Cerrito Rotary and then directly with the City of El Cerrito.  worldOne has organically grown from programming weekday afternoons 4-9 pm, to become the multicultural, eclectic, glocal programming theme of Public Radio keCg. We’re grateful for all the help and guidance of educational agencies, volunteers and like-minded direct listener supporters and sponsors.

You are the Public in Public Radio   …  Public RadiYOU!  Your direct listener support is a vital part of our sustainability. We seem to never miss the water til its gone .. let’s not miss the keCg worldOne musicultral waters!

Season giving … goodness knows we know how tight , lean or mean econ can be …  please consider, and donate, doin what you can do in your tiny canoe to help little keCg on its way… calling all po’lanthopists and philanthropists . My Funding Pal is no more, alas. 

We have to rely on direct listener donations through ECHS SAF ( scroll upupup) until District figures out an additional acceptable digital portal ( sorry for any arrgh) .

Please feel warmly invited to to contact Corey with any donation/sponsorship queries: cmason@wccusd.net

Support KeCg! throughout the rolling year, lister direct support is vital !  

We Are the Public in Public Radio + freely presented Community Festival.

Stoke! our seasonal fundraisers to help directly support KeCg, and help seed the next festival cycle. 

keCg is a radio drum parupapumpum that brings the Good Spirits to Protect You ..  

KeCg is located inside El Cerrito High School and Performing Arts Center, 540 Ashbury Ave, Suite B200, El Cerrito, CA 94530.
Street parking on Eureka. Ramp entry from Eureka.  Healthful potluck savories and sweet YUMM warmly welcomed!      

Thanks ALL Double RainBrros + Sinthesisters, who brought their SHiNE, managed to dew drop inn on in recent months including: Richard ( Live sitar session) , Jennifer + Kurt, JPSR Mary Yusef +Zara, Theressa and Liz, Chas, Andy, Lily, Mary( Point Richmond), David Lay, Cloud + Laura, Bob,  Damo + Mika, One Feather +  Eric, Joel, Nateji, Jonas, Stephanie Wild Girl, Robert, Eileen H, 3AMChrisB, Michelle+Alton, RichardO,  DjIAMSDAMIAM, EdPhones, John, Daniel, Laura+ Cassie, Coleen + Rodrigo, Kimmie, Randy, Jose , Ramon, Charlotte, Betty, Helen, Vince + Laura, Esther and MatinaBella, Dr. Lisa, Joel+Grace, Kate+Emerson+Hayden+Brooks, Tom + Janet, Jim, Nilda, Deborah .. our thanks Valerie at The Vestibule for sonic tonic liaison, to Tony Redhouse for the favor and Gift of of his live performance.. a Soul Blessing Indeed  !               

 Go ! Public Radio KeCg ! GO ! WCCUSD !  GO ! CTE !  

Love’s in need of love today – send yours in right away …