Episode overview
KCSM 91.1 FM has been a lifeline for Bay Area jazz for six decades. Station Manager Dr. Robert Franklin joins Steve to talk about the station’s live-curated sound, its massive library and preservation work, and the new documentary celebrating KCSM’s history and community impact.
Dr. Robert “Bob” Franklin — Station Manager, KCSM 91.1 FM; Executive Producer of KCSM: 60 Years of Broadcasting and Jazz.
KCSM is one of the nation’s last full-time jazz stations. Its curator-driven programming, archival footprint, and education mission make it a cornerstone of Bay Area music culture.
· How KCSM’s “live curator” model builds a real-time bond with listeners.
· Inside the library: scope, preservation, and digitization efforts.
· The documentary’s purpose—putting faces to the voices and placing KCSM within Bay Area cultural history.
· Student pathways via College of San Mateo and Studio 91.
· KCSM’s community compact: listener support, local artist visibility, and freedom on the air.
· What “keeping jazz alive on Bay Area radio” looks like over the next decade.
Host & Producer: Steve Roby
Show: Backstage Bay Area
Contact: backstagebayarea.com
Screening Information
Event: KCSM: 60 Years of Broadcasting and Jazz (documentary screening)
Venue: Alameda Cinema, 2317 Central Ave., Alameda
Date & Time: Friday, November 1, 2:00 PM
Extras: Post-film reception with refreshments; live DJ set by KCSM’s Harry Duncan; tours of the California Historical Radio Society’s vintage radios, historic studios, and hands-on broadcasting exhibits.
Tickets & info: https://californiahistoricalradio.com/event/kcsm-documentary-screening-at-alameda-theater/
Listen & support KCSM: https://www.kcsm.org