KUSF Fans Rally

Supporters of college radio station KUSF rallied today in front of City Hall, a prelude to what they hope will be some action on the issue by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors at its meeting today.

The Snitch reports that Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi has pledged to introduce a resolution "in support of the volunteers who are trying to keep 90.3 FM a community radio station."

The University of San Francisco sold its KUSF license last week as part of a complicated series of transactions affecting four stations in the Bay Area radio market. The free form student-run station is no longer on the air.

"I wish we could do more," Mirkarimi told The Snitch. "This is another corporate slam against public access radio. It's a tragedy for USF to not consult the community and give it a chance to save the station before they sold it off."

(Watch the Board of Supervisors meeting live.)

A lot of community support for the station certainly exists. From the Bay Citizen today:

...The volunteers who make up the bulk of KUSF's operation — some of whom, like David Pang of Chinese Star Radio, have been working for almost two decades or more — have decided to fight....

The Save KUSF Facebook page, for what it's worth, has 6,300 fans and counting.

Among local musicians and artists (including cartoonist Keith Knight) who have lent their support to KUSF is Aaron Peskin, chair of the SF Democratic Party, who says the party could take a position as soon as tomorrow night. "I'm amongst the thousands of voices who are concerned over the takeover of the station," he said. As an occasional listener ("when I'm in a car") he said he wanted to "do right by KUSF."

• KUSF cartoon from The K Chronicles