A couple weeks ago I emailed 89.3 KVPR just to ask about an unusual programming decision. they did not respond. In all fairness they may have taken it as mockery. At night, Valley Public Radio airs ocean sounds. So far as I know, they are the only station in America that does so. That makes it obscure trivia, even maybe arcane trivia.What I wanted to know was when they began the practice. It's expensive to broadcast 24/7. many stations run caned music at night, take Jones satellite feeds or even shut down for a few hours. Uniquely in Fresno, KVPR stays on air broadcasting soothing nature sounds of the beach, waves and seagulls. They run a loop from about midnight to 3:00 AM Monday through Friday and midnight to 5:00 AM on weekends. It's also worth saying they simulcast on 89.1 KPRX Bakersfield.
So, open questions:
1. How long have they run this programming?
2. Who started the tradition?
3. Does any other station do something similar?
Posts
This reminded me of a failed radio station in the UK called OneWord. It closed down recently, and was replaced by a continuous loop of 25 minutes of birdsong...the ratings sky-rocketed! Full story:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/3324236/Birdsong-proves-popular-on-radio.html
Ocean Sounds date from at least 1986 - see this thread from Usenet in 2000: http://groups.google.com/group/ba.broadcast/browse_thread/thread/7d8a4e59bdd9d9a2/f5c89459b4c9d00b?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&q=kvpr+ocean+sounds&pli=1
ReplyDeletethat is excellent. KCEA is just on the other side of the mountains too. I am more curious now to know if there is a connection.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia 89.1 KCEA also has broadcast ocean sounds at night "Cockran, who was also a student of the high school at the time, came up with the idea of broadcasting a recording he made of the ocean at night. The status gained national fame for "trying to put listeners to sleep" with the sounds of the sea. Newspapers around the world picked up the story, including the Stars and Stripes, the Washington Post and several local papers. The station's staff were also interviewed on several morning tv programs including Good Morning America."
ReplyDeleteJust catching up on my reading...lol.
ReplyDeleteFor about six months or so in the mid-70s then-WWMM/Arlington Heights, IL 92.7 experminted with ocean sounds starting at 11pm...around 4am it was birds chirping until 6am. I think all of it came of the "Environment" series of albums released on Atlantic.