When it comes to Malibu finally getting its one and only radio station off the ground, it seems there is always good news and bad news.
The good news is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the license application for KBU 97.5 to go on the air in western Malibu. The bad news is that the FCC decision that 27-mile long Malibu would need to apply for two separate radio licenses — one for eastern Malibu and one for western Malibu — complicated things.
Unfortunately, the FCC has denied the radio broadcast application for KBU 107.9 in eastern Malibu. Radio station General Manager Hans Laetz, who has separate Boards of Directors for eastern and western Malibu, said in a phone interview with The Malibu Times that he was “very sad” about the denial. “Three lawyers worked for a week on the appeal,” he said, but it was still denied.
“The reason it was denied was because we made a filing error on our articles of incorporation,” Laetz explained. The articles of incorporation are the primary rules governing the management of a corporation in the United States, which are filed with the California Secretary of State. Eastern Malibu’s application was denied even though there were no technical waivers and no competing party, and, according to Laetz, “even though we followed the form given to us by the California Secretary of State.”
Even though a separate radio license for eastern Malibu has been denied, Laetz is already in the process of regrouping and figuring out how to boost the existing signal as far east as possible. He has a list of three possible plans to present to his Boards of Directors.
“I think we can fill in some of the [areas of Malibu that can’t get reception of KBU], and I’m optimistic that within six months, we’ll have a good, clean signal from Billionaire’s Beach (Carbon Beach) to Decker Canyon,” Laetz said. “Boosting the signal may require building some of the equipment ourselves, as well as additional fundraising and community support.”
Laetz says the station currently “comes in strong from Trancas to Geoffrey’s, with some signal near Bluffs Park and even further east, like at Billionaire’s Beach. Our planned boosters should fill in holes at Trancas, Latigo Shores, Civic Center and the pier area.”
But, no matter how weak or strong the radio signal, anyone can listen to the station on any computer or cell phone at radiomalibu.net.
In the meantime, there’s been no slowing down when it comes to programming a full slate of music by local DJs, as well as news. Laetz pointed out that they’re still only 40 percent full, so there’s still room for “lots more DJs and shows.” It’s radio by and for the Malibu community, even though KBU is developing a worldwide following via Internet streaming. The Malibu Boys & Girls Club is sending students to learn how to do radio shows from computers at home.
Laetz said there are 75 minutes of local news per day “at various times,” including the “California Report” at the top of the hour in the mornings, which comes from KQED public radio news from San Francisco — the nation’s highest-rated NPR station — and “Democracy Now!” a daily independent news program that airs weeknights at 5 p.m.
KBU has gone into an all-news format three times for brushfires and PCH crash closures. When necessary, Laetz drops the music and repeats traffic information so that Malibu motorists can know if roads are closed.
From midnight to 6 a.m., the station simulcasts “great music programming from another station — KX93.5 in Laguna Beach. During daytimes and evenings/nights not otherwise programmed, they play more rock than KROQ and more alt-rock than Alt 98.7,” Laetz said.
KBU currently has 11 volunteer music programmers — some for every day of the week. Programs are usually listed on KBU’s website. The station runs on donations only; it is ad free, although limited underwriting announcements will begin soon.