KXFM management changes, but the music plays on at Laguna’s independent radio station
By Theresa Keegan
Leave it to Laguna Beach to have its own radio station, built upon a dream and with programing as eclectic as the community.
“This station is one in a million,” said General Manager Alyssa Hayek. “To be part of something that is not commercial allows creativity to flow and gives people a voice.” It’s a rare opportunity.
Of the 30,367 total broadcast outlets in the country, only 3,989 are nonprofit FM stations. Most are affiliated with colleges and educational endeavors but few have a goal as ambitious as KXFM: “Enriching our listeners with the discovery of alternative music, views and culture that elevates Laguna Beach on a global scale.”
The far-reaching mission statement is a mature version of what founder Tyler Russell McCusker envisioned when he began developing the station with his father in 2010.
“I just wanted to play cool music that would resonate with the town – and feature volunteers,” he recalled. It was a desire manifested after his experience as a young DJ working evenings at a rock station in Palm Springs. “I didn’t have a lot of freedom. I couldn’t interact with listeners, couldn’t deviate from the play list,” he added. “Commercialization had sucked the soul out of radio.”
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Photo by Theresa Keegan
Alyssa Hayek, the new general manager of KXFM, is seen in the office. She previously was the station’s music director after working in radio in New Jersey.
Rather than give up on his profession, McCusker investigated establishing a nonprofit radio station in Laguna Beach, where his parents had recently moved. One great advantage at the time, well before streaming, was that the topography of Laguna blocked most mainstream radio stations from the community. When he discovered in 2012 that Laguna Niguel had an available frequency, and it could be moved 5.6 kilometers, KXFM came to life in Laguna Beach. When a more powerful frequency became available in early 2020, the station moved to its current airwave at 104.7 FM. The broadcasting antenna is strategically located – adhering to all FCC and city regulations – atop the station building on Pearl Street.
McCusker is the first to acknowledge he had no idea what was involved with running a business, much less a radio station when he began this endeavor. But he adds he now knows more than he ever wanted to about FCC regulations, city zoning, insurance and business development plans.
“There was not any training that I could have had that would have prepared me for all of it,” he said. But somehow for the past 10 years, KXFM has been running continuously. And with the nonprofit on stable footing, a $300,000 annual budget, loyal sponsors and strong community support, McCusker decided it was time to step aside.
“I felt I had reached the ceiling of what I could bring to the table,” he said. “And a new set of ears and eyes would be of best service for the future.”
Courtesy of Tyler Russell McCusker
Tyler Russell McCusker will no longer be in the Pearl Street studio at KXFM. His new endeavor involves podcast publishing.
In April 2021, the transition began when Hayek was promoted from music director to general manager, intern Erika Delamare became music director and in December, McCusker fully stepped away from the station’s operations, although he still is around to advise on things.
“A lot of things are moving forward,” said Hayek. “The transition has been a dream and to be in the next phase of this station is amazing.”
With more than 16 years of radio experience, many in commercial radio, Hayek warmly embraces the creativity of the independent station. The many voices that the “amazing and wonderful” volunteers represent means that on-air content reflects diverse aspects of the community, as well as different music genres.
“The volunteers host shows starting at 4 p.m. and on Saturday and Sundays,” said Hayek. “They curate their own shows and their passion for radio is evident.” Ed Steinfeld hosts the morning show and Hayek, in addition to being general manager, is the afternoon host.
“We really want to keep listeners informed about the arts groups and the nonprofits,” she said. “Laguna Beach is unique in the way it embraces the arts. We keep the pulse on different organizations, and we’re always making different connections with groups in town.”
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Photo by Theresa Keegan
Alyssa Hayek, general manager (right, and Erika Delamare, music director, review scheduling plans at the radio station’s office on Pearl Street
The one ground rule of what won’t be aired on KXFM is politics.
“We stay out of political talk,” Hayek declared. McCusker says navigating public opinion and strong influential forces was one of the toughest things he learned in running the station.
“It’s hard to toe the line and Laguna has some pretty disparate groups,” he said. “There are so many opinions in and out of the radio station…doing business with the political and social elements in town was the biggest challenge I had to step up to.”
But the station seems to have withstood the challenges and now garners 35,000 unique listeners each month. It showcases new as well as local musicians and includes shows such as “Guitar Gods Power Hour,” “Reggae Running,” “Laguna Tropical Surf” and even “School’s Out,” with Gavin O’Neill, which gives Laguna Beach students a voice on air.
The Wednesday afternoon show has come a long way since its initial airing when O’Neill, now a 16-year-old sophomore at LBHS, had just finished radio camp and was so unsure of the equipment he had others loading the music and handling the soundboard.
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Photo by Erika Delamare
Gavin O’Neill, 16 and a sophomore at LBHS, is the host of KXFM’s “School’s Out” program, which airs Wednesday afternoons
“I think the toughest thing about doing a live show is keeping things fresh and not totally repeating myself every time I talk,” he explained. “It really isn’t that hard, but sometimes I catch myself repeating things during talk breaks.” Most of the work for his show occurs before he even enters the studio, when he puts together his playlist based on a specific theme.
“Generally it’s a super fun thing to do and I love listening through new and old songs each week for the show.” He’s had bands reach out asking him to feature their music and prior to COVID friends would sometimes host with him in the Pearl Street studio. “They always loved doing that. But (we) haven’t done that in a while though.”
The skills he’s learned from hosting the show go well beyond loading the music and handling the soundboard. “The communication and public speaking skills I gained from doing the show have definitely helped me be more open and out there in general. I’m not 100 percent sure what I want to do later in life, but I’m glad I have the option to do radio if I chose to pursue it.”
Hayek is determined that voices like O’Neill’s and all the volunteers, as well as independent music, will continue to ring out through Laguna via KXFM.
“Running a nonprofit is a challenge,” she said. “But we’re set up for success.”
And McCusker is taking many lessons from KXFM with him into his new endeavor with a podcast publishing company. The most important one? Humility.
“I went into this with a ‘guns a-blazing’ kind of attitude, that I can do anything,” he recalled. “And then I realized you have to ask for help, seek out people who are better than you. In the beginning it was me, me, me but in the end it’s the least about me as possible. It’s about the station.”
For more information on KXFM, tune in at 104.7 FM or visit their website at www.kxfmradio.org.
