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KUSC
Los Angeles, California;
Broadcast area	Southern California
Frequency	91.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	Classical California™ KUSC
Programming
Format	Classical music
Ownership
Owner	University of Southern California
History
First air date	October 24, 1946; 78 years ago
Call sign meaning	University of Southern California
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	69318
Class	B
ERP	39,000 watts (directional antenna)
HAAT	891 meters (2,923 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	34°12′48″N 118°03′41″W / 34.21333°N 118.06139°W
Repeater(s)	See § Transmitter network
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen live
Website	kusc.org

KUSC (91.5 FM; "Classical California™ KUSC") is a listener-supported classical music radio station broadcasting from downtown Los Angeles, California, United States.^[2] KUSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California, which also operates student-run Internet station KXSC (AM) and San Francisco's classical station KDFC. It is the largest non-profit classical music station in the country.

History

The station was one of the first radio stations to operate on the FM band when it officially signed on using the frequency of 91.7 on December 5, 1946.^[3] Its primary benefactor was George Allan Hancock. It operated out the Hancock Foundation building on the USC campus and broadcast from a 250 foot tower above the building.^[4]

In the 1970s the station adopted a general public radio format. On April 2, 1973 new station manager Wally Smith oversaw the return to the all classical station. In 1976 the station's transmitter was placed on Lookout Mountain (34°06′34″N 118°23′26″W / 34.109444°N 118.390556°W / 34.109444; -118.390556)^[5] in Laurel Canyon, above Hollywood. In 1993 a tower was erected on Mount Harvard near Mount Wilson.^[6] In 1996 Smith left the station after changing the format to talk, classical, jazz, folk and world music (he would go on to develop WPBB).

In 2010 it moved its broadcast studio to the USC Building in downtown Los Angeles.^[4]

In February 2014, public radio station KCRW of Santa Monica announced that it would buy the Santa Barbara Foundation's classical station KDB (FM) 93.7 in Santa Barbara for $1 million.^[7] The transaction will allow KCRW to begin using KQSC, USC's current repeater station in Santa Barbara, as a repeater for KCRW's programming, while transferring KUSC's classical programming from KQSC to KDB, thus perpetuating KDB's role as Santa Barbara's classical station. The legacy KDB call letters have been retained. As of 2022, the radio station rebranded; therefore the new name for the channel is Classical California KUSC.

Programming

Notable local programming includes:^[8]

Jennifer Miller Hammel and Alan Chapman’s weekday morning shows;
Brian Lauritzen weekday afternoon program;
Lara Downes’ weekday evening show;
Jennifer Miller Hammel's Sunday opera show,
Alan Chapman’ Saturday night program “Modern Times”.
Brian Lauritzen’s Sunday morning program “A Joyful Noise”.
Alan Chapman’s baroque program "A Musical Offering, heard Sundays from 9-11 am.
Weekend afternoon hosts currently include Dianne Nicolini, Rich Capparela, and Brisa Segal.
The overnight program Classical California All Night is hosted by John Van Driel "Tuesday-Thursday", Brissa Segal "Friday and Saturday" and Suraj Partha "Sunday and Monday”. It is shared with KDFC In San Francisco.
Metropolitan Opera broadcasts: These are full-length productions that take place each Saturday morning from December through May.
Featured performances from the LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl and other notable orchestra halls.

Management helped establish the nationwide Classical 24 network and also supervised Virginia's WMRA network before taking up leadership at KUSC.

The station holds three pledge drive periods annually to help support operational costs, each occurring in a ten day period.

Station network throughout Southern California

Call sign	Frequency	City of license	Facility ID	ERP (W)
KUSC	91.5 FM	Los Angeles	69318	39,000
KESC	99.7 FM	Morro Bay	58653	285
KPSC	88.5 FM	Palm Springs	69394	1,600
KDB	93.7 FM	Santa Barbara	51169	12,500
KDSC^[a]	91.1 FM	Thousand Oaks	69116	4,800

Notes:

^ KDSC is non-directional (fcc.gov). Coverage pattern is not circular due to mountains to the NE which block line-of-sight FM transmissions. Any interference with the 91.1 (XETRA-FM) in Mexico goes both ways and is caused by a phenomenon called 'ducting'. Ducting occurs most often along coastal areas, particularly during spring and fall when temperature inversions occur. Ducting causes VHF signals to travel farther than normal. All VHF signals experience periodic interference from this phenomenon. (FM is in the VHF band just above TV channel 6.)