Here’s another photo from our files. This one shows what appears to be the old news booth at what was then called Radio KAL. Back in the day (this photo is marked 1967) the station broadcast at a mere 10 watts.Today, it’s known as KALX and the signal is a more respectable 500 watts. For our “Soundtrack of Berkeley” issue, we sent former Creem editor and Cal alum Jaan Uhelszki to report on the considerable influence the station has had–not only on the musical tastes of its listeners and the careers of the artists it plays, but also on the lives of the volunteers who have kept the station humming all these years. Read “Off the Charts,” starting on page 36 of the Summer 2011 issue. (Photo: Dennis Galloway)
Radio Days
Related Articles

Off the Charts
How the forced eclecticism of KALX has forged a culture KALX, Berkeley’s campus radio station, broadcasts from a subterranean redoubt in the basement of Barrows Hall, in what used to be the business school’s career counseling center. These days, there is no number on the door, just a sentry window and a keypad on the wall. The […]

Maker’s Mark: The KALX Origin Story
The radio station we now call KALX began life as an oddity in the basement of Ehrman Hall, a dormitory on Dwight Way. It had at its disposal a collection of records, mostly classical, a couple mics, a cheap recorder, and a Corina cigar box containing the most basic of mixing boards. The year was […]

From the Lair to the Comedy Circuit
Failure can be inspirational. Have you ever seen someone suck so bad at something that they inspire you to give it a shot? That’s how my standup comedy career began. About 15 years ago, I was sitting at the Bear’s Lair, enjoying a beer and watching a nationwide standup competition. But I soon realized the word […]