Programming slaughter at KCSN

Longtime music spinner Chuck Taggart blogs that his Louisiana-centric roots music show was dropped after 10 years on the Cal State Northridge FM station — and that every other live weeknight show on KCSN was cancelled as well. An automated music rotation will play through the night from 6:30 pm to 6 am, Taggart says.

Sadly, the dean seems concerned only with bottom line income of the station. KCSN had the smallest listenership of any L.A. public radio station due to its weak signal and limited broadcast range, but still made a relatively good amount of money per listener and was named "Best University-Supported Radio Station" by Los Angeles Magazine in 2006. Yet the dean apparently had no idea that the station's signal was only 370 watts with limited coverage, while complaining to our former Program Director that we weren't making the money of KCRW or KUSC.

Not long after that, the station's internet stream was shut down, and the P.D. was given early retirement. The handwriting has been on the wall for quite a while.

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So unfortunate, and so unnecessary.

Meanwhile, KCSN will retain its classical programming from 6:00am until 6:00pm on weekdays , and during the school term will continue to broadcast the student-produced "Evening Update" news program. However, evening and overnight programming will now be on automation with no live DJs, in an "Adult Acoustic Alternative," or AAA format, which will run from 6:30pm until 6:00am. "Students from the University's Music Industry Studies program will assist in identifying new artists to showcase," we were told.

Michael Schneider's Hawaiian music show also goes off the air after 4-plus years, as he blogs at Franklin Avenue.