KCBX bids supes fond farewell 

Citing a drop in ratings, management for the local public radio station KCBX FM has officially pulled the plug on the regular San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meetings.

Following decades of routine coverage, the regular Dec. 18 board meeting was the last to be aired on the station, after years of declining public interest.

As of press time, no plans had been made to air the meetings on any other station, but they will continue to be aired on public access Channel 20, as well as on the county website: slocounty.ca.gov/bos/bosagenda.htm.

According to KCBX’s general manager, Frank Lanzone, the decision was made based on years of listener input, much research, and evaluation.

“It is our judgment that the KCBX schedule has needed refreshing and a realignment because of the way people’s listening habits are changing in this ever-fragmenting media landscape,” Lanzone wrote in an e-mail to New Times. “This is a difficult decision because we know how much some listeners value certain programming.”

Though the meetings will no longer be broadcast, the station will continue to provide agenda information prior to meetings, and plans to “ramp-up” local news coverage.

He added that the station is also redoing its schedule; long-standing classical music programming will move from afternoons to evening.

“In sum, our decision was made with the objective of serving KCBX’s entire listening area as effectively as possible. We are discussing with the county more effective ways to use radio to present various issues of interest, related to local government,” Lanzone wrote. “As always, KCBX is striving to meet the needs of the community it serves.”