KCPR has been a lifeline 

KCPR is an important community resource, and deserves to stay unsold and on the air—preferably untouched by what seems to be an overly excitable and prudish administration at the university (“Mixed signals,” July 31). I did not attend Cal Poly, but as an aspiring musician growing up in San Luis Obispo County, KCPR was a lifeline for me.

KCPR was the only place where I could discover truly underground music and expression, unfiltered by the commercial interests of corporate radio. The fun, inviting atmosphere of KCPR is instrumental in bringing much-needed culture to SLO in the form of great all-ages shows, events, and on-air performances. We must not let KCPR go the way of KUSF, which was recently sold in a moneygrab by USF administrators, leaving a palpable void in the music scene of San Francisco.

It’s no coincidence that in this issue of New Times, the featured musical offering is a karaoke contest at a bar. Music and youth culture are in a desperate state in San Luis Obispo County. This non-scandal should be seen for what it is, which is an excuse to push toward the sale of the station and ridding Cal Poly of a vital resource for student and community expression.

-- Dylan Travis - Los Osos