About KSDT

KSDT, UCSD's "fiercely independent" radio station, is managed and operated completely by students, and is broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over the internet with streaming mp3 audio. This means you can play it right over your winamp or itunes just like a regular mp3 file. During most listening hours there is a show on, but if you tune in between shows you can hear "satan," our cd-chanager with recordings of various KSDT shows (so really you can always listen to a show 24/7). We have existed as a station since 1967, and have always been strictly independent; although it has been difficult to stay that way at times, we have been able to stick to it. So you can always count on us for an alternative to mainstream radio stations and Mtv. If you are looking for some new music and are sick of what the media is trying to feed you, just tune in and hear what we have to offer. In addition to broadcasting radio shows, we also have a studio in which bands can come practice, record a demo, or even play live on the air. We plan on having several bands play live this quarter, and even have one show with a different live band playing each week. KSDT also sponsers shows on campus, at the Che Cafe concert venue, and we are trying to set up shows at price center as well. These shows are usually free, their purpose being to expose bands and the station and get the music out there for people to hear and see. We are always doing ticket giveaways to various San Diego shows at venues like The Casbah, The Epicentre, Canes, The Scene and sometimes even to Orange County or LA shows. Listen to shows with music you like and you just might win a pair of tickets to a sold out show!

Contact information can be found on the main site "about ksdt" section.

A bit about our music policy by music director Kaitlyn Means:

KSDT welcomes involvement from anyone who's into music, but it's not for everyone. We here at KSDT like to promote learning about independent artists and encourage our DJ's to learn about new bands they may not have heard of yet. As such, we have a very strict music policy regarding mainstream popular artists and artists on major labels. Within KSDT, the debate is still raging over what is and is not acceptable, and no set guidelines have been laid out, and we obviously can't offer a comprehensive list of what is or isn't permissible, but I'll do my best.

-Nothing that is in regular rotation on mainstream radio stations, particularly in San Diego, such as 91X and 92.1.

This means no blink 182, Unwritten Law, Dashboard Confessional, Alkaline Trio, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, etc. Obviously, the list goes on and on. If you don't listen to those stations and don't know what's okay to play, ask a Music Director.

-No artists on major labels such as Sire, Sony, Colombia, Interscope, etc

This is not strictly enforced. Our old music policy was basically to play nothing on major labels, but has become outdated as independent labels are being bought out at a much higher rate and are using major label distribution anyway. Basically, the major label policy isn't really valid, but is a good point of reference if you are not sure whether a band is okay or not. Of course, before you bring any CDs from home you have to clear them with a Music Director anyway. Tons of great bands that we play are on major labels, like And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Stereolab, Spiritualized, etc.

-Ask a Music Director

This is pretty self-explanatory. Within the hierarchy that is KSDT, we have many director positions and two paid Manager positions. Some of the directors also get paid, and Music Directors are one of them. Therefore, they are at your beck and call all hours of the day, just an email away. If you have any questions on the music policy, want to DJ and are wondering if certain artists are okay to play, or want your band to be played on the radio, email our resident friendly music directors and they will reply promptly. Music directors can also do trainings and apprenticeships and forward any questions to the appropriate directors if you don't know who to ask. KSDT's current music directors are Matt Test (mstest@ucsd.edu) and Kaitlyn Means (kmeans@ucsd.edu). Email them with specific questions, or you can come in during office hours (posted inside KSDT) or make an appointment.

KSDT plays a wide variety of music, ranging from hip hop and electronica to indie rock or jazz. We welcome people interested in all genres and have lots of space in our spring schedule to fill up! Stop by anytime to hang out and listen to music, nap on a couch, and look at cool stuff. We also will be featuring live in-studio performances during this quarter and promoting shows on-campus.

Commentary about our music policy by Pete Bejarano (taken from website forums):

As the old liberal around these parts; let me tell you a story.

I grew up in my high school years getting into extreme metal, but not knowing where to turn for hearing new bands without wasting money buying CD's that sucked or getting kicked out of underground record stores for being in the listening stations for gargantuan hunks of time. A friend, who had a brother who could drive, was able to go up into the mountains and get KSPC's signal on a handheld tape recorder/radio. He made tapes and a group of about 40 kids in our area learned about music through listening to indie radio that dared play what normal people didn't even know existed. That's a powerful image, in a way. Some kid standing on a mountain holding up a tape recorder trying to get a good signal, and spreading that show to a bunch of kids hungry for music they couldn't get any other way.

Specialization is a good thing, in my opinion. There are sooooo many wanna-be radio stations out there, as well as things like MTV2, that try to flirt with indie music and corporate rock. How many purely indie radio stations do you know of in any given area? LA's amazing NPR indie show, called "Morning Becomes Ecclectic," plays Beck and Radiohead alongside Death Cab For Cutie and the Chicago Underground Quartet. There are so many purely commercial venues out there for music. How many purely indie stations? There's only one in San Diego that I know of: KSDT.

the station:

After complaining about our station's appearance for who knows how long, we finally decided we needed to fix it up, so we had a cleaning party, bought some paint, and put Jared and Kip to work. Now the station is on its way to looking super spiffy, so stop by and check it out!

Our prized posession at the station is our classic "Gyruss" video game. It provides endless hours of free entertainment for the staff, as well as competetion and occassional fighting. This game is also popular with bands coming to play live on KSDT, it's our secret weapon for keeping bands happy to play in our ghetto little studio (which will look better very soon along with the rest of the station).

We used to have to sit on the ground at meetings for fear of being stabbed by a runaway spring on our old couch, but then we got a brand new fancy shmancy orange plaid couch - it's soo comfy! Feel free to stop by and chill on it anytime.