In celebration of KCR College Radio’s 50th anniversary, multiple KCR and San Diego State alumni were featured as guest speakers at the station’s Alumni Media Day on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Organized by KCR alumni Dave Drexler, the event took pace in Montezuma Hall. The speakers participated in open discussion panels that provided advice to current students potentially seeking future careers in the media.
Scott Riggs, who worked with KCR as a student from 1992 to 1997, said his experience with at the radio station helped launch his career on the airwaves.
“KCR kind of helped set my current career, what it is today,” Riggs said. “It inspired me to want to be in media and play music and be around different types of media.”
Riggs said he hoped his advice to current KCR members helps them have a professional’s perspective of the state of radio but also helps them get a better idea of how to jump into a career in the media.
“I would love to give back and help younger people if they are interested in the same type of career,” he said. “I hope they get an understanding on how to start. Maybe how hard it is, but also not to give up if that’s what they really want to do.”
Ken Kramer, one of the founders of KCR, said part of the inspiration behind launching the station was to give students practical experience in radio broadcasting.
“We felt that while KPBS was beginning to head in the direction of public broadcasting that is a community-oriented public radio station, that there needed to be practical broadcast experience for the students,” Kramer said.
Kramer said he was impressed at how KCR has evolved since its conception.
“I’m just dazzled at how this has grown, how many people have come through here, how much of an impact it’s had on the lives of so many students and I’m really proud of that,” he said.
Kramer said he hopes his message can inspire students to pursue careers in broadcast media.
“That they feel inspired and motivated and maybe given a little emotional push to actually do it,” he said.
KCR General Manager Ahmad Dixon said the event was a good way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the student organization.
“You want to do something at least special to remember such an occasion that only happens once,” Dixon said. “I just wanted KCR members to have knowledge they wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s KCR’s 50th anniversary, so we decided to invite some people back to see the studio and also do this really fun panel discussion.”
Dixon, an interdisciplinary studies senior, said the different perspectives from KCR alumni were able to help current KCR members understand working as a media professional.
“KCR is such a specific thing to do in college and in life,” Dixon said. “So it’s really nice to have perspective about larger implications of what it means to be in the media.”
