KUSC

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title: "KUSC" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-of-the-university-of-southern-california", "classical-music-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "npr-member-stations", "npr-member-networks", "radio-stations-established-in-1946", "1946-establishments-in-california"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KUSC" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]

Field	Value
name	KUSC
logo	KUSC Logo.png
city	Los Angeles, California
area	Southern California
branding	Classical California™ KUSC
airdate
frequency	91.5 MHz
repeater	See
format	Classical music
erp	39,000 watts (directional antenna)
haat	891 m
class	B
facility_id	69318
coordinates
callsign_meaning	University of Southern California
owner	University of Southern California
webcast
website	kusc.org
licensing_authority	FCC
::

KUSC (91.5 FM; "Classical California™ KUSC") is a listener-supported classical music radio station broadcasting from downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. KUSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California, which also operates student-run Internet station KXSC (AM) and San Francisco's classical station KDFC. It is the largest non-profit classical music station in the country.

History

The station was one of the first radio stations to operate on the FM band when it officially signed on using the frequency of 91.7 on December 5, 1946. Its primary benefactor was George Allan Hancock. It operated out the Hancock Foundation building on the USC campus and broadcast from a 250 foot tower above the building.

In the 1970s the station adopted a general public radio format. On April 2, 1973 new station manager Wally Smith oversaw the return to the all classical station. In 1976 the station's transmitter was placed on Lookout Mountain () in Laurel Canyon, above Hollywood. In 1993 a tower was erected on Mount Harvard near Mount Wilson. In 1996 Smith left the station after changing the format to talk, classical, jazz, folk and world music (he would go on to develop WPBB).

In 2010 it moved its broadcast studio to the USC Building in downtown Los Angeles.

In February 2014, public radio station KCRW of Santa Monica announced that it would buy the Santa Barbara Foundation's classical station KDB (FM) 93.7 in Santa Barbara for $1 million. The transaction will allow KCRW to begin using KQSC, USC's current repeater station in Santa Barbara, as a repeater for KCRW's programming, while transferring KUSC's classical programming from KQSC to KDB, thus perpetuating KDB's role as Santa Barbara's classical station. The legacy KDB call letters have been retained. In 2022, KUSC rebranded as Classical California KUSC. In February 2025, KUSC announced plans to combine programming with KDFC in San Francisco. In September 2025, KUSC and KDFC lost $1.1 Million of funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) after it was defunded and shutdown by the administration of President Donald Trump.

Programming

Notable local programming includes:

Jennifer Miller Hammel and Alan Chapman’s weekday morning shows;
Brian Lauritzen weekday afternoon program;
Lara Downes’ weekday evening show;
Jennifer Miller Hammel's Sunday opera show,
Alan Chapman’ Saturday night program “Modern Times”.
Brian Lauritzen’s Sunday morning program “A Joyful Noise”.
Alan Chapman’s baroque program "A Musical Offering, heard Sundays from 9-11 am.
Weekend afternoon hosts currently include Dianne Nicolini, Rich Capparela, and Brisa Siegel.
The overnight program Classical California All Night is hosted by John Van Driel "Tuesday-Thursday", Brisa Siegel "Friday and Saturday" and Suraj Partha "Sunday and Monday”. It is shared with KDFC In San Francisco.
Metropolitan Opera broadcasts: These are full-length productions that take place each Saturday morning from December through May.
Featured performances from the LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl and other notable orchestra halls.

Management helped establish the nationwide Classical 24 network and also supervised Virginia's WMRA network before taking up leadership at KUSC.

The station holds three pledge drive periods annually to help support operational costs, each occurring in a ten day period.

Station network throughout [[Southern California]]

::data[format=table] | Call sign | Frequency | City of license | Facility ID | ERP (W) | |---|---|---|---|---| | | KUSC (HD) | 91.5 FM | Los Angeles | | 39,000 | | | KESC (HD) | 99.7 FM | Morro Bay | | 285 | | | KPSC (HD) | 88.5 FM | Palm Springs | | 1,600 | | | KDB | 93.7 FM | Santa Barbara | | 12,500 | | | KDSC (HD) | 91.1 FM | Thousand Oaks | | 4,800 | ::

Notes:

References

"Classical KUSC Our Mission". [[University of Southern California]].
(1946-12-05). "5 Dec 1946, 21 - Valley Times at". Newspapers.com.
"The Story of Classical KUSC".
"FM Query Results – KUSC".
[https://www.kusc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/KUSC-Annual-Report-2017.pdf KUSC Annual Report 2017] kusc.org Retrieved August 3, 2023
Engel, Allison. "Classical KUSC to Operate Santa Barbara Classical Station". [[University of Southern California]].
(2025-02-12). "L.A.'s classical KUSC will merge programming with San Francisco sister station".
"URGENT: $1.1 Million in Federal Funding Rescinded".
"Schedule". [[University of Southern California]].

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