So I was listening to KBPS and I love the teen sound format! Maybe should be played more then that played during the morning through mid-afternoon. I Also would like to give props to the young man on air today! I did catch that he did miss up and stumbled on some words but is good for considering that he is still in high school!.. But I heard that station manager Bill Cooper will be leaving the station and they are in the looks on finding a new manager for after summer... anyone know if this is true?.. Plus I heard bill is strict on the kids and doesn't let them play the same song repeatedly throught the day?? Wats up with that? The station is still okay but maybe its time for a change since kid music isn't for the portland market? Look @ radio disney??... haven't seen any promotions for that or of anyone that listens to that....

I've stumbled across KBPS-AM a couple times in the wee hours after "KPSU" signs off, and been quite impressed. I wonder who programs those hours? I find it hard to believe that today's high school kids could be so familiar with late-60s rock. I'd presume it must be automated during these hours, as it's hard to imagine scheduling teenagers for graveyard shift.

I can't find a Web site or stream for the AM. In the sixties it was fairly clear in Oak Grove (daytime), but noisy in Milwaukie on today's rumbling nighttime AM band.

"I find it hard to believe that today's high school kids could be so familiar with late-60s rock."

The guy behind the music is KBPS's General Manager, Bill Cooper. He's very familiar with the era.

Well, first of all, I don't know where you heard I was leaving KBPS. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! I love it here and I have no plans to leave. Lets not start, or spread, unsubstaniated rumors!

Am I strict with the kids? Well, its all in how you look at it. Yes, we have a format, and yes I don't let them play the same songs over and over. With about a thousand "Kid Rhythm Radio" songs in the library they can go a few days without repeating a song.

As for our format, I disagree with Lollipop's statement that The "Kid Rhythm Radio" format, which runs from 6am-3pm, isn't a good format for the Portland market. Because of phone calls, emails and other correspondence I know for a fact that we have a fairly significant audience. I have many parents contact me to say they appreciate that they can have KBPS-AM on during the day and be confident their very young children will be entertained in a family friendly way. You haven't seen any promotions or advertising for KBPS-AM because I don't have the budget for it. Anyone who cares to make a tax deductable contribution to our program is welcome to. If enough people step up, maybe a little outside promotion might be possible!

From 3pm-5pm (when KPSU takes to the air) our broadcast students can sign up for extra air time. The format for those hours is a mix of oldies and more current music. You're right that most of the kids are not very familiar with the oldies...but because its music many of their parents listen to its stuff they've heard. We use the fact that they don't know much of the music as a teaching tool. If they go on to a career in broadcasting they may very well be in a position of getting a job in a format they are not familiar with. This forces them to learn the music (or at least sound like they do!) like they would in the real world.

After KPSU signs off at 2am until 6am we are automated. We have over 2,000 songs from the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's in rotation.

We do have a basic webpage on the Benson website at www.bensonhs.net. On the left side of the page click on "Professional-Technical Programs", then click on KBPS. As of now we are not streaming. I am hopeful that we will be able to increase our internet presence soon.

FYI...we are just a few weeks away from "Summer Sound". This will be the 37th year that the best of our broadcast students will be hired to be on the radio during the summer. I want to publicly thank Phil Knight for his continued support of summer sound. Without his financial contribution to the program Summer Sound would not be possible. Phil has been a friend and supporter of KBPS-AM since his days as a student sportscaster.

Good!

That rumor worried me, good to hear you will still be doing what you do.

I enjoy the station frequently.

More kids than you think understand 60's and 70's rock. I get stuck with broken portable media players fairly often. That stuff is on quite a few of them.

Internet music sampling and sharing makes this musical era kind of a mix we've not seen before. Kids will tap various genres and eras for style points. That and I've gotten the response, "They just don't make music like that any more." quite often.

Not everything is loops! Romantics are born every day. They always will be and they crave, theme and story in their music and if it's not being produced right now, they will go and find it.

True. I have a daughter (raised by her C&W Mom) who quite surprised me with her knowledge of Hendrix, Doors, etc. (She rattled off most of the choice, more sophisticated 60s acts.) But she's 30 now. And lived within range of KMEL and such.

Missing: Have you kept track of the oldies that you find today's kids like? I think there'd be a lot of interest in it here, as it might be a good "test of time" indicator, relatively untinged by the nostalgias we are prone to. (And of course, my subversive hope is a programmer might be inspired to give us some of those--dare I use the expression--deep tracks, if persuaded they also appeal to a younger market.)

A dozen years or so ago I was surprised to run across a cheery program of records for young children on KBVM, I think it was, during morning drive. (They also did some classical sometimes.) A station I ordinarily would have overlooked.

Hank Hill: What is this smut you're listening to?
Bobby: It's not smut, it's Radio Disney!

I find today's youth and 20 something’s have a pretty good grasp of all kinds of music.

My brother, his 15-year-old son and myself play in a trio occasionally. My nephew is a phenomenally gifted musician. He can play anything with strings. We really showcase him in the trio.

We did a gig in Astoria a few weeks ago. It was our first really long gig together. During a break I picked up my brother's guitar and started in on the Beatles "Blackbird." My nephew was listening in and grabbed his violin and joined in on the melody.

He has knowledge of most of the rock bands I grew up with along with his dad's influences of Bruce Cockburn and Dylan. The kid is a walking music encyclopedia.

When I used to DJ middle schools, many kids would request Jimmie H, The Doors and Stones.

The older music is new to most teens and I think it's refreshing because they are hearing real talent.

Keep up the good work Bill hope you find a few diamonds in the rough.

Thanks Chris. We keeping digging for those diamonds. Just heard yesterday that one of our recent grads just landed a job at KAST. Another is interning right now at KEX. Dylan, who regularly posts on this board, is one of our success stories. He's doing evenings at Live95 in Centralia/Chehalis. Of course not all of our grads go into radio. Some gravitate to TV. One of those is Amanda Stutevoss, a post production coordinator on The Apprentice and several other Mark Burnett Productions. Another grad is Joel David Moore, best known for his part in the movie Dodgeball and in the short-lived TV series LAX staring Heather Locklear. Joel is now producing and acting in independent films. So we do find a few diamonds every once in a while!

Another unsubstantiated rumor....

...I heard Bill Cooper is dead and the person posing as Bill Cooper is actually an alien as is all the air staff.
The music has subliminal messages imbedded to prepare earth for the coming invasion

BTW "Summer Sound" is broadcast each year to let the invaders know things are proceeding as planned. Without it, the aliens would know we are on to them..............

See, that's how you do a rumor....

I hear that Roger is actually Roy Thinnis...

THAT'S how you start a rumor!!!

It was actually the alien I went to college with. I just thought it was Bill Cooper all these years!

Thanks for the kind words Bill.

Another KBPS grad, Scott Von Wald, is a local stand up comedian.

Jeff, no dammit!

I'll pay attention for a while though. If I stumble into some data, that's worth it, I'll post it up.