KPIG

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KPIG-FM
City of license	KPIG-FM: Freedom, California KPIG: Piedmont, California KPYG: Cambria, California
Broadcast area	KPIG-FM: Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz, California KPIG: San Francisco Bay Area KPYG: San Luis Obispo, California
Branding	KPIG
Slogan	Live Free-range DJs 24/7
First air date	KPIG-FM: 1987 KPIG: 1947 KPYG: 1984
Frequency	KPIG-FM: 107.5 (MHz) KPIG: 1510 (kHz) KPYG: 94.9 (MHz)
Format	Freeform Rock, Blues, Folk, Folk/Country
ERP	KPIG-FM: 5,400 watts KPIG: 8,000 watts (DAY) 230 watts (NIGHT) KPYG: 25,000 watts
Class	A [1]
Callsign meaning	Oink!
Owner	Mapleton Communications
Website	www.kpig.com

KPIG is a radio station located near the city of Santa Cruz, California, USA. Founded in 1988, the studio is based in Watsonville, California and broadcasts to Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties on 107.5 FM. It also has radio repeaters on 94.9 FM in San Luis Obispo County (2004), and 1510 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area (2005). The station's logo features a sunglasses-wearing pig in farmer's clothing and a straw hat. Its format tends to be Rock, Blues, Folk, Folk/Country and is largely self-determined. In 2001 the station was bought by Mapleton Communications.

KPIG has strong community ties featuring local DJ's, local sponsors, local news and commentary, and the Hog Call line, a free community call-in line for leaving recorded announcements that will be played on the air. Much like newspaper classifieds, common 'Hog Calls' are regarding items for sale or upcoming community events.

Among its most well known programs are 'Cousin Al's Bluegrass Show' on Sunday nights, 'Uncle Sherman's Dirty Boogie' on Saturday nights, 'Please Stand By' the in-studio live music show, on Sunday mornings. 'Please Stand By', hosted by Sleepy John, features local and world famous Country, Folk, and Blues acts. The station also hosts several popular music festivals each year including the Humbug Hoedown in December.

KPIG is well known worldwide as well. It was one of the first radio stations in the world to webcast their program, going online on August 2, 1995. Frequently song requests are submitted via e-mail from listeners around the globe. Indirect references to KPIG appear in the songs 'I'm Coming Home' by Robert Earl Keen and 'Beer Run' (which references the Robert Keen song) by Todd Snider, both of whom are frequently featured on the air and perform at KPIG's events.

Contents 1 KFAT 2 Related information 3 Notes 4 External links

[edit] KFAT

KPIG's predecessor was KFAT which broadcast out of Gilroy, California from 1976-1982. Much of KPIG's founding staff and current on-air regulars worked at KFAT. KFAT specialized in true Country and Folk as well as many off-beat oddities. Archived tapes of broadcasts are still streamed from the KFAT web site.

[edit] Related information

Program Director, Laura Ellen, has produced a side-project webcast, the Cowboy Cultural Society web site and stream that plays contemporary and classic Cowboy music.

Former morning Disc Jockey Dallas Dobro is also the regular mainstage Master of Ceremonies at the twice annual Strawberry Music Festival in Camp Mather, Yosemite, California. Dobro left the station in 2006 and now does Monday mornings on the University of California at Santa Cruz's station KZSC.

'Wild' Bill Goldsmith, KPIG's former webmaster, and the person who first put its program on the web, founded Radio Paradise, a webcast of "Eclectic Online Rock".

[edit] Notes

1. ^

[edit] External links

• KPIG Website
• KPIG current playlist
• Radio Paradise