Campus, News

CSULB radio station KBeach holds weekend-long live broadcast fundraiser

Broadcasting live for over three days, California State University, Long Beach radio station KBeach 88.1 raised nearly $9,000 this weekend.

KBeach held its first official fundraiser this weekend, showcasing “88.1 hours” of live broadcasts from Thursday, June 18, at 8 a.m. through Sunday, June 21, at midnight.

Although KBeach broadcasts 24/7, a computer is set up to play music, commercials, and programming content during the hours that the University Student Union is closed. For all 88 hours this weekend, the KBeach staff broadcast the entirety of the material live.

“The entire team was highly spirited, we had not one missed shift or miscue the entire weekend,” Lemos said. “Events like this help bring the KBeach staff together as a family. We really felt like a team.”

In addition to playing music during the live broadcast, KBeach aired recorded testimonials from current hosts and graduates who worked at the station previously.

“It was a lot of hard work behind the scenes,” said Miguel-Angel Garcia, a junior biology major and co-host of LA Sports Weekly on KBeach. “A fantastic performance by everyone.”

The fundraiser also included a live remote broadcast on Thursday of the “Live with Keya and Dave” show from The Beach on Second Street, where KBeach welcomed the Long Beach community to come out and support. Donors were eligible for several prize opportunities, including the grand prize, a round trip plane ticket provided by sponsor Turkish Airlines.

“Within 24 hours of the marathon, we saw our listener numbers double,” Lemos said. “That speaks for itself.”

KBeach has about 350 listeners on any given day, but the number rose to over 700 during the live broadcast, according to Lemos. He added that the goal for the station should be to broadcast live as much as possible.

“I listen to KBeach occasionally because I have some friends who are involved with it, but this weekend there was a sort of more intense sense of energy in the programming,” said Lucky Va, a senior sociology major. “You could really hear the enthusiasm in the DJs’ voices.”

In the past year, KBeach received seven Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards and sent 10 students on to full-time jobs in the radio and broadcasting industry after graduation, according to a press release.

Lemos said that the station’s original fundraising goal was only $5000. He also said that all the funds will be used to replace old equipment, fund new purchases, and help defray operating costs.

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