KAFA
From USAFA Folklore
KAFA is the cadet radio station, run out of Cadet Wing Media, and currently broadcasting at 97.7 MHz. The station has previously broadcast at 89.7 and 104.3 MHz. KAFA first began broadcasting in 1961.
The station broadcasts during the evenings and on weekends with a power of 10 watts, or, to use the words of one of the promos, "blasting out with 10,000,000 pico watts of power". For a long time it was the only consistent media source for Air Force football, basketball and hockey coverage. The station was a cobbled together operation at best, but did have a dedicated spot in the press box at Falcon stadium and in the cadet field house. At least through the 1970s, there were no commercial advertisements whatsoever on the station. Disc jockeys had a limited selection of public service announcements (e.g. don't start smoking) that could be used while vinyl and cartridges were cued up, but otherwise the station was "commercial free" in the truest sense of the term.
Music selections were varied in a kind of Wonder Bread way (i.e. there was very little music from black or Latino acts, except for mainstream goups like Stevie Wonder, or the 5th Dimension), and in the 70s tended to popular acts with the occasional cadet standards such as the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations" and "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple. The station won the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press Association Award for best sports broadcast in 1976-77.
The zenith of its entertainment operations was probably in the 1975-76 academic year, when it broadcast the "Crookedly B. Beamscorch Comedy Hour", based on the fictional antics of the Cadet Wing Commander (whose real name was Bentley B. Rayburn). The shows included the infamous "Commfather" episode, which was listened to with more than a little enthusiasm by the faculty and staff, as well as the cadets.
From 1978-80, DJ "K. Otto Palmer" presented his Album Of The Week, which did not have to be cleared through any official hierarchy. As the age of punk/New Wave arrived, the AOTW introduced artists like The Clash, Blondie, Joe Jackson, Talking Heads, The Sex Pistols, Devo, Gang of Four, The Pretenders, and The B-52s without interruption, except while the album was being flipped over on the turntable. The operating budget (at least during that time) was minimal, so these albums (and most of the other new music played by KAFA DJs) were purchased by the jocks themselves and then retained in personal libraries. The KAFA vinyl library was at least 3,000 albums, but few of them had any relevance to a college-aged audience.
As of 2008, KAFA has expanded to online broadcasting, made possible by the AOG. The station also supports music at home football tailgates, occasionally Hockey and Basketball tailgates as well. KAFA Sports broadcasted the volleyball games during the Fall '08 season at home, through an ingenius phone broadcast that DAVE WEST imagined and produced. KAFA Sports has just started its broadcasts of the Falcon Baseball home games (March '09). Also broadcasted the Wing Open in a first-ever boxing broadcast. Many specialty shows exist now during the week. CMSgt (ret.) "Chief" Vazquez has his show on Wednesdays 8AM and 8PM ("8 and 8, ain't it great" is his catchphrase btw) called "Character Matters. C1C Alex "Big Al" Gallman and C1C Nick Schmiegel host "Rockin' Reunion" every Wednesday night, featuring music from the eras and a graduating class during the time period. C2C Ben "DJ Shop" Shoptaugh host a show called "RPM" every Saturday night (sometimes live, sometimes not) featuring techno, trance, rave, and electronica music. (updated March '09) The station is now automated and computer-equipped with the latest computer support. The cadets can record thier shows up to a week or two before they are scheduled to play. This helps in a number of ways, most notably not requiring cadets to man the station 24/7. For the graduation of the class of 2008, KAFA broadcasted the ceremony live from Falcon Stadium.
KAFA positions as of Jan '09
Mr. Dave West: KAFA station manager/cadet advisor
C1C Mike Lewis: General Manager
C2C Chris Edlund: Promotions Director
C2C Todd "the Bod" Gamiles: Music Director
C2C Kile "DJ Kuz" Kuzma: KAFA Sports director
C2C Carrie Wong K: Program Director
C3C Marshall Nye: Production Director
Station contact:
Phone:(719) 333-KAFA (5232)
Email: kafaFM@gmail.com
