Something in the Air: Community Radio Then & Now

Something in the Air: A Rock Radio Revolution, is a wild and colorful sonic tale of how Tom Donahue created America’s first commercially successful underground rock ‘n roll radio station. His invention used the brand new stereo FM technology to present a mix of rock, jazz, R&B, folk, and classical, to immediately attract a community of the Bay Area’s hippest.

Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Sammy Hagar, members of the Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and over 70 industry professionals and fans share their memories of KMPX, KSAN and those turbulent and magical times. Many of the musicians interviewed in the film were influenced by the music on KSAN or attribute their success to getting repeated airplay on KSAN.

As much as KSAN influenced a generation musically, it was its outrageous “Gnus” Department that set KSAN apart from other freeform stations across the country. The counterculture in all its ups and downs was presented by brilliant, innovative, and dedicated reporters who produced radical daily segments, unique documentaries and specials, while also breaking major stories involving the Altamont catastrophe, the Patty Hearst kidnapping and a major oil spill that inspired the Ecology movement.

Go behind the scenes on the new documentary and hear the story of KSAN from the people who were there.

In her decades on S.F. radio, including stints on KSAN news and KFRC, Joanne Greene explored the issues with a deep commitment to truth and a healthy dose of playful irreverence. Currently she hosts the bi-weekly podcast “In This Story…with Joanne Greene” and is the author of By Accident: A Memoir of Letting Go, published by She Writes Press, in which she emerges from a life threatening accident with hope and a new embracing of life.

Diane Vitalich is a San Francisco native and drummer/singer for the legendary all-women’s rock band Ace of Cups, who shared stages with Jimi Hendrix, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead. The group reunited in recent years, performing at the Fillmore, on NBC’s Today Show, and recording acclaimed new music.

Beyond Ace of Cups, Diane has played with Narada Michael Walden, opened with the Fairfax St. Choir for Crosby, Stills & Nash, and fronted her own band Lady Di and the Dukes. She was honored by San Francisco Mayor London Breed for her trailblazing role in women’s rock.

Today, as Lady Ace, Diane continues to perform across the Bay Area, record new material, and inspire a new generation of musicians.

Glenn Lambert started listening to radio while in the womb, on a car ride from Santa Fe (where he was conceived) to New York City (where he was born). Some time after that, he began his own broadcasts in college, at WKCR, the Columbia U. radio station. That began a long careen, first as an engineer and producer at several New York stations, then as D DJ and program director in the Massachusetts Berkshires, and then at KSAN, where he was on the air from 1976 until the 1979 downfall of KSAN as a freeform station. He continued as a writer and producer, most notably for The B.B. King Blues Hour, not only working with the great B.B., but also winning the Blues Foundation’s award for best radio blues program. He lives in LA, still waiting to be discovered for movie stardom.

Tom & Raechel Donahue in the KSAN Studios

Tom Donahue

Your RSVP includes admission to Open Decks: Community Art in Motion, a collaborative art exhibition and cultural program featuring original art by 100 Bay Area artists on skateboard decks. Open Decks is on view from July 24 - September 19, 2025.

There is a $10 - $20 sliding scale suggested donation for this event. Nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.

Please become a KALW member today and receive your first drink on us at all 220 Montgomery events.

📍 220 Montgomery St., San Francisco, 2 blocks from BART/MUNI

🚪 Reception doors open at 6:00

🗣️ Program begins at 7:00

🆓 The event is free with an RSVP — and you are welcome to donate what you want

Please note:

• The event space is just to the left of the main entrance to the Mills Building at 220 Montgomery Street
• We recommend taking BART/MUNI, exiting at Montgomery, and walking two blocks north
• Ride-shares can drop off and pick up directly in front of the venue
• If you drive, there are several garages within two blocks of the event location; free street parking is available across from the venue at 7:00 pm