SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019 | 7A
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“It’s our community radio”
While KXCR has only been
on the air for four years, the at-
tempts to get it on its feet spans
decades.
“My father was involved with
trying to get this going, and he
died nine years ago,” Bloomfield
explained.
He called his father an engi-
neer of the utmost caliber who
worked diligently to get the sta-
tion on air.
“He had a shadow so large
that it was just difficult to see
the light of day. A very good
man,” Bloomfield said. “It’s nice
to know that many years later,
I can serve in a capacity that
could show that I’ve actually ac-
complished what my dad want-
ed. That’s a good feeling inside.”
KXCR’s transmission reaches
north to the lighthouse, south to
“about” Reedsport, and west to
Mapleton and a tad bit beyond,
according to Bloomfield.
“Most towns don’t even have
one radio station, let alone two,”
Bloomfield said. “It enables the
community to have a voice.”
KXCR does not have an accu-
rate count of its listeners, but the
estimates are relatively small.
“To give you a real number,
the best I can do is say that if
you have a community of 100
people, you’ll have 3 listeners,”
Bloomfield said. “And that’s kind
of sad to say, but you’re looking
at 3 percent of an area. I’d like
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Bloomfield continued, “They
have a great history, and they
bring it to the table. They bring
it in their dollars, in the volun-
teership, and all around qual-
ity of people. It shows, and we
wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for
them.”
Bloomfield has been instru-
mental in getting KXCR into
the 21st century: Helping pave
the way for the station to lives-
tream on the internet to increase
its reach beyond the boundaries
of the Siuslaw. The move marks
a pivotal point in the local inde-
pendent radio station, as it looks
to define its own story in the
increasingly crowded realm of
podcasts and radio.
KXCR’s is a story that involves
jazz clubs in Portland during
the 1930s, Siuslaw Pioneers, a
healthy dislike of country music,
bad acting, a huge record collec-
tion and the hope that the voices
on the airwaves can bring un-
derstanding and freedom to the
Siuslaw region.
“It’s so difficult to put a radio
station in,” Bloomfield said. “If
you’re lucky enough to get one,
you have to do everything you
can to protect is.”
And while styles of mu-
to say we have 100 percent, but is always open to anyone who accurate.”
Radio audiences are looking sic change over the years, that
I like to shoot for the low end wants to learn.
“Anybody who comes in and for stories from faraway places, central tenet of music is what
to temper expectations. So, we
have anywhere from 300 to 500 asks me, I’m going to tell them as hits such as “This American ultimately attracted, and still at-
how,” he said. “Because if you’re Life” proves. Interest comes not tracts, Walker to music.
listeners at any given time.”
“I thought anything that af-
But the listeners KXCR do listening to it, you’re going to so much from the region a story
have are passionate and engaged, pass it on to someone else. And is from, but from the universal- fects me that strongly has to
ity of the story, and how well it’s has a reason. Music is universal,
Bloomfield said, and he stated then we grow.”
there’s rhythm in everyone’s life
And growth is really what told.
he is frequently stopped on the
“The key is to put together a in some way. Music has mean-
street by people commenting KXCR is looking for. In the past,
on the programming and giving KXCR has focused on broad- local show and put some quality ing for almost everybody and it’s
ideas on possible shows. It’s a casting national programs such into it,” Bloomfield said. “Char- a way to bond us together in a
as Democracy Now. The world lie has had a lot of years to refine way that very few items can do.
community project.
But the audience is current- was being brought to the Siu- himself, and he really has. He’s When I found out that I could
ly limited to the reach of the slaw. But now, Bloomfield is done such a great job that when buy that on records, oh! The first
thing I did was hit the
transmission. The sta-
tion could get more
“Music is universal; there’s rhythm in everyone’s life in some way. record shop in town and
actually buy something,
transponders, but that
Music has meaning for almost everybody and it’s a way to bond us to- take it home, and listen
would not be cost effec-
tive. Instead, KXCR is gether in a way that very few items can do. When I found out that I to it like I was listen-
investing in livestream- could buy that on records, oh! The first thing I did was hit the record ing on the radio. It was
ing its programing on shop in town and actually buy something, take it home, and listen to it.” great! Drove my mother
the internet — the first
— Charlie Walker, KXCR DJ mad when you only got
one record and you play
radio station in the Siu-
it over again.”
slaw to do so.
To keep his mother’s sanity
Livestreaming is when a radio looking to get community mem- he gets behind the microphone,
station plays live over the inter- bers to create more of their own it’s second nature to him. When intact, Walker needed to discov-
shows so Siuslaw locals can be you get to that level of character er more music. Fortunately, in
net.
“You’ll go to our website, and introduced to the world through in the show, you cease being a North Portland in 1936, the era
local and truly become a profes- of the big band and rhythm and
it will say if you have a android radio.
blues, new exciting music was
“We try and get as much local sional. He’s a professional.”
phone, click here,” Bloomfield
plentiful.
said. “iPhone, click here. Com- in here as possible,” Bloomfield
“I discovered black music be-
said.
“As long as you can
puter, click here.
fore it was popular to admit it,”
KXCR is looking for any and
tap your feet”
“With streaming, you could
When KXCR began search- Walker said. “We were in Port-
have someone in an obscure lo- all takers when it comes to origi-
ing for local programs, Walker’s land during World War II and
cation on the other side of the nal ideas for local shows.
“If you want to talk about your ears perked up. He had always there were integrated clubs at the
world, or it could be someone
just over in Eugene who wants puppy, I’ll still put you on air,” wanted to be a disc jockey, and time. One called The Ranch that
Bloomfield said. “Why? Because perhaps this was his chance to had black and white waitresses.
to listen to us but can’t.”
When the listener clicks, you came in here. You made the fulfill a lifelong dream, which There was no problem there, be-
they’ll hear the station live, just effort. That is what this place is came about when he was a teen- cause the music was your key to
like they would over a transistor all about. It’s community radio. ager. Walker had always kept in admission. Once you were in the
radio, except now they can listen You’re not too young, or too tow thousands of LPs and 78s fellowship, so to speak, you were
to it anywhere in the world, on poor. And I’ll make it sound as throughout his life, the first of welcome.”
Of course, he was too young
entertaining as I possibly can. which he bought when he was
any device.
Livestreaming is different It’s our community radio, and 14 — Harry James’ “Carnival of to just waltz into the swing
than archiving, which is when we’re going to work to make it Venice” and “Flight of the Bum- clubs, but he found other ways
of getting in.
an individual episode or group as fun and enjoyable as we can.” blebee.”
“A friend of mine and I were
KXCR already hosts a wide
“I fancied myself as a potential
of shows is available online. One
of the most common forms of variety of topics, many of which trumpeter at the time,” Walker on our way home one night, and
archived shows are podcasts. are music based, such as Mag- said. “Turned out I had a terrible we were walking through Al-
Archiving is also what Netflix gie Montana, Jake the Shark time reading music, so I never bina. There was this club there
does. In this case, listeners are and course “Charlie’s Place.” But learned, and I never learned an and we were standing outside
not hearing what’s going on live there are more local specific top- instrument. I can noodle around the stage door, listening to the
music. It was really swinging,
on drums, but that’s about it.”
on the radio station, but older ics, such as Siuslaw Pioneers.
But he could tap his fingers wonderful. And a black fella,
“That particular show is just
shows.
KXCR does have a smattering stories from our area,” Bloom- and his toes, which Walker sug- nine feet tall, scared the hell out
of archived shows on its web- field said. The text comes from gested was the true test of what of us, poked his head out and
site, including a few of “Charlie’s historical accounts of the area, makes good swing music, his said, ‘What’cha boys doing out
Place,” and is looking to expand provided by institutions such favorite of all the jazz variations. here?’ I said we were listening to
“I responded by either tap- music. He said, ‘Well you can’t
its collection as funding comes as the Siuslaw Pioneer Museum
in for new computers.
and written by local authors like ping a foot or snapping a finger,” stand here, come in.’”
The kids were brought behind
It should also be noted that Bob Jackson. “I’ll have someone he said. “Swing is whatever elic-
KXCR will still be broadcasting like Jake the Shark come in here its a physical response. When the curtain where the musicians
through its traditional FM sta- and read it. These are great sto- you hear it, if you have to get were playing. They were handed
tion.
ries, stories that are local to our up and move, or you have to at a couple of Cokes and told not
least participate however you to move.
Does Bloomfield expect area.”
“And we didn’t,” Walker said.
streaming to catch on local-
But can locally specific shows can, tapping your fingers on the
ly, particularly in a retirement like that find a following outside table, or the foot on the floor, as “We were probably there for just
community?
the area, where live streaming long as it elicits a physical re- over an hour. I was in pig heav-
sponse, I think it swings. John en. During WWII, Portland did
“It really matters on their will reach?
technical levels,” Bloomfield
“What value does that have to Philip Sousa said jazz will live not waste their police time on
said. “There’s those people who me?” Bloomfield asked. “I love in this country as long as people crime that wasn’t violent. They
stream on their phone and listen listening to old radio westerns, can express themselves — essen- were after hard crime, but vice
to it wherever they drive. And like Lone Ranger. The Siuslaw tially, as long as you can tap your just slid by. There wasn’t much
then there’s those people who Pioneers have that same feel- feet. And he was right. That was in the way of regulation in the
are like, ‘What’s streaming?’”
ing and story lines. But they’re 100 years ago. He was right then, music scene. Well, let’s say I took
advantage of it.”
However, he stated his door historically accurate, or close to and he’s right now.”
By this time, his collection of
records had grown to around 50.
“They were 53 cents in Van-
couver, 50 cents in Oregon,”
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RADIO from page 1A
Walker recalled. “I bought all
my records at Meier and Frank,
Olson King, all the department
stores that had record depart-
ments. Then I went over to the
east end of the Broadway bridge
at a record shop that had my
kind of music. Race records and
stuff like that. It’s kind of set the
pattern for my life.”
A pattern that would domi-
nate the rest of his life.
“Bottom line — it was the be-
ginning of a collection that has
7,000 titles now,” Walker said.
“I’ve reached a point where I
don’t own it, but it owns me. I’ve
hauled it all over the country,
lived on all three coasts.”
“The whole world changes”
Walker had dreams of playing
his records professionally, “way
back when they all wore suits
and ties and stood at the micro-
phone and sounded very pro-
found,” he said. But the horrors
of WWII prevented him.
“I went into the army and got
a nice case of PTSD that took the
form of panic attacks,” he said.
“When I got out, I didn’t do a
thing for years, except deal with
panic attacks. That made it im-
possible for me to do the things
I wanted to do.”
He worked a variety of jobs,
making a good life for himself,
but his dreams of becoming a
disc jockey never came to frui-
tion, even though his son went
into the field.
“And he’s a darn good one,
but he’s in a different part of the
world, Tennessee, and I don’t see
him much,” Walker said. “We’re
pretty spread out, like most fam-
ilies these days. We live too far
apart to really have an intergen-
erational relationship.”
Walker had all but given up
on the dream for himself un-
til KXCR came along. His first
show for the station was “Best
of Swing,” which he co-host-
ed with his friend Smilin’ Dave
Craddock, a local piano player
who used to play local bars and
events before he passed away
last November. The show lasted
for 100 episodes, and then Walk-
er wanted to try his hand at his
own show, utilizing his record
collection.
“Doggonit, if you have some-
thing you enjoy, you should
share it,” Walker said. “If I’m
going to influence anybody, I’d
rather be a solid influence in
their life than a negative one.
I’ve had jobs where I left people
worse off than I found them,
bartending was one of them. I
determined that I needed to be
in something that would leave
people better off.”
He based the show around
the defunct clubs he frequented
in his youth, focusing the mu-
sic collection on anything that
swings.
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