What KLSN 92.9 FM does

KLSN 92.9 FM (KLSN-LP) was a nonprofit, noncommercial, volunteer-run community radio station based in Oakley, California, operating under an FCC Low Power FM license at 100 watts in mono signal to maximize coverage across a 5–7 mile clear-reception radius (up to ~15 miles under favorable conditions). The station served East Contra Costa County communities — Oakley, Antioch, Brentwood, Knightsen, Byron, Discovery Bay, and parts of Pittsburg, Bethel Island, and Sherman Island — covering approximately 270,000 residents. Programming consisted of classic rock hits from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, live high school and college sports broadcasts, community affairs programming, and student-produced content.

KLSN's product surface comprised FM broadcasting, a Student Radio Program with three named high schools (Antioch, Deer Valley, Heritage), live sports broadcasting across six BVAL high schools plus Los Medanos College and the Pittsburg Diamonds, a free Community Calendar for nonprofit and government event announcements, a planned web streaming service (never launched), and partnership-produced vintage content via the California Historical Radio Society. The underlying technology stack was conventional broadcast radio with no software platform, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI/ML components.

The business model was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by three streams: individual listener donations (the largest), local business underwriting (acknowledgement-based, not advertising), and corporate sponsorships. KLSN operated as a project of The Friends of Oakley Community Foundation with The San Francisco Study Center serving as fiscal sponsor; pricing was not publicly disclosed and no funding rounds, M&A activity, or external investment were recorded. The station has since ceased broadcasting, with its homepage stating 'KLSN has left the airways.'

Name

KLSN 92.9 FM

Legal name

KLSN Community Radio

Website

https://klsn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KLSN 92.9 FM was a nonprofit, volunteer-run community radio station licensed by the FCC as a 100-watt LPFM facility, broadcasting classic rock, high school sports, and student-produced programming to approximately 270,000 East Contra Costa County residents. The station has ceased broadcasting operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Sports Broadcast Stations (Regional Local Rights, High School/College) (MPABACAK), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Low power FM radio
• Nonprofit radio station
• Local sports broadcasting
• Student radio programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations: Individual contributions from listeners, the single largest source of funds. Supports all station operations including locally produced programming, sports broadcasting, student resources, training programs, and studio expenses.
2. Business Underwriting: Local businesses and organizations receive on-air acknowledgements and website recognition in exchange for financial support. Underwriting acknowledgements are short and informational rather than promotional advertising.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships provide capital for equipment purchases and help fund intern programs and apprenticeships. Sponsors are listed on the website and receive on-air recognition for one year.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KLSN 92.9 FM operates a Low Power FM (LPFM) community radio station broadcasting classic hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, high school sports, community affairs programming, and student-produced content to approximately 270,000 residents in East Contra Costa County communities including Oakley, Antioch, Brentwood, Knightsen, Byron, and Discovery Bay. The station is a nonprofit, volunteer-run, listener-supported 501(c)(3) organization that also offers underwriting/sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and hands-on broadcasting experiences for students.

Product overview

KLSN 92.9 FM is a nonprofit, listener-supported, low-power FM community radio station operated by The Friends of Oakley Community Foundation with fiscal sponsorship from The San Francisco Study Center. The station operates as a unified community radio service offering FM broadcasting at 100 watts, student radio programs, high school sports broadcasts, and web streaming. The station serves approximately 270,000 residents in East County Contra Costa communities including Oakley, Antioch, Brentwood, Knightsen, Byron, Discovery Bay, and parts of Pittsburg. Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and underwriting from local businesses. Programming includes classic rock from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, live sports broadcasts, student-produced content, community affairs programs, and locally produced shows covering topics such as veterans' issues, seniors, delta recreation, and arts entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KLSN 92.9 FM Community Radio Broadcasting Low-power FM radio broadcasting at 100 watts in mono, providing classic hits music, local news, community affairs programming, and locally produced shows to East Contra Costa County residents in Oakley, Antioch, Brentwood, Knightsen, Byron, Discovery Bay, and surrounding communities.
• Student Radio Program Radio airtime and production support for programs and segments produced and recorded by students at participating local high schools, providing hands-on experience in radio broadcasting, news coordination, and professional recording techniques.
• High School Sports Broadcasting Live play-by-play and color commentary broadcasts of high school and college sporting events including football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and softball from local BVAL high schools, Los Medanos College, and the Pittsburg Diamonds.
• Business Underwriting and Sponsorship Program Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities for local businesses and organizations, providing on-air acknowledgements and website recognition in exchange for financial support of the nonprofit radio mission.
• Web Streaming Internet-based radio streaming service enabling listeners outside the 5-15 mile broadcast area to access KLSN programming via online web players.
• Community Calendar Free event announcement service allowing nonprofits, schools, and government entities to submit public events for broadcast on KLSN, connecting community organizations with the station's listening audience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% weekly reach among adult consumers for radio overall
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Friends of Oakley Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007KLSN is a nonprofit project of The Friends of Oakley Community Foundation, which serves as the governing board. The foundation has worked since 2007 to strengthen the community by inspiring philanthropy, promoting volunteerism, and providing community leadership. KLSN shares their commitment and vision of community service.
• The San Francisco Study CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 1972The San Francisco Study Center is the fiscal sponsor for KLSN, processing all donations and paying bills. Since 1972, they have provided fiscal sponsorship to dozens of community projects. They edited and publish 'Fiscal Sponsorship: 6 Ways to Do It Right', the authoritative book on nonprofit fiscal sponsorship by Gregory Colvin.
• California Historical Radio SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKLSN partners with the California Historical Radio Society to produce 'Olde Time Radio Sunday Night' featuring content from the golden age of radio including Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, and Mystery Theater.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• KVMR 89.5 FM: Nevada City, California community radio station operating as an independent, volunteer-driven, listener-supported nonprofit with locally produced programming and underwriting model highly analogous to KLSN.
• KPFA 94.1 FM: Berkeley-based listener-supported Pacifica Network community radio station with a similar nonprofit, volunteer-participatory model and listener-donation revenue base. Operates in the same East Bay geography and competes for the same regional donor and underwriter pool.
• KPOO 89.5 FM: San Francisco-based listener-supported, volunteer-driven nonprofit community radio station with comparable programming mix of music, local news, and underwriter-funded model. Highly comparable to KLSN's nonprofit LPFM/community radio operating model.
• KXLU 88.9 FM: Loyola Marymount University educational/community radio station combining student-run programming with community content, directly comparable to KLSN's student radio model tied to local high schools.
• KZFR 90.1 FM: Chico, California community radio station with similar volunteer-driven, listener-supported nonprofit structure and locally produced music, news, and public affairs programming.

Others

• The Friends of Oakley Community Foundation: KLSN's parent nonprofit foundation. Comparable in community-focused nonprofit operating model and East Contra Costa County geography, and serves as the governance structure for KLSN.
• The San Francisco Study Center: Long-standing Bay Area fiscal sponsor (since 1972) and KLSN's fiscal intermediary. Directly comparable as a nonprofit fiscal-sponsorship infrastructure provider supporting dozens of community projects.

Broad incumbents

• KQED 88.5 FM: Bay Area NPR member station with broad public radio programming and substantially larger reach and budget. Comparable in listener-supported nonprofit broadcast model and Bay Area market, but operates at significantly greater scale and scope than KLSN's hyperlocal community focus.
• KALW 91.7 FM: San Francisco public radio station with a mix of local news, music, and community programming funded by listener donations. Comparable Bay Area nonprofit broadcaster model, though with full-power coverage and broader programming scope than KLSN's LPFM operation.

Regional players

• KPIG 107.5 FM: Freedom, California-based commercial radio station with locally oriented programming reaching the wider Bay Area/Central Coast. Comparable in local music/community orientation but operates on a commercial (vs. nonprofit underwriting) revenue model in an overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/www.klsn.org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KLSN 92.9 FM