KBOO Radio
KBOO’s history is from a start-up to moving to a storefront on SE Belmont Street near 31st Avenue around 1970. “Walls of the makeshift studios were lined with egg cartons for sound insulation. The restroom graffiti achieved local notoriety for its depth and sheer quantity. Two desks were shared by everyone.” The History of KBOO | KBOO
The station moved again, in 1977, to SW Yamhill Street until 1981, urban renewal downtown forced a search for a new home. KBOO found its present location at 20 SE Eighth Avenue in 1986 they purchased that building and have been there ever since.
First mentioned in the gay press, in the October 1971 issue of The Fountain, page 26: Dateline: Portland, Oregon “
Homophile Half-Hour, a program produced by and for Portland’s Gay Community, began broadcasting on Thursday, September 9. The program will be on the air every Thursday evening at 7:30 pm on non-commercial listener-supported radio station KBOO-FM (90.7fm). The program features news, timely discussions, musical and comical entertainment.” Below Left is an article from November 1971 in The Fountain newspaper and in the August [Below Middle] and September [Below Right] 1972 issues of The Fountain ads were being placed with programming at the station.
Per the website: Gay and lesbian rights movement (oregonencyclopedia.org) “The next year, (1972) Lanny Swerdlow began hosting a local half-hour program about gay issues on Portland’s KBOO Radio.”
It is interesting that KBOO - Wikipedia page does not mention this show and how groundbreaking it was. Article below Left is from The Fountain newspaper November 1971.
KBOO Radio has always made space for the LGBTQ community. This is particularly true when they hosted QUEERVILLE with Howie Beirbaum and Michelle Burns from 1986 until 1987. See the article below Left from Just Out, February 1986. KBOO aired the 1987 Gay Pride Parade; per Just Out June 1987 and problems arose with QUeerville noted also in the June 1987 issue of Just Out - article below Right.
Queerville lasted from February 1986 to September 1987. Per article to the right in City Week newspaper, September 4, 1987
A great profile in Just Out, June 1989 above Left about Linda Shirley as a lesbian and how it affects what she does. In the above Right article in Just Out September 2009, it states that a show Out Load has been produced at KBOO since 2002.
It is unclear if there were any gay content programs on the air until 2010. More research needs to be done.
2010 Queer Culture Radio | KBOO KBOO brought back KBOO Studio/ Queer Culture Radio
Program: Out Loud Air date: Tue, 10/19/2010 - 12:00am Queer Culture Radio
Part of the broadcast included, “Next we hear from the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest. Carla speaks with Robert Douglass, George Nicola, Robin Will, and Kristan Knapp joins us by phone. Robert & Robin are involved with GLAPN, and George and Kristin are part of the panel of presenters at the upcoming Our Voices event, which will focus on 'Finding Our Voice - the 1970s'.
MORE HISTORY FORTHCOMING
