by Shannon Bowman-Sarkisian

I had a secret desire. It took root in a dark corner of my brain and quietly refused to leave. I wanted to be a radio DJ.

But I never pursued this desire. Instead, I focused on my writing, a talent that had grown organically. Writing was never a struggle; it has been a part of my identity for most of my life. I spent years honing my craft — trading my tiny high school in the San Lorenzo Valley for an art school in Brooklyn. I finished my degree and tried my hand at a variety of trades. I was a bartender in Bay Ridge, a medical assistant at a dermatologist’s office, a waitress at an Afghani restaurant in Greenwich Village, a receptionist for a construction company, and an office administrator for a magazine publisher.

Of course, I kept writing. But the whisper of a different path was always there, too. In 2006, I enrolled in an MFA program in creative writing at San José State University. Suddenly, the whisper grew louder. SJSU has a college radio station, KSJS 90.5 FM. I found myself checking the Department of Television, Radio, Film, and Theater’s website instead of finishing my thesis. I considered enrolling in radio courses when I should have been studying for my comprehensive exam. In the end, common sense brought me back to writing. I graduated with honors and started a freelance writing business.

My husband and I moved to Pescadero a little over a year ago. We both grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains and had grown tired of the disconnect that comes from living in the suburbs. We missed the redwoods and the fog. Our new home provided us with plenty of trees and coastal weather, as well as something completely unexpected. One day I noticed a radio station on Pescadero Creek Road. I was intrigued. Where did it come from? How long had it been there?

I Googled “KPDO 89.3 FM” and found my way to the station’s website. I sent an email expressing my interest in volunteering and within 24 hours, I had my own show. It was the week before KPDO’s May 8 launch date and I received a crash course in radio broadcasting before going on the air for the first time. It was thrilling — my unfulfilled wish to be a DJ had suddenly come true.

I would be lying if I said that community radio is all sunshine and daisies. It’s incredibly frustrating, difficult work that you do for free. This is especially true for a fledgling station. Like any other Bay Area startup, we’ve seen our share of hardship. We must be engineers, editors, hosts, office managers, community liaisons, fundraisers and accountants and we do it all for free. We run on a shoestring budget and often receive early morning phone calls about the transmitter being down or the studio flooding. We are a major artery of the South Coast’s emergency broadcast system. If there’s a tsunami warning, someone must announce the updates on the air. It is a labor of love — and in this way, community radio is a lot like writing. Don’t do it for money, fame, or glory; public broadcasting is a community service.

This May, KPDO 89.3 FM celebrates its first birthday. It’s important to reflect back on what we’ve experienced and learned over the last year. There are a lot of changes we need to make, but there’s a lot that we’re doing right. Our core staff is made up of an amazing group of Coastside residents who are dedicated to the station. KPDO is my community — my friends and neighbors who have been there for me in good times and in bad. I have found a voice and a place in the world. I feel incredibly lucky to have found it in Pescadero.

On the Web:

www.kpdo.org