Kaja Brown

How long have you been involved with KRDP and how did you first hear about the station?

I am a co-founder of what is now KRDP and have been involved since the very beginning.

Fill us in on how KRDP has transitioned from Radio Phoenix and expanded and grown lately.

So, KRDP is actually two radio stations – an online indie music and public affairs station which we brand as KRDP Indie and an FM station which we brand as KRDP Jazz.

What is now KRDP Indie began its life as an online community radio station branded as Radio Phoenix. It was not the first attempt at an indie or community radio station in the Phoenix area, but to date it has been the most successful and the only one to continuously operate. In 2020, the original group that founded Radio Phoenix, the Arizona Community Media Foundation (AzCMF), of which I was a co-founder, went through a strategic planning process. At the end of that process, the Board of Directors determined that they no longer had the capacity to operate Radio Phoenix. Since the station was a much needed independent media resource in the Phoenix community, they sought a new operator.

I was a co-founder and Board Chair for another organization, Desert Soul Media, Inc. (DSM), which produced Radio Phoenix’s weekly African American cultural affairs program. AzCMF approached the DSM Board about taking over the ownership and operations of Radio Phoenix, and the DSM Board agreed. That transition occurred on July 1, 2021. DSM was already in the process of purchasing an FM station from a local high school to launch an African American focused radio station, so acquiring Radio Phoenix complemented the other station’s mission. To honor the work of existing Radio Phoenix volunteers, DSM decided to use the call sign KRDP (which stands for “Radio Phoenix”) and branding KRDP Jazz for its FM station, and rebranded Radio Phoenix as KRDP Indie.

As a side note, DSM applied to the FCC for a license for a second station, 91.9 FM, during the November 2021 filing window . The 91.9 FM frequency will provide coverage of the West Valley of Phoenix, as well as portions of north and central Phoenix. The FCC informed us on Dec. 9 that they awarded us the construction permit for 91.9 FM and we’re working on raising the funds to be able to purchase the transmission equipment and to pay the rent for the new tower site.

Once we’re able to put 91.9 FM on the air, which will have call letters KRPJ, our goal is to move the existing jazz programming (KRDP Jazz) from 90.7 FM to 91.9 FM, and then place what is now our online-only station KRDP Indie on 90.7 FM (KRDP).

Since the transition, we have seen more interest in our stations (now that people can also hear us on FM radio) and support from local foundations and businesses. A group of our volunteers are working musicians in the Phoenix area and they are helping us build our stations into resources for the local music and arts communities, which have needed a radio broadcast partner for many years. We are also connecting with social and political activists who have been essentially shut out of mainstream radio in the Phoenix area since most stations are either part of commercial conglomerates or not welcoming to more progressive perspectives.

You used to be the PD there, but tell us more about your transition to General Manager, the duties of your job, and what part of it you love the most and what is most challenging.

Since a lot of our programming revolved around music discovery, in many ways I have functioned like a music director. In 2021, when DSM took over operations of Radio Phoenix I was selected to serve as our General Manager. At that time, Calvin J Worthen, one of our Board members and hosts who has experience as a Program Director at KBEM in Minneapolis, took over as PD. As General Manager I oversee the operations of our radio stations, making sure our admin and volunteer teams have the support that they need to handle their duties. The part of my role as General Manager that I love the most is interacting with diverse people. The part that I have found most challenging is fundraising.

Can you share more about the music review team you oversee and how that all works?

Since we don’t have a music director at our stations, we utilize a volunteer team of music reviewers. Right now it’s one big team that reviews various genres that are featured on our two stations, but in 2023 we plan to break them into separate teams for KRDP Indie and KRDP Jazz. The Indie team will focus more on reviewing genres such as Indie, Hip-Hop, Folk, Electronic, Dance, Country and other “Top 200” type artists. The Jazz team will focus on reviewing genres such as Jazz, Blues, R&B, Soul, and Gospel. Our current process focuses on forwarding digital downloads to the team, they review them and then we meet two or three times per month via Zoom to discuss what they feel should be added to the library and in rotation, and what should be passed on. For promoters who send us physical CD’s or albums we typically get to those last (unless they already sent a digital download) have volunteers at the station review those and provide feedback. We have a rowdy bunch of music lovers on our review team. Since Phoenix is becoming an important tour stop we also take a look at what artists might be touring through Phoenix in the next few months and also take that into account when adding music.

What was your favorite album released in 2022 and why? Is there a 2023 release on the horizon you are eagerly awaiting?

I really liked Moby’s “Reprise – Remixes” album. As far as 2023, I’m looking forward to Paramore’s new album.

Do you have a favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?

I don’t really have a favorite album, but I host a syndicated specialty show on Saturday nights called HipRawk Nation where I spotlight a lot of Electronic and Dance music along with other genres. Over the past couple of years I’ve become a huge fan of Denver-based DJ/producer ILLENIUM as well as Dutch DJ/producer Martin Garrix, and South African DJ/producer Black Coffee. I’m really amazed at how a music genre created here in the United States is essentially one of the best selling genres around the world and gets almost no media support in America, other than SiriusXM and the group of mostly non-commercial stations across the country that advocate for it.

Who is an artist or band totally outside the realm of the music you play on KRDP that people might be surprised to know you love?

I have pretty eclectic music tastes, so I like almost any genre. I think we probably play most of them on either KRDP Indie or KRDP Jazz. I would say that most people might be surprised to know that I like Bhangra music, which is essentially Indian dance music. We don’t play any of that on either KRDP station. I was exposed to it over 20 years ago when I was Program Director at KPSU radio at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. I’m not familiar enough with it to name any specific artists, but I would say that’s the genre I like that would most surprise people.

If you had the power to instantly change one thing going on in the world at the moment, what would it be?

Less war. More love.

What event or person in your life would you say has shaped you the most as a person?

I would say Brenda Blackmon. She is a retired news anchor who worked at WWOR-TV (Channel 9) and WPIX-TV (Channel 11) in the New York City metro where I grew up. She was part of a generation of Black journalists in the New York area who gained the opportunity to work in the field as a result of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. When I was a senior in high school I participated in an oratory contest and she was one of my judges. I ended up winning first place in the contest and she pulled me aside afterwards and encouraged me to consider a career in media. I was going to go to college to become an attorney. She changed my career path by getting me to think outside the box and I am grateful for her encouragement.
10. If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to visit and why?

I think it would be interesting to live during the Reconstruction period. It would really help me appreciate and understand the sacrifices that my elders have made so that I can have the opportunities that in many cases I have taken for granted. It would also give me perspective on what the United States could look like if everyone were really treated equally.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Phoenix (dine-in or take out) that you recommend people try?

Actually I have four.

I really like Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe in downtown Phoenix. It is the oldest continuously operated soul food restaurant in Phoenix. It’s owned by a prominent African American culinary family here in Phoenix. A member of that family also operates Lo-Lo’s Chicken & Waffles. It’s a local soul food chain that is working towards franchising outside Arizona (there are locations in Las Vegas and in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area).

Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina is a local family-owned Mexican restaurant chain that has in my opinion some of the best Mexican cuisine in Phoenix.

Finally I would recommend Salad And Go, which is a locally owned chain of fast food salad restaurants that have drive thrus. They are very popular in Phoenix and they make some of the best salads (in my opinion) in Phoenix. I think they are also starting to franchise outside of Arizona (they have locations in Texas and Oklahoma).

What in your life brings you the most joy?

Dogs. They don’t have the same hang ups as us humans.

Lightning Round:

Dog or Cat? Dog.
Morning Person or Night Owl? Night Owl.
City or Country? Both.
Beach or Mountains? Mountains.
Watch TV or Read A Book? Read A Book. I limit my exposure to TV. It’s making people dumb and crazy.
Sunny or Rainy? Sunny.
Restaurant or Home Cooking? Home Cooking.
Pants or Shorts? Pants.
Warm or Cold drinks? Warm.

Do you have any current favorite TV shows you’re enjoying/binging? How about a movie (new or old) that you’ve watched recently that you would recommend?

I’m not a big fan of TV. When I have time to watch I often stream stuff from Netflix or HBO Max. My favorite shows on Netflix are the new season of Manifest and another show called The Umbrella Academy. They are both ridiculous but entertaining. On HBO Max I tend to watch Real Time with Bill Maher and older shows like Boardwalk Empire and Oz. Occasionally when I do watch actual broadcast TV I watch stuff on PBS, like Frontline or Austin City Limits. I don’t get out to watch movies too often, but I might go see Wakanda Forever since I liked the original Black Panther.

Finally, with the new year upon us, do you have any resolutions for 2023?

Get more physically fit, and lead KRDP Indie and KRDP Jazz to become better partners with the local arts and music community in Phoenix.