The Climate Report Radio Show (update)

A Letter from The Climate Report Radio Show Host, Dale Steele:

The final episode of the “Climate Report” on KUBU 96.5 FM aired on March 26th.

What is The Climate Report?

The Climate Report is a weekly radio program hosted on KUBU 96.5 FM in Sacramento. The show was started 2016 by 350 Sacramento volunteer, Steve Saffold, and has been maintained by volunteers for 350 Sacramento for about eight years. I (Dale) volunteered to help with technical aspects and took the required Access Sacramento training which was then limited mainly to studio recording and production.

After a brief pause following Steve’s exit, I offered to take it over on a ‘temporary’ basis… and have led that effort since. I modified program content to include music and other media which was covered under the station license, and  created a remote digital process that allowed work beyond the studio. From then on, I produced the weekly show with my iPad and iMac. “Climate Report” shows are archived online.

Local Radio Show for Sacramento

The low power limitation of KUBU restricted radio reception mainly to central Sacramento, which includes potentially around 250,000 people. For the last five or so years, the station has also been streamed on the internet via the Access Sacramento website and a mobile app. The station doesn’t have data about number of listeners or other parameters, and only modest growth has been reported. 350 Sacramento has consistently provided a weekly “Climate Report” for over eight years.

End of an Era

Access Sacramento established KUBU 96.5 FM, and recently decided to shut it down at the end of March 2025. That included both the radio station and the mobile app used for streaming content. The last broadcast date was Saturday, March 29. Although the station has continued to struggle to find adequate funding and build a broader listener base, I was still surprised to suddenly learn recently that KUBU was shutting down. It’s possible that reductions in federal funding for public radio and television may also have been a consideration.

New Platform

There’s been a new development since KUBU shut down. The radio station went offline at the end of March as scheduled. One of the radio producers on KUBU started a streaming only replacement for existing programming using the Live365.com platform. He purchased a “KUBU965” subscription, and has offered to help others transfer to it.

About Live365

Live365 is a commercial service and the purchase or subscription includes license for playing commercial music. Existing KUBU content is being transferred over to Live365. Tools are being developed now to allow for new content to be submitted. The existing KUBU recording studios at Access Sacramento will also be available for use to continue radio/podcast recording for other media.

Climate Report… The Podcast?

Establishing a new online or podcast format Climate Report could take a considerable amount of work to start and maintain. If there is interest by others in participating in the Live365 opportunity or starting a new podcast based on the “Climate Report,” it might be possible to do so initially using previous shows until details are worked out. I previously experimented with distributing recorded “Climate Report” episodes on podcast platforms. A podcast format doesn’t allow the same licensed use of commercial music that is typically covered with a radio station.

It’s been fun, challenging, and rewarding, and quite an effort. I’m personally looking forward to taking a break from weekly radio production after nearly 8 years.

Thank You,

Dale