Keeping the traffic moving at KBBF

Organizing the station’s live and recorded programming and ensuring it flows is no small feat, but Gustavo Sánchez makes it happen. As KBBF’s Traffic Coordinator, he is the vital link for airing broadcasts, playing promos, and logging every moment properly.

Sánchez recently assumed this role. However, it turns out he has a long, colorful history with KBBF. He shares, “I moved here in 2000. I didn’t know English back then. There was a show on KBBF called La Onda Juvenil. I turned it on and I heard songs from my home country. That gave me a sense of comfort, something I could relate to.”

His love for the station grew from there. “There was other programming, like a radio soap opera in the mornings. I would get up and listen at 6 — what 12-year-old gets up at 6 a.m. to listen to a radio soap opera? I had just gotten here, didn’t know the language, didn’t know the culture. It made me feel closer to my home.”

Now, working for KBBF is a way of traveling full circle and returning home. His commitment has expanded to creating original programming as well. Sánchez hosts Gustavo’s Music Hour every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., which he describes as a mash-up of Spanish and English music as well as commentary. “It’s another way to interact with the community and pass on resources.”

This connection to listeners is fundamental. Sánchez explains, “It’s nonprofit, community radio… It has a strong follower base, which is not going anywhere anytime soon.” He adds, “I like how the community recognizes KBBF and its efforts to keep people informed. And through all the natural disasters we’ve had, where KBBF takes the lead. I feel good to be involved with a media organization that wants to ensure the community has all that they need. We help them find their way during times of desperation.”

Sánchez reflects on how, as a child, he never imagined he would work in media and for KBBF. “I had this idea when I was growing up, because of life situations…but, in the end, I’m here. For me, this is where I’m supposed to be right now. I could not have asked for more at this time in life, to be involved here. I am part of a vital line of information that stays on the air, creating connections maybe for someone else who has just arrived here. I decided to join KBBF because of that connection. It made me feel closer to home. Maybe I can make someone else feel closer to home.”

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The KBBF crew welcomes your membership. Go to the KBBF.org website and choose a monthly donation or a one-time gift. GRACIAS!