PRESS RELEASE: COMMUNITY RADIO KNSJ 89.1 FM SUFFERED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE WHEN A WINTER STORM TOPPLED ITS RENTED TOWER

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February 27, 2026

Our volunteers have confirmed that the American Tower Company’s tower on Monument Peak at 6,200 ft. elevation collapsed in the February winter storm due to severe ice accumulation and wind. The tower where KNSJ rented space since beginning broadcasting on July 4th, 2013, is now a crumpled pile of steel and cabling. The tower also hosted two cell phone transfer stations, for AT&T and T-Mobile, as well as several other smaller clients. KNSJ was the only broadcast station on the tower. KNSJ is still streaming online, but restoring our broadcast signal will require urgent funding for engineering, equipment, and a possible new site.

APRIL 24 OPENING OF “STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE”

“INDEPENDENT MEDIA IS THE OXYGEN OF A DEMOCRACY”–Amy Goodman

THE FILM “STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE” ABOUT AMY GOODMAN, DEMOCRACY NOW!, OPENS IN SAN DIEGO IN TWO THEATERS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 24 AND RUNS THROUGH THURSDAY, APRIL 30:

DIGITAL GYM CINEMA, AN INDEPENDENT MOVIE THEATER IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO AT 1100 MARKET STREET, AND AT ANGELIKA FILM CENTER & CAFÉ-CARMEL MOUNTAIN, LOCATED IN CARMEL MOUNTAIN PLAZA, 11620 CARMEL MOUNTAIN ROAD, SAN DIEGO 92128

LISTEN TO DEMOCRACY NOW! IN SAN DIEGO EXCLUSIVELY ON KNSJ M-F 7-8AM AND 6-7PM

Undeterred by armed soldiers, evasive politicians, and riot police, Amy Goodman has reported some of the most consequential stories of our time. Steal This Story, Please! is a gripping account of the trailblazing journalist whose unwavering commitment to truth-telling spans three decades of turbulent history. From the frontlines of global conflicts to the organized chaos of her daily news show Democracy Now!, Goodman amplifies stories and voices too often silenced by commercial media.

Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water, Citizen Koch, The Janes) take us behind the scenes with the warm, wisecracking granddaughter of an Orthodox rabbi — raised in a tradition of asking hard questions – as she navigates a media landscape reshaped by technology, corporate consolidation, and political assaults on the press and on truth itself. Urgent, provocative and unexpectedly funny, Steal This Story, Please! is both a call to action and a celebration of resistance, posing the question: what happens to democracy when the press stops challenging power?

FRIENDLY FIRE with Don Kimball Sat 2pm

A Voice for Veterans

DR. CHRIS BUSBY

Tune into Friendly Fire a Voice For Veterans this Saturday on KNSJ.org at 2 pm PDT to hear renowned British author/activist/whistleblower and radiological epidemiologist Dr. Chris Busby speak about the US Navy’s cover up of the radioactive contamination thousands of sailors have suffered. Many have been exposed from their time aboard nuclear powered submarines and ships, while others were exposed on the aircraft carrier USS Regan during the USN rescue efforts during Operation Tomodachi (friend) during the Fukushima meltdown in 2011. Busby has been investigating the adverse effects of radiation from nuclear fallout and other sources of radiation such as Depleted Uranium, for over 30 years. A walking encyclopedia of knowledge about the poisoning of our planet, he also exposes the dramatic increase in cancer among young adults under 50.

Is There a Way out of the Iran War? with John Mearsheimer

With Zionist pressure pushing Trump to escalate on one side, and catastrophic economic consequences pressuring him into a deal on the other — can the Iran War end smoothly?

At the last minute, Iran agreed on Monday to participate in negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan. The fragile ceasefire agreement between the two countries ends on Wednesday. Following the US attack on and seizure of an Iranian cargo ship in the Sea of Oman on Saturday, and contradictory tweets by President Trump in recent days, Iran was understandably hesitant to engage in further discussions with the US. There are additional obstacles to a successful resolution of the US-Israeli war on Iran to consider.

To dissect the challenges involved in negotiating peace and the potential ramifications of a resumption of the war, Chris Hedges speaks with Professor John Mearsheimer. A fundamental difficulty is whether the United States realizes that Iran has the upper hand in this conflict. Mearsheimer explains that if the US chooses to escalate the situation, this would be to Iran’s advantage as they have the capacity to inflict greater harm on the global economy beyond restricting passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which has already created shortages in critical materials needed for manufacturing and agriculture.

THE WOMEN’S HOUR with Patricia Law Sat Noon

VANESSA VALIENTE–ACTIVISM FOR BUSY PEOPLE

Patricia and her guest Vanessa Valiente are in conversation about the many ways to incorporate activism into a busy schedule.

ABOUT ACTIVISM FOR BUSY PEOPLE:

– 1 email. 1 hour. Big impact.

– We actively care about democracy, human rights, and an uncorrupted government that serves all Americans.

– We progress these values by assigning one clear, easy-to-follow action to our followers each month that can be done in one hour or less.

_____Meet Vanessa Valiente

Founder of The Efficient Activist, Vanessa Valiente, like many busy Americans, was overwhelmed by too much information and too many calls to action. She wanted concise, curated, and consistent activist “homework” that would allow her to contribute meaningfully without adding stress to her already full plate.

“If you are not a full-time activist,” explains Vanessa. “You don’t have the time to sift through all the calls to action, and a lot of these amazing organizations are constructed by and for full-time activists. So, folks that are overwhelmed or overbooked end up doing nothing about national causes, even though they very much would like to participate in civic engagement.”

After searching for a solution and finding nothing that met her needs, she realized there was a gap in the political engagement space. “Someone needed to create one easy-to-follow assignment for busy people who only have an hour a month for political activism.”

As a lifetime activist and two decades as a personal stylist, Vanessa’s ability to curate information is unmatched, so she created The Efficient Activist. Each month, The Efficient Activist team sorts through all the action items each credible activist organization releases and then selects the one action that will make the biggest impact with the least amount of effort. This is political activism for busy people.

https://theefficientactivist.com/

With Mike and Arthur Aguirre Sat 11am

Call in at 619-790-KNSJ (5675)

JIM NEWLAND in convesation about La Mesa, the La Mesa History Center, Local History and More

James D. Newland is a historian, project manager, and planner for the California State Park

Department. He is currently serving as the Division Chief for the Strategic Planning & Recreation Services Division of California State Parks, where he has been employed for over 29 years. He has been professionally involved in cultural resources, land use planning, community history and historic preservation since 1991. Jim is a graduate of San Diego State University where he received his B.A. in Social Sciences, and a M.A. in Public History.

He has written hundreds of technical reports, academic and popular historical journal articles, four books, (Images of America: Cleveland National Forest; Images of America: La Mesa; Images of America: Around Mt Helix; and Grossmont Hospital, A Legacy of Community Service), and was a regular columnist for the La Mesa Patch web-paper. He lectures and presents on the history of the Greater La Mesa area regularly, and several of his talks can be found on the La Mesa History Center’s youtube page.

Mr. Newland has served on numerous statewide, regional, and local, professional, and non-for-profit boards—including the California Council for the Promotion of History, City of La Mesa’s Centennial Committee, La Mesa History Center, and the San Diego State University Alumni Board. Jim also served on the City of La Mesa Planning Commission and Historic Preservation Commission from 2014 to 2022. Jim and his wife Jennifer returned to San Diego in 2022, moving into a historically landmarked 1928 home in the Kensington neighborhood.

The La Mesa History Center is a private non-profit 501c(3) corporation, charged with preserving and educating the community on the fascinating history of the Greater La Mesa area.

In 2025 the La Mesa History Center (1975-2025) celebrated our non-profit organization’s 50 th anniversary. The History Center is located at 8369 University Avenue, La Mesa where it operates the McKinney House Museum and History Center Research Archives.

Website: lamesahistory.com

Email: info@lamesahistory.com

Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Youtube page: La Mesa Historical Society

STOP & TALK Fri 8am

Guest Rafael Payare

Thoughtful conversations and a good way to start the day! STOP & TALK dives deep into the themes of purpose and opportunity, guided by the insights of leaders in the arts and culture, health, philanthropy, finance, and innovation fields. Together, we celebrated local achievements and envisioned what’s possible in San Diego County.

https://www.prebysfdn.org

KNSJ IS ON THE MOVE AT THE GLOBAL EARTH DAY FESTIVAL, WORLDBEAT CULTURAL CENTER TODAY

COME BY THE BOOTH AND SAY HI TO OUR DJs

Where: WorldBeat Cultural Center: 2100 Park Blvd. Balboa Park, San Diego CA 92101 www.worldbeatcenter.org

WorldBeat Cultural Center brings music, culture, and sustainability together for a free, all-ages festival

The 34th Annual Global Earth Day Festival returns to Balboa Park this spring, transforming the WorldBeat Cultural Center into a vibrant hub of music, culture, and environmental awareness. This free, family-friendly event draws thousands each year for a full day of live performances, cultural experiences, and eco-conscious programming.

This year’s festival features a dynamic lineup of live music, including Grammy Award-winning artist Kabaka Pyramid, The Stinkfoot Orchestra (a 14-piece tribute to Frank Zappa), Mariea Antoinette, and more. Cultural performances from around the world—including Taiko drumming, West African dance, Brazilian samba, and Native American drumming—highlight the event’s global spirit.

With Don Kimball Sat 2pm, Wed 7pm

A Voice For Veterans
Linda Pentz Gunter Author of NO TO NUCLEAR

Don is in conversation with activist/author Linda Pentz Gunter about her new book, No To Nuclear. Linda is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization Beyond Nuclear and talks about how the toxic relationship between nuclear power and nuclear weapons has brought us into the war with Iran.

TALK OF THE TOWN LIVE with Mike and Arthur Aguirre Sat 11am

NEWS REPORTING – MEDIA OUTLETS DECREASING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS – ICE – THE FALL OF CESAR CHAVEZ

GUESTS ARE AWARD-WINNING SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE JOURNALISTS Yanelli Zavina Robles, Valeryah Lara-Urrea, Arianna Antillon and Dr. Max Branscomb, Faculty Advisor for Student Publications and Professor of Journalism

Call in with comments: 619-790-KNSJ (5675)

Yanelli Zavina Robles, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Southwestern College Sun student newspaper. Mother of two young children. Yanelli has won more than 50 state and national journalism awards for writing, photography and leadership. 2026 Southwestern College Student of Distinction Award recipient — the college’s highest student honor. The Southwestern College Sun is the current national champion collegiate newspaper.

Valeryah Lara-Urrea is the Editor-in-Chief of the Southwestern College El Sol Magazine. El Sol is the 2025-26 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award recipient — the collegiate Pulitzer Prize. Valeryah has won national awards for arts and sports writing, design and leadership. 

Arianna Antillon is the News Editor of the Southwestern College Sun. She has written about the fall of Cesar Chavez, ICE operations in the South County and environmental issues related to the Tijuana River sewage situation. 

Dr. Max Branscomb is a Professor of Journalism at Southwestern College and faculty advisor for student publications. He has taught at Southwestern College for 30 years. He has returned even though he is three years past retirement age because he loves his students and believes teaching journalism is an important and meaningful occupation today. Dr. Max is also a songwriter and playwright. He has written the Bonitafest Melodrama musical comedy for 48 years and La Pastorela for Teatro Mascara Magica and KNSJ radio for 34 years.