Shows
CrosscurrentsLiving Jazz, 'In the Name of Love: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'Recently, Oakland-raised musician, composer, and bandleader, Kev Choice, performied live at KALW's Studio Events space in downtown San Francisco. It was part of a preview for the upcoming show "In the Name of Love: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." from Living Jazz. Living Jazz is an educational organization that provides musical retreats in nature and workshops in elementary schools. KALW is a media sponsor. Kev Choice is Music Director for the King Tribute. He and singer/songwriter B. Deveaux joined KALW's Executive Producer, Ben Trefny, to talk about the upcoming event, which is happening at...
2026-01-0609 minCrosscurrentsLiving Jazz, 'In the Name of Love: Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'Recently, Oakland-raised musician, composer, and bandleader, Kev Choice, performied live at KALW's Studio Events space in downtown San Francisco. It was part of a preview for the upcoming show "In the Name of Love: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." from Living Jazz. Living Jazz is an educational organization that provides musical retreats in nature and workshops in elementary schools. KALW is a media sponsor. Kev Choice is Music Director for the King Tribute. He and singer/songwriter B. Deveaux joined KALW's Executive Producer, Ben Trefny, to talk about the upcoming event, which is happening at...
2026-01-0609 minCrosscurrentsThe Bay Agenda: The Anti-Immigrant Spin CycleThe Trump Administration has made life very challenging for immigrants across the United States. And that’s really been felt here in the Bay Area, where roughly a third of residents are immigrants. Many of the rights immigrants to the U.S. have are actually rooted right here in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The community there came together more than a century ago, to fight against government efforts to remove Chinese people from the country.KALW recently held a live event focused on the history of one of the most prominent businesses for Chinese immigrants: laund...
2025-12-1508 minCrosscurrentsThe Bay Agenda: The Anti-Immigrant Spin CycleThe Trump Administration has made life very challenging for immigrants across the United States. And that’s really been felt here in the Bay Area, where roughly a third of residents are immigrants. Many of the rights immigrants to the U.S. have are actually rooted right here in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The community there came together more than a century ago, to fight against government efforts to remove Chinese people from the country.KALW recently held a live event focused on the history of one of the most prominent businesses for Chinese immigrants: laund...
2025-12-1508 min
CivicCivic Special - San Francisco “Family Zoning” Housing PlanAs part of an effort to meet state mandated housing requirements, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has introduced a "Family Zoning Plan" that would increase building height limitations along transit corridors. Supervisors have introduced amendments to the legislation which is being voted on December 2nd, 2025.
SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood and KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny moderated a town hall conversation bringing together stakeholders with different ideas of how to move forward.
Panelists include: Brianna Morales, the Community Organizer at the Housing Action Coalition (HAC), a member-supported advocacy organization dedicated to expanding housing opportunities for people of all...
2025-11-2658 min
Making ContactExposed Part 2: the Human Radiation Experiments at Hunter's Point from SF Public PressIn Episode 2 of "Exposed" from our friends at San Francisco Public Press, we explore a little-known chapter in San Francisco's nuclear era: human experiments carried out to assess the health effects of radiation. Scientists from the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, located at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, designed and executed at least 24 experiments that involved gathering data from humans — in some cases, injecting test subjects with radioisotopes or having them ingest fluids laced with trace amounts of radioactive materials. Even football players from the San Francisco 49ers were enrolled as test subjects in these so-called tracer studies. We...
2025-11-2429 minMaking ContactExposed Part 1: the Human Radiation Experiments at Hunter's Point from SF Public Press (Encore)Today we present the first half of a two-part radio documentary from our friends at SF Public Press, "Exposed," opening a window into the little-known history of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The sprawling abandoned naval base, in San Francisco's southeast waterfront Bayview neighborhood, is currently the site of the city's largest real estate development project. The base played a key role in the Cold War nuclear era, when it housed a research institution known as the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, which studied the human health effects of radiation. In Episode 1 of the podcast, we trace the...
2025-11-1929 minCrosscurrentsThe Bay Agenda: The Future of San Francisco HousingKALW recently hosted a Town Hall conversation about proposed changes to San Francisco's zoning plans. It took place at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco, and was cohosted by KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny and SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood.
2025-11-1712 minCrosscurrentsThe Bay Agenda: The Future of San Francisco HousingKALW recently hosted a Town Hall conversation about proposed changes to San Francisco's zoning plans. It took place at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco, and was cohosted by KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny and SF Public Press Executive Director Lila LaHood.
2025-11-1712 min
Art Is Awesome with Emily WilsonKALW Radio - Bay Made Showcase Live RecordingThis special episode of Art is Awesome was recorded live at KALW Public Radio in San Francisco, featuring host Emily Wilson and a dynamic panel: artists Tricia Rainwater and Jennifer Wofford, and curator Candace Huey. The conversation explores the power of art in challenging times, the importance of community, and the unique creative spirit of the Bay Area.Highlights include:Opening chat with Emily and KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny.Reflections on each guest’s artistic journey and current projects, including Tricia’s solo exhibition at SF Camerawork and Jenifer’s new mural project.Insights into the ro...
2025-10-281h 03Crosscurrents'King' of sports broadcastersIn the world of Bay Area sports announcers, Bill King is legendary. His heyday overlapped with Oakland’s professional teams. This story first aired in 2017. The Raiders were still playing football, the Warriors were still playing basketball, and the A’s were still playing baseball in Oakland. Here’s KALW’s Executive Producer, Ben Trefny, with this old favorite.
2025-08-2607 minCrosscurrents'King' of sports broadcastersIn the world of Bay Area sports announcers, Bill King is legendary. His heyday overlapped with Oakland’s professional teams. This story first aired in 2017. The Raiders were still playing football, the Warriors were still playing basketball, and the A’s were still playing baseball in Oakland. Here’s KALW’s Executive Producer, Ben Trefny, with this old favorite.
2025-08-2607 min
The Kitchen Sisters PresentRadio Pacific - A New Show From KALW San FranciscoThe Kitchen Sisters are excited to share the first episode of Radio Pacific, a new monthly show from KALW in San Francisco that takes a deep and creative look at the issues facing California and the rest of our country today. The hour-long, monthly program features journalists, writers, and documentarians who are grappling with life in the country’s most populous and diverse state.In this first episode, California legal scholar Kevin R. Johnson puts the first months of Trump’s administration in perspective and helps us understand California’s unique and disturbing role in the country’s immigr...
2025-05-2052 min
Beyond The Fog RadioSpecial live episode: Barbara Lee w/ Ben Trefny of KALWBeyond The Fog Radio presents our most exciting episode yet: an interview with former U.S. representative and current Oakland mayoral candidate Barbara Lee, in partnership with KALW!
KALW (91.7 FM) is the oldest public radio station in the Bay Area, and it hosts a program called "Bay Made" which spotlights local creators and businesses. Ben Trefny is KALW's Executive Producer, and he kindly invited us on Bay Made to record our interview with Congresswoman Lee at KALW's event space in downtown San Francisco. On January 15, in front of a live audience that included former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Carolyn...
2025-03-051h 29Making ContactExposed Part 2: the Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point from SF Public PressIn episode two of "Exposed" from our friends at the San Francisco Public Press, we explore a little-known chapter in San Francisco's nuclear era: human experiments carried out to assess the health effects of radiation. Scientists from the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, located at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, designed and executed at least 24 experiments that involved gathering data from humans — in some cases, injecting test subjects with radioisotopes or having them ingest fluids laced with trace amounts of radioactive materials. Even football players from the San Francisco 49ers were enrolled as test subjects in these so-called tracer studies....
2025-02-1229 min
Worst Quality CrabEpisode 34: Bay Made Live Showcase - Lunar New Year Past and Present with Margot Seeto, Eric Ehler, and Deanna UlrichOur first live episode! This one is doubly special as we did our first live episode AND celebrated Lunar New Year with a panel of illustrious guests. Thank you to KALW for featuring us as part of their Bay Made series and thank you to guests Margot Seeto, Eric Ehler, and Deanna Ulrich for joining us to talk about their Lunar New Year traditions as kids and what LNY means to them as adults.
Special thanks to:
David Boyer
David Kwan
Ben Trefny
Charles Lighthouse
KALW Staff
Outta Sight Pizza
Nicole Lugtu
2025-02-111h 17Making ContactExposed Part 1: the Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point from SF Public PressToday we present the first half of a two-part radio documentary from our friends at the San Francisco Public Press, "Exposed," opening a window into the little-known history of the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. The sprawling abandoned naval base, in San Francisco's southeast waterfront Bayview neighborhood, is currently the site of the city's largest real estate development project. The base played a key role in the Cold War nuclear era, when it housed a research institution known as the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, which studied the human health effects of radiation. In episode one of the podcast...
2025-02-0529 minThe Kitchen Sisters Present203 - A San Quentin WeddingEdmond Richardson is an audio producer for Uncuffed, a KALW podcast produced by people in prison. Recently, Edmond and his love, Avelina, got married inside San Quentin and Uncuffed produced this story.
The Kitchen Sisters are great admirers of KALW’s Uncuffed podcast and are proud to share this story. KALW, San Francisco, has led rehabilitative classes in audio production inside San Quentin State Prison since 2012, and Solano Prison since 2018. Their mission is to provide media training to people in the carceral system. Radio producers from KALW visit the prisons to teach classes in audio production, and to...
2022-12-0632 min
KALW News San Francisco, 91.7How Coronavirus Is Affecting The Bay AreaHANA BABA: Today, we’re starting with, of course, coronavirus. And, I’m joined by KALW News Director Ben Trefny. Hey, Ben.
BEN TREFNY: Hey, Hana.
BABA: So what we know today is that there’s a new fatality in Santa Clara County. It’s the county’s first death. A woman in her 60s was diagnosed back on Feb 28. She was one of three people diagnosed. So, what else is going on?
TREFNY: Well, the item getting the most attention around the country now is the Grand Princess cruise ship, which docked in the Port of Oakland around noon today. The...
2020-03-1006 min
THE INTERSECTIONDESERT meets DEFAULT at Burning ManBurning Man is known for its massive, Instagram-friendly art installations that are a stark contrast to the beige, desert backdrop. There are also many smaller projects, labors of love that can easily get lost. In this installment, THE INTERSECTION discovers one of them. To the naked eye, it looks like an old phone on a dusty table. Curious folks at Burning Man pick up the receiver. What awaits them on the other end is totally unexpected. Thr project is The Phone Experiment™; it's the creation of David Cooper, a coder-slash- comedian who lives in San Francisco. He wa...
2020-02-0524 min
THE INTERSECTIONPARTY meets PRAYER at Burning ManBurning Man is pagan at its core with a hell-ish aesthetic. It's understandable that many evangelical leaders condemn the event. But why do so many devout Christians attend each year? And what do they do once they're there? We meet the priests and apostles of Religous AF camp, who are on a mission to help other Burners heal their spiritual wounds. Donate: paypal.me/THEINTERSECTION // Hear more: www.theintersection.fm // Twitter: @IntersectionFM // Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Producer: David Boyer Editor: Ben Trefny Engineer: Gabe Grabin Music: Erik Pears...
2020-01-0820 min
KALW News San Francisco, 91.7Party Meets Prayer At Burning Man (excerpt)Burning Man is pagan at its core with a hellish, flaming aesthetic. It's understandable that many evangelical leaders condemn the event. But why do many devout Christians attend?And what do they do once they're there? THE INTERSECTION finds out.
"I think Jesus would have been a Burner." - Annie Dunlop, co-leader of Religious AF camp
This episode picks up where party meets prayer at Burning Man. We follow Episcopal priest Brian Baker and his flock of Christians from the Religious As F#!k theme camp as they engage Burners in deep conversations about spirituality and try to heal wounds...
2020-01-0815 min
KALW News San Francisco, 91.7Ep. 12 - Warriors final words on a season gone awryThe Golden State Warriors’ off-season is underway. In one of their last moves in Oakland, the team introduced its three draft picks at its convention center practice facility. But while the new players posed for the media, the vets have other things going on. In the latest episode of Bounce: the Warriors’ last season in Oakland, KALW’s Ben Trefny has more.
2019-06-2710 min
BOUNCE: The Valkyries' 1st Season in the BayEp. 12 - Warriors final words on a season gone awryThe Golden State Warriors’ off-season is underway. In one of their last moves in Oakland, the team introduced its three draft picks at its convention center practice facility. But while the new players posed for the media, the vets have other things going on. In the latest episode of Bounce: the Warriors’ last season in Oakland, KALW’s Ben Trefny has more.
2019-06-2710 min
THE INTERSECTIONThe Future of GooglevilleWhat will Googleville look like in 2030? And why did it take almost a decade for Mountain View's city council to decide? In the season finale, we explore how a city crafts a plan for the future while dealing with a housing shortage, a transportation crisis—and the demands of one of the powerful companies in the world. Ever wonder how local governments work? Go on, press play. Donate: paypal.me/THEINTERSECTION // Hear more: www.theintersection.fm // Twitter: @IntersectionFM // Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Producer: David Boyer Editor: Ben Trefny Engineer...
2018-03-1232 min
THE INTERSECTIONIs this Mountain View or Googleville?Google accounts for 1 in 5 jobs and owns more land than anyone else. So, is Mountain View a new version of the old company town? In this episode we talk to locals, experts, journalists and officials about the rise of Google—and what would happen to the town if the company falls. Donate: paypal.me/THEINTERSECTION // Hear more: www.theintersection.fm // Twitter: @IntersectionFM // Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Producer: David Boyer Editor: Ben Trefny Engineer: Chris Hoff and David Boyer Music: Erik Pearson Associate Producer: Lucy Kang Associa...
2018-01-0529 min
THE INTERSECTIONHOLIDAY SPECIAL - Marlena's at Hayes & Octavia (2013)We'll head back to Googleville in the New Year. But first, THE INTERSECTION has a gift for you. It's the story of a San Francisco drag bar known for two things: owner Marlena (a.k.a. Gary) and her Christmas display of 1400 Santas. That is, until the bar closed in 2013. We captured the final days as fans and regulars grappled with the end of an era at this drag institution at the corner of Hayes & Octavia in the now upscale Hayes Valley neighborhood. "Marlena's Curtain Call" originally aired on KALW in June 2013. Donate: paypal.me/THEINTERSECTION // Hear more...
2017-12-2619 min
THE INTERSECTIONHOLIDAY SPECIAL - A Look Back at 3rd & Jerrold in the BayviewThis week, while you're buzzing all over the country, THE INTERSECTION is digging into our archive and presenting the story of a corner that originally aired on KALW in 2014. It's about 3rd & Jerrold in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. The corner is home to a Black Baptist church, a KFC/Taco Bell, a tutoring non-profit (started by Steve Jobs' widow) and an organic pizza joint. Enjoy the trip back to a simpler time...when change was welcomed by some longtime residents. Hear more: www.theintersection.fm Twitter: @IntersectionFM Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Pr...
2017-12-1836 min
THE INTERSECTIONHomeless in GooglevilleHome, Sweet...RV? More than 100 Mountain View residents are living in their vehicles. Meet three of them, who are parked just steps away from our corner: a Google engineer in a deluxe RV parked on campus, an older Google shuttle driver in a leaky trailer on the street, and a guy living in a van while he's on the outs with his family. Plus, hear how the city of Mountain View is responding. Hear more: www.theintersection.fm Twitter: @IntersectionFM Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Producer: David Boyer Editor: Ben Trefny Enginee...
2017-12-1128 min
THE INTERSECTIONDon't Call it a Trailer ParkIt's Googleville's only housing. And it's a mobile home park built 50 years ago. Here, Googlers live alongside their blue-collar neighbors, new immigrants and seniors on fixed incomes. But when rent increases and a greedy owner threaten their quirky utopia, the residents of Santiago Villa Mobile Home Park band together and take action. Hear more: www.theintersection.fm Twitter: @intersectionfm Facebook: fb.com/IntersectionFM --- Producer: David Boyer Editor: Ben Trefny Engineer: Chris Hoff and David Boyer Music: Erik Pearson Associate Producer: Lucy Kang Ass...
2017-11-2830 min
THE INTERSECTIONBefore it was Googlevillea.k.a. The twisted history of this corner. Before it was Silicon Valley, this area was known as the Valley of Heart's Delight. The farms eventually gave way to nondescript office parks. And on this corner, the office park will soon be replaced by Google's answer to Apple's spaceship headquarters. In this episode, you'll hear all about the history of this intersection from the days of the California Gold Rush to the arrival of Google. You'll tour a 150-year-old mansion (Google bike shop now occupies the spot), you'll meet a woman who grew up here in th...
2017-11-2027 min
THE INTERSECTIONGetting to GooglevilleWe're spending this season at North Shoreline Boulevard and Space Park Way in the middle of Google's HQ in Mountain View. But first we have to get there. Over the course of this season, we'll break down how history, culture, money and politics come together—and apart—at this one dot on the map. Want to know more? Go to www.theintersection.fm Produced by David Boyer with KALW. Editor: Ben Trefny / Engineer: Chris Hoff and David Boyer / Music: Erik Pearson
2017-11-0626 min
Third Coast Audio Library :: AllBittersweet TVA television studio executive is challenged to dream up a ludicrous reality TV show idea and succeeds.Year: 2013Producers:Audrey DillingBen Trefny
2013-04-2403 min