Naming the new Baby


(From KTAO Guide #82, September, 1971)

During a recent meeting of The 'Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, Inc., of Santa Cruz, holder of a permit for a new FM station in that city, the following discussion of possible call letters took place:

David F.; I prefer KAZU. We could have Jack play some Shostakovitch symphony on the
kazoo for background to our I.D.s.
Lorenzo: How about KVÄS? You know, the European drink...
David F.: It's already taken by another station...
Lorenzo: Not with an umlaut over the 'Ä'...
Mary: I am damned if I am going to be involved with a radio station with silly call letters like
KZOO. How could I ever go out on the streets and ask for 'Contributions for KLIT?'
Lorenzo: That sounds like a good idea...getting you and Cese and Jane out on the streets for money.
That should bring in some $5 a week. How about KCHU?
Len: I don't get it.
Lorenzo: Kah-choooo! 'The wet spot on your dial.'
David C.: And we could get sneezes from all the famous people in the world. Like: The
following sneeze was brought to you by Jean-Paul Sartre for KCHU.
Marcia: Why don't we take a vote?

[Ballots are passed out, inscribed, and returned.]

Marcia: We have two votes for KAZU, one for KCHO, one for KPFA, and one marked 'no.'
Jane: If that's my vote for KAZU, we have to change it. I meant to say 'KZOO.'
Lorenzo: How about KTIT. You know: KTIT needs your support.
David C.: Or KBRA.
Mary: Can't we be serious? KCBS. That's a nice one, a serious one.
David C.: They've been going in San Francisco for 20 years.
Mary: Or KSOL. We have a lot of Soul. And it means, what does 'sol' mean in Spanish,
doesn't it mean...
Marcia: Why don't we just write down all the choices. That always helps; to see what we are
talking about.

[She takes a large white cardboard, and a marking pen, and writes down 'KUSP.'

Marcia: All right. We have KUSP. What else is there?

[No one says anything for at least a minute.]

David F.: Well, I guess that's it. Now we can talk about something important, like money...

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