We are sad to announce that KZFR youth programmer Ginger Nichols is moving on after many years on the Mighty Zephyr airwaves.
Ginger joined us as Laurie Niles cohost of "2 Penny Opera" when she was just 6 years old and by the time she turned 10 had her own show "Radio Active" where she played indie pop music with lots of thoughtful conversation.
"I grew up at KZFR, and although I am leaving the station, I will use these skills in all of my future endeavors, attending San Francisco State University as a communications major and being the first of many. I am so grateful to have such a solid foundation with such a welcoming community radio station. Thank you KZFR for gifting me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will cherish for my entire life."
Join us in wishing her all best in her future endeavors at San Francisco State University! Tune in Tuesday, Jan 21st at 6:30pm for her very last edition of Radio Active.
"I joined KZFR when I was 6 years old. To this day I don’t remember how it came to be but I have heard the story of how I asked my dad to be on the radio and he somehow knew the right people to make that happen for me. I sat in with Laurie Niles for 4 years every other Saturday morning, which looking back was a valiant endeavor on Lauri’s part. I have concluded that if it weren’t for her patience I would not have had such a successful run at KZFR.
When I was 10, I got my very own program. I was way over my head when it came time to name the show. I have always had an internalized concept that names had to be perfect, timeless, and completely encapsulate the meaning of the thing they represented. Somehow, I landed on Radio Active, and it felt so right. There were no expectations with Radio Active; it could be whatever I wanted it to be. It left me room to grow, and grow I did.
I knew how to talk when I joined the station, like most 6-year-olds do, but in my time at the station, I learned to speak. I learned how to speak with clarity and confidence. I faced many challenges in the past 10 years of broadcasting. Physical problems like the internet going out or the equipment not working the way I needed it to, I had to adapt on the fly. Usually, these issues resulted in me filling air time with talking rather than music. I now know the pain that comes along with filling half an hour of air time with no preparation, but I also know the joys of getting through those situations and becoming a more well-rounded, resourceful, and flexible person.
As I got older I endured emotional problems as well. I get many phone calls while I’m doing my show and only a fraction are nice. I have had to deal with people who don’t like my topic, who don’t like my music, and people who think that they have some sort of authority over my show because I’m young. I was the youngest programmer for quite a while, and many listeners took that to mean they could talk to me like a child, even to this day, at the ripe age of 20. On the surface these experiences seem negative, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I know how to stand up to people who try and talk over me, and do so in a respectful way, yet another life skill that local radio has taught me.
I love KZFR despite the challenges. I speak despite others talking over me. I speak despite everything going wrong. I know how to persevere and tell my story without fearing judgment, which is a skill that not everyone has. I grew up at KZFR, and although I am leaving the station, I will use these skills in all of my future endeavors, attending San Francisco State University as a communications major and being the first of many. I am so grateful to have such a solid foundation with such a welcoming community radio station. Thank you KZFR for gifting me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will cherish for my entire life."
