The station known for breaking new indie and eclectic artists does it again—this time towards the world of video, creating video playlists with YouTube content. KCRW (89.9FM and KCRW.com) introduces an online video channel called The Cue, hosted by the public radio station’s family of DJs, on YouTube (www.kcrw.com/thecue).
MD and Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley (he used to do their nighttime show, Metropolis) introduces the channel in the first set of clips and the first one is “Los Angeles Time Lapse Done in One Day.” It reminds us of the Francis Ford Coppola movie, Koyaanisqatsi, but certainly done on a happier note.
In a later episode Bentley features artists that got their start at KCRW and then went on to significantly impact — and change — pop culture. Other talent from the station are already up as well.
“This is the next logical step in KCRW’s quest to discover music and share it. Just like we’ve always done sifting through the great world of music and uncovering the gems, we do so now in the vast music universe of YouTube,” KCRW GM Jennifer Ferro.
Themes include a selection of criminally overlooked gems from DJ Eric J Lawrence, a dip into LA’s club scene with DJ Valida, quintessential California songs from DJ Anne Litt, visually inspiring sounds from Anthony Valadez and music that makes you want to dance – and cry – from DJ Mario Cotto.
“KCRW’s programming is on almost every platform imaginable so the idea of creating something new aimed at the YouTube audience was intriguing to us. The Cue allows us to not only share some of the great music that lives on YouTube but present a curated channel that is fun, quirky, unpredictable and uniquely KCRW,” said Betsy Moyer, Creative Director of The Cue.
The series is being produced in partnership with LA-based production company Subtractive and will deliver multiple videos a week.
RBR-TVBR observation: KCRW is a brand—a brand that has always revolved around being the soundtrack of L.A. and what is so cool and hip about it. But with the internet, that brand has been taken globally with regular listeners in almost every country in the world. Now that brand is heading more into the video frontier. Let’s face it—your radio station is a brand too—where do you want to take it? The internet takes away any limitations that your signal strength and tower height used to have.
