Radio Whiteaker - KWVA 88.1 fm - Eugene, OR

2008-09-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Bio

Thanks for stopping by! Radio Whiteaker is a weekly ethno-influenced electronica, ambient, chillout and world music show hosted by myself, a 22-year veteran of the air waves. My name is Jc Spiva and I got my start in radio at the age of 15, thanks in large part to my high school English teacher Jim Yeager, a weekend radio guru from my beautiful hometown of Walla Walla, Wa. After shadowing Jim and learning the basic mechanics, he set me up with my own show on Whitman College's KWCW 90.5 fm. Growing up, I always admired the NPR radio hosts my mother listened to and wanted to learn to be like them some day. It was during this time that I fell in love with the more ambient and electronic side of world music. I remember being so excited, but so incredibly nervous on that first day I was set loose into the world of live radio.

Well, things turned out just fine and that show eventually led me to Germany, after auditioning for and being selected by a military broadcast panel to work as a radio rock DJ for Europe's AFN Eifel. I was sent to the prestigious Department of Defense broadcasting/journalism school outside of Washington DC, where upon graduation I moved to Germany, more particularly a small off-base village called Huttingen A.D. Kyll. I co-hosted the Eifel 105 morning show with my mentor Veronica Aeceveda and won best AFN morning show worldwide in 1997. While doing radio and spot production, I also worked as a reporter for AFN Television News, spending extended periods of time in Italy, Norway, France and Holland. The highlight of my military broadcasting career in Europe was attending fighter pilot training in Amersfoort NL, eventually flying numerous sorties in F-16 fighter jets filming and writing stories about the pilots & missions of the 52nd Fighter Wing, the largest fighter base in Europe. In my free time, I explored the music scenes in various countries, but by far was most impressed with the Berlin Love Parade, a peaceful electronic music festival attended by 2.1 million people, with 1999 being on record as the largest party ever recorded. I was there, and completely hooked on the music being produced in Europe. Tragically in 2010, 21 people were killed and 510 injured in a stampede at the Love Parade, and the festival was shut down for good.

I returned to the states in 2001 to complete my degree at the University of Oregon, and landed a show at KWVA 88.1 fm. I've been on the air in Eugene ever since! KWVA is a flagship college station located downtown in the heart of the University of Oregon campus and has some of the best facilities around. It was recently upgraded to 1000 watts, and is currently scheduled to be renovated into one of the premier university stations in the country. I'm super proud to be a part of their broadcast family.

If I have to miss a show, it's probably becuase of one of Eugene's endless festivals, Oregon Duck sporting events, or I'm off traveling. So occasionally the lovely Leigh Barret of KRVM flies the air-chair, along with the talented Tim Carraher of long-time world music show 'Planet Soup'. They are two of the most talented and well known radio fixtures in the Willamette valley, and I'm honored to have them as a part of this show. In all, we're in our 10th year of programming, formerly known as The New World Cafe, and we enjoy a loyal following in the Eugene metropolitan area and surrounding areas thanks to you! And if you're not in the area, RW can also be heard worldwide on the KWVA Internet stream. Many thanks to all of you who listen online, as we enjoy your calls and emails from around the world! As always, anytime we're on the air, we love hearing from our listeners. Don't be shy. Reach out and say hi! KWVA studio line: 541.346.0645 Thanks for making Radio Whiteaker a part of your weekend!

Inspiration

Radio Whiteaker is a celebration of the quirky, funky Whiteaker District in Eugene. It's best known as an ultra-green, avant garde hotbed for rising artists and eco-anarchists, but there's much more to it than simple socio-genre's and counter culture steryeotypes. This is a neighborhood that cares deeply about art awareness and music, and they take pride in letting you know it. Whiteaker became nationally recognized as an anarchist think-tank and operations home base during the Seattle riots, commonly referred to as the "Battle of Seattle". The neighborhood is also home to some of the Northwest's most well known musicians, including artists from The Pixies and The Cherry Poppin Daddies. Eugene Mayor Kittie Piercy also resides in the Whiteaker. On any given day, rain or shine, activities are bountiful, the parks bustling, coffee shops packed, and the pubs on Blair St are always serving up some great Northwest sounds. A bike friendly city, the Whiteaker district is the main gateway to the metro bike path system, one of the largest and friendly in the nation. The 'Whit' as the locals call it, is home to the largest community of glass artists in the Northwest, and Eugene as a collective has recently been named the glass blowing capitol of the world, exporting more glass products than anyone. These are just a few attractions that make the Whiteaker district a fantastic place to experience, and a major influence for Radio Whiteaker.

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Further reading: Our interview on the Whiteaker http://reporting1blog.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/a-scene-within-a-scene/

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Radio Hero's:

Stephen Hill - Hearts of Space http://www.hos.com/
John Diliberto - Echoes http://www.echoes.org/
Peter Van De Graaff - 'God' of late night classical http://www.wpr.org/music/vandegraaff/

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LINKS

Even Bartholomew, aka Bluetech: http://www.somniasound.com/releases.htm
Ambiant Nights: http://www.ambient-nights.org
Favorite streaming radio stations: http://www.shoutcast.com

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Email: jcspiva@gmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Jc-Spiva/11521447
Myspace Music: http://www.myspace.com/jcspiva

Musician? Want to submit your work? Mail it to:

KWVA Eugene, 88.1 FM
Attn: Radio Whiteaker
PO Box 3157
Eugene, OR 97403

Broadcast History (1989-2010)

KWVA 88.1 fm University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
AFN Eifel 105.1 fm, Bitburg Germany
RTL 104.7 fm, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
KWCW 90.5 fm Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA

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RADIO WHITEAKER PLAYLISTS COURTESY OF SPINITRON

Radio Whiteaker - KWVA 88.1 fm Eugene, OR

Radio Whiteaker - KWVA 88.1 fm - Eugene, OR