Frank Lanzone Announces Retirement from KCBX Central Coast Public Radio After 45 Years as President and General Manager

Written by KCBX

President and General Manager Frank Lanzone has announced his retirement after 45 years of leading KCBX Public Radio, the Central Coast’s NPR member station that has been a reliable source of important news and issues, musical discoveries, culture, and connection since it was founded over 50 years ago in 1975 by Steve Urbani and Steve Burrell. Beyond his retirement, Lanzone will continue to serve as executive director of the Live Oak Music Festival, which is currently in preparations for its 38th annual festival.

Lanzone first came to KCBX as general manager in April 1980. Since then, Lanzone successfully guided KCBX through many significant transitional periods related to ebbs and flows in federal funding, right up through the present-day elimination of federal funding for public media and the closure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).  

During his first year at KCBX, Lanzone increased (and achieved) the fundraising pledge drive goals and continued to cultivate successful, long-standing fundraising events, including a series of big band concerts, an annual public auction at Mission Plaza, an art auction in a private home, and a KCBX afternoon wine tasting, which grew into a four-day event that became known as the KCBX Central Coast Wine Classic, running from 1985 through 2003. In 1989, Lanzone and a small team of dedicated volunteers hosted the first Live Oak Music Festival. 

In 1981, Lanzone and Steve Urbani, KCBX co-founder and board chair, oversaw the installation of five translators to serve Cambria, Cayucos, Avila Beach, Shell Beach, Santa Ynez, and Santa Barbara, expanding the reach of KCBX programming to the surrounding communities. Lanzone also grew the station significantly by establishing the KCBX Newsroom in 2014. 

“Since joining KCBX in 1980, Frank has built upon our humble beginnings and made the station a strong, successful community asset,” said Steve Urbani. “His ability to establish a news department is a tribute to his management and fiscal abilities. Even more, Frank has become one of my very best friends.”

You might say Lanzone was destined for career in radio, judging by his interests in technology that were evident as early as age 5 and evolved into a passion when he found the radio and TV broadcast station at the College of San Mateo. “During my college years, I watched my classmates all head for commercial jobs in San Francisco, but I never left public radio,” said Lanzone. “In fact, my first job in public radio in 1970 – the same year NPR was incorporated – was made possible by the very first CPB grant available to stations. Today, the satisfaction of being part of an amazing team of people is as strong as it was 45 years ago.”

As Lanzone winds down his work at KCBX Central Coast Public Radio, Assistant General Manager Chris McBride steps into the role of president and general manager and continue to guide KCBX through this next phase, with her sights set on the next 50 years and beyond. 

About KCBX Central Coast Public Radio

KCBX is a non-commercial public radio station that serves an average weekly audience of over 35,000 listeners in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and south Monterey Counties. The station broadcasts local and national information programming, NPR Network shows, and an eclectic music format with genres ranging from jazz and indie rock to Americana, soul and world music. Nearly 100 percent of the financial support for KCBX comes from individual listeners/subscribers, local corporate underwriters and proceeds from the Live Oak Music Festival.

KCBX FM broadcasts on 90.1 in San Luis Obispo, 91.1 in Cayucos, 95.1 in Lompoc, 91.7 from Paso Robles to Salinas, and 90.9 in Santa Ynez, Goleta, Avila Beach and Cambria. KCBX streams online at kcbx.org.