Aaron Read has traded New York’s Finger Lakes region for the sunny skies of Southern California.
He is the new chief engineer for KCSB(FM) at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Wednesday is his first day at the new gig.
KCSB is licensed to the regents of the University of California. Westwood One founder and former Chairman Norm Pattiz is one of the appointed regents, according to the most recent license renewal application in 2009.
UCSB students and the Santa Barbara community primarily fund the Class B noncommercial FM. “I’m looking forward to being on a great team that brings original and informative programming to Santa Barbara and the surrounding environs,” Read told Radio World.
Read most recently was general manager at WEOS(FM), Geneva, N.Y., WITH(FM), Ithaca, and WHWS(LP), Geneva. WEOS and WITH transmit in HD Radio in addition to analog FM. In 2004, in the state of New York, WEOS was the first station outside of New York City and the Albany area to broadcast in HD Radio, according to the station website.
Read held the GM position for four years. The licensee for all three stations is Hobart & William Smith Colleges. WEOS operates in partnership with WXXI Public Broadcasting in Rochester, through which it receives some funding.
Prior to WEOS, Read was a staff engineer for Broadcast Signal Lab and in that capacity provided maintenance and engineering support to several Boston-area stations. He has also been technical director for several public radio programs, and contributes to Radio World.
