KCBX to celebrate Neal Losey’s twenty-fifth anniversary as ‘Morning Cup’ host
Neal Losey
Losey has had a long career as a radio host
– KCBX announced that Sept. 2 marks the 25-year anniversary of “Morning Cup” host Neal Losey’s career with the station and plans to celebrate throughout the month of September with special shout-outs on social media as well as through on-air programming.
Losey is also the host of “Night Train” on KCBX every Saturday night and works behind the scenes as the station’s music director for its other locally-produced music shows.
“I was always listening to music, and then always wanting to play it for other people; wanting to share the excitement of hearing a song for the first time,” Losey said.
Losey’s career in radio began in 1989 during his time at Cal Poly, where he studied history and got involved with the university’s station, KCPR. He began working at Boo Boo Records in downtown San Luis Obispo during 1993, but also volunteered at KCBX as a host of the soul and funk music show “Night Train” until the station offered a permanent position as the host of “Morning Cup of Jazz” in 1997.
The program expanded into other genres of music beyond jazz in 2013, but according to the station Losey curates every show based on the first song he plays each day to ensure the music flows well together.
“That’s the fun thing, is making things fit. Not wedging them in and having that jagged thing you get with algorithms, but where a human brain is actually putting things together,” Losey said.
As the music director, Losey also helps the volunteers who host shows with creating playlists by recommending music that would suit their programming as well as maintaining and acquiring music for the DJs to play.
“I’m really, really lucky that I got to live in a place where I wanted to live, and I got to do something that I love. Radio has changed in a big way since I started listening to it and getting involved in it. Some people try to talk about radio not being important anymore, or asking, ‘Who’s listening to radio anymore?’ I fear that around the corner at any time, these things that I love to do are going to end… So, I’m really thankful for KCBX – and for the listeners of KCBX – for supporting me doing this,” Losey said.
He also volunteers to help the next generation of radio DJs at Cal Poly by coaching students on how to be on the air and how to build programming.
“It’s exciting to me and I really love doing it. It’s hard to find the time to do it with all the other things that I’m doing, but it’s something that I always want to make time for to be able to help there however I can,” Losey said.
Listeners can hear Losey’s programs on KCBX by tuning into “Morning Cup” from 9:00 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and Night Train from 9:00 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. All of KCBX’s programming is available for streaming at www.kcbx.org and can be heard on air at 90.1 FM (also 91.7, 89.5, 91.1, 90.9 and 95.1).
