As the official voice of Strawberry, Hog Ranch Radio (“The Hog”) at 88.3 FM keeps the entire campground in tune, 24/7, with live music and up-to-the-minute information. In addition to being a vital source of all things Strawberry, festival goers also experience perhaps the most wonderful radio station they’ve ever heard.
HISTORY
It all began some 40 years ago when the festival founders recruited freeform radio legend Thom O’hair (KSAN) to create something completely new—a festival radio station.
Thom recruited fellow pirates Bix Beeman, Gregg McVicar and a few other clever tech heads to help launch Hog Ranch Radio, aka “The Hog”. The initial setup was a 10×10 pop-up tent in a Camp Mather meadow known as “Hog Ranch”. Long before Camp Mather became home to Strawberry (1983-2013), there was an old barn in the meadow with a large mural of a sheep painted across the side. Ranchers in the area said it looked more like a hog than a sheep, so the meadow became known as “Hog Ranch”. The name was a naturally funky fit, so the radio pirates adopted it as their own.
With the help of countless volunteers, including many brilliant engineers, Hog Ranch Radio has grown from a simple dirt-floor tent with an old mixer, a couple of Walkman cassettes and a small hand-made transmitter (see photo), into a sophisticated live broadcast recording studio.
WHY IT’S COOL
The Hog is tapped into all of the Strawberry stages and workshops, so the music comes to you wherever you are! Parents especially enjoy The Hog because they can still catch a new band while hanging in camp during nap time (or while participating in the many Strawberry Kids Activities). In between live performances, Hog radio hosts provide updates on schedule changes, lost children, festival safety tips, and more.
In addition to Main Stage performances, the Hog facilitates endless fun through the airwaves via The Breakfast Club, Band Scramble, Amy’s Orchid Lounge, live camp jams, open mic at the Hog Pickin’ Porch, artist interviews, as well as the voices of real Strawberrians captured “in the wild”.
The Hog also spins Strawberry flashbacks from the vast archive of previous shows, and this flow continues all night long.
IMPORTANCE
Over the years there have been many stories of The Hog coming to the rescue to help solve the problems which can arise in a village of several thousand people: lost kids, water shortages, fire danger… in fact, when a festival at Camp Mather was canceled because of an approaching forest fire, The Hog was already set-up, so CAL FIRE commandeered the airwaves to communicate with its firefighters up in the hills! Likewise, the CHP and other agencies have relied on The Hog for instant outreach to the festival. Usually the Hog is just pure fun, but you never know when a critically important message needs to reach the campgrounds. Radio is the original social media!
YOUR CAMPGROUND CONNECTION
The Hog adds peak value to the Strawberry experience when every camp tunes in. When all attendees are on the same wavelength, accurate information (not rumors) spreads quickly, as does maximum fun! Join the new generation of Hog hosts and listeners — keep that radio on and tuned to 88.3 FM!
THIS YEAR’S CONTEST
The Hog has several great contests planned this year. Each day of the festival there will be opportunities for listeners to win great prizes like Hog merch and Amy’s Orchid Lounge tickets, so don’t forget to pack your radio!
