Ken Nielsen is a true radio and TV pioneer, known as “the father of KALW”.
Nielsen came to the Bay Area from Denver in 1941 and convinced the San Francisco Unified School District to apply for an FM license and purchase the RCA demonstration FM transmitter used at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island. The result was KALW, the first FM station on the West Coast.
Later, Nielsen convinced the school district to buy TV cameras and related equipment for classes. The equipment was used after school hours to help start KQED-TV. Nielsen developed programming and engineering classes at the school district. He conducted classes and managed KALW until his retirement in 1975.