‘The SoCal Sound’ Updates Orange County Identity.

“The SoCal Sound” KCSN Los Angeles (88.5) will give its Orange County signal a new identity, changing the call letters of from KSBR (88.5) to KOCV-FM Mission Viejo, CA effective Nov. 16. The move recognizes the station’s growing connection with Orange County listeners while reinforcing the public radio outlet’s commitment to serving the broader Southern California market.

The call letter change follows Saddleback College’s donation earlier this year of the KSBR broadcast license and related assets to California State University, Northridge (CSUN). The college and CSUN had partnered since 2017 to simulcast “The SoCal Sound” across Orange and Los Angeles counties on the 88.5 signal. The KSBR assets are now being used alongside CSUN’s KCSN, with the two signals continuing to carry the same programming.

“The KCSN legacy call letters will continue to boom all over LA, and especially the San Fernando Valley, but we were very pleased with the audience support and enthusiasm we received from Orange County music lovers,” says Patrick Osburn, General Manager of “The SoCal Sound.” He says Orange County has historically faced geographic challenges in identifying with broadcasters serving Los Angeles and northern San Diego, and the new KOCV calls give the county a more distinct identity.

Osburn says the previous KSBR call letters had a narrower association with the southern Saddleback College area, while KOCV is intended to make the entire county feel part of the station’s identity. The change also comes as central Orange County undergoes redevelopment, including the OCVIBE project, a 100-acre mixed-use community planned around residential, retail, dining, nightlife and entertainment destinations, including the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks.

Program Director Marc “Mookie” Kaczor says the change reinforces the station’s commitment to serving Southern California. “The call letter change further reinforces The SoCal Sound’s commitment to super-serving Southern California,” he says, adding that the station is on an upward trajectory alongside the central Orange County region.

Osburn also points to recent developments involving real estate developer Stan Kroenke, who has completed a deal to acquire Anaheim Stadium and the Los Angeles Angels. With OCVIBE and the Kroenke organization establishing a larger presence in central Orange County, he says the updated call letters make sense for a station seeking to remain connected to the region’s growth.

‘The SoCal Sound’ Updates Orange County Identity.

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