It’s a tiny, little known radio station in Santa Barbara County which doesn’t play music, can’t legally air commercials, can only be heard in a small area, and basically plays the same information over and over.
But, AM 1040 broadcasts from San Marcos Pass with some important information. The nearly two decade old station bring residents of the rural area, and travelers on Highway 154 important traffic and weather information.
The station is owned and operated by a non-profit group called the Wildland Residents Association. It’s a more than 40 year old non-profit group representing residents of the mountain area. It runs the San Marcos pass Volunteer Fire Department and 1040 AM.
Association President and Executive Director Mike Williams says they got the idea for the station two decades ago. A major brush fire closed Highway 101, forcing tens of thousands of motorists onto Highway 154. The highway was jammed, there were accidents, and no one knew what was happening.
They got a license for what’s known as a Traveler’s Information Station. They are AM station which can only broadcast with ten watts of power, which means they can only be heard for a few miles. Motorists can hear it from the Lake Cachuma area down to around the Highway 154-Highway 101 interchange in Santa Barbara.
You may have noticed signs for stations like this along some state highways in the Tri-Counties.
AM 1040 doesn’t have a studio building. It’s all pre-recorded information which runs in a short loop, with weather, and relevant traffic information, and road safety tips. Williams, and a team of volunteers have kept it on the air, and updated since 2005.
Its role is especially important when there are wildfires burning, or heavy rainfall which can cause closures on Highway 154.
It’s operated as a public service.
Williams says the micro radio station fills an important role that other media and public safety agencies can’t, by keeping people updated with key localized information.
