Steven Ruegnitz
Graduation year and major:
December 1974 and journalism, concentration in broadcast
Position at KCPR:
General Manager. I started working in the station when it was only a 10-watt radio station. I went through that phase with various on-air positions, such as DJ under the name “Steve Reeves.” As General Manager I took us from 10 watts to 2000 watts. Back in the day that scared the crap out of some of the Cal Poly administration, because we were actually broadcasting to the greater community. There was no Internet or streaming in those days, so covering San Luis Obispo was a huge deal.
Favorite part about working for KCPR:
The camaraderie was very multidisciplinary. Every major could find a home in KCPR and everyone was welcome. I started out as an Electrical Engineer. I didn’t change to journalism until partway through my time there.
Being able to integrate from so many different majors from so many different perspectives, and all with a common goal of running a radio station was just enormous in those days. The second huge thing was – we did remote broadcasting a lot. From local performances of Handel’s Messiah to classical music to broadcasting the Poly Royal back in the day to live news feed from around the campus, we were out of the station a lot.
Where do you currently work and what do you do?
I finally made it to the other end of the road. (Retired)
How did, if at all, KCPR help or prepare you for your career trajectory?
One of the things that KCPR did for me was giving me confidence in public speaking. I was in ROTC at Cal Poly and went on to the active army for my early career. I went to Wall Street after that. One of the things that you find, as a senior executive or a senior army, which I was both, you [have] to be able to stand up and speak. You [have] to be able to handle audiences. You have to be able to think spontaneously as well as in a scripted fashion. I look back on my days in KCPR and I couldn’t pay enough money for the preparation the station gave me to be able to do that with competence.
