WPKN Archives: Steve di Costanzo

Host profile: Steve di Costanzo

Show: RADIO BASE CAMP   When: Every Tuesday morning 7am-9am

edited October 15 2024

One of my fondest childhood memories was listening to the Top-40 am station in Milwaukee- WOKY on a little transister radio when I was a wee lad of 7. Boy did I love that pop coming from the UK...early Beatles, Hollies, Herman's Hermits, how about Do the Freddy and Catch us if You Can by the Dave Clark 5.

Musically, I came of age in the roaring early and mid-70's. Informed more by crunching hard rock than by the hippy days. I launched RADIO BASE CAMP in November 2007. I've been hosting my RADIO BASE CAMP weekly on the greatest listener-supported radio station in the US of A: WPKN 89.5 FM in Bridgeport, CT (seving Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties in CT and Suffolk County-Long Island in NY and communities around the world on wpkn.org) and 88.7 WPKM in Montauk, NY.

In December 2023 I retired as the GM of WPKN after 12 years and was very humbled and inspired to be doing so. I served on the WPKN board of directors since 2007. Previously, I've been involved in a variety of entreprenerial activites in banking, publishing (Institutional Investor and Japan Avenue); and sports/recreation (Chelsea Piers-NYC) and trade assocaiton/trade magazine ownership (Golf Range Magazine-Golf Range Association of America-GRAA..)  I sold Golf Range Magazine and the GRAA in 2011 to a trade group whopublshes PGA Magazine.

I've always been a passionate devotee of mucis- almost all forms. I lived in NYC for many years...caught loads of live acts and spent looads on vinyl, cassettes and then CD's. My musical eyes and ears over the years have been great radio stations like WPKN in Bridgeport, CT (great!) -,KEXP, WFMU,  KCRW, KOOP, WWOZ, KDXH and others too, of course and other online-only stations.

I love the ethos and mission of community radio and feel WPKN combines music, community affairs and community engagement better than any.

I'm also a music mag/blogsite junky-early days of NME,.CMJ, Blender, Time Out and others more focused on my current musical interests such as MOJO, Shindig!, Uncut and sites like BrooklynVegan, The Quietus and other genre blog sites.... I used to DJ in D.C. during college during the Punk/New Wave/Ska era. Had loads of fun doing it. Worked at The Bayou which was a great venue to see bands coming through DC. Have fond memories of early 9:30 Club gigs there as well. So many great clubs over the years in NYC...CBGB, The Pyramid Club, Arlene Grocery, Max's, Danceteria, Irving Plaza, SOB's and let's not forget Maxwells in Hoboken. 

We invite you to join our RADIO BASE CAMP Fan page at the following link: 

email me at stevedicostanzo@gmail.com for me or radiobasecamp@gmail.com is the questions are music related.