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90.9 The Bridge Revives Legendary Electronic Music Program Nocturnal Transmission

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"Nocturnal Transmission with Ray Velasquez" with electricity waves in background

90.9 The Bridge is excited to announce that DJ Ray Velasquez is ending his twenty-year hiatus from radio, reviving his much-loved electronic music show Nocturnal Transmission for Kansas City audiences. Listeners of The Bridge will get an eclectic mix of local and national artists with electronic roots and influences from house music to techno to downtempo to ambient. Nocturnal Transmission returns to the airwaves Friday, October 8 with weekly broadcasts from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Ray to The Bridge family,” said Bryan Truta, Senior Director of Radio Operations. “I’ve admired Ray for a long time; his knowledge and passion are unmatched. It’s truly extraordinary to say Nocturnal Transmission is returning - and it’s airing on The Bridge.”

Nocturnal Transmission ran from 1983-2003 at the University of Kansas’ student-run station KJHK before airing on non-commercial, community and commercial radio. Nocturnal Transmission has helped pioneer, nurture and elevate electronic music from underground obscurity to mainstream accessibility. 

“I am so excited to bring Nocturnal Transmission back to the airwaves,” said Velasquez. “The Bridge team has already made me feel like I’m at home with great enthusiasm, support and sincere excitement. It’s the pitch-perfect move for me. Barely a week goes by, in all these years, that I don’t receive a message, email or Facebook post asking when we’re bringing back Nocturnal Transmission. Well, the time is now, and I couldn’t be more excited for this new reborn, resurrected Nocturnal Transmission.

For nearly four decades, DJ Ray Velasquez has championed electronic music on the radio, at nightclubs and avant-garde happenings around the globe. Velasquez is widely recognized as the godfather of Kansas City’s DJ culture, an authoritative musicologist and a vigorous arbiter of electronic music worldwide. Among his numerous accomplishments, many music enthusiasts consider Nocturnal Transmission his crowning jewel.  

DJ Ray Velasquez has performed alongside a wide variety of musical artists, including Paul Oakenfold, Tom Middleton, Bebel Gilberto, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Paul Weller, New Order, Moby, Ben Watt, Marshall Jefferson, Fila Brazillia, Autechre, Mixmaster Morris, Gotan Project, Primal Scream, Nookie, Mum, Sven Vath,  Public Image Limited, Legendary Pink Dots, Suicide, Killing Joke and Genesis P. Orridge.

For more information, visit bridge909.org/nocturnaltransmission.

About 90.9 The Bridge

Acquired by Kansas City PBS in 2013, 90.9 The Bridge is listener-supported, non-commercial NPR music radio for Kansas City. The station presents a passion for local music, community, and independent voices and is committed to weaving new, rare, and local music into playlists, right alongside familiar hits and beloved classics. The Bridge connects music lovers with music makers through performances and interviews and engages in the community, supporting musicians, venues, and listeners with music discovery.