Battle in the Desert (a golf documentary)

San Diego broadcaster and local Ram Media Foundation founder returns to the convention where his Comic-Con journey began. Gabriel B. Wisdom, founder of Ram Media Foundation and creator of KRAM 90.5 FM Borrego Springs, will speak at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 24. Founded in 1970, San Diego Comic-Con has grown into one of the world’s largest pop culture conventions, drawing more than 130,000 attendees for panels, exhibits and appearances by creators, artists, filmmakers and celebrities from around the globe. Wisdom will join Radio Hall of Fame inductee (Shotgun) Tom Kelly for "A Conversation with San Diego Celebrities Gabriel Wisdom and (Shotgun) Tom Kelly," from noon to 1 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. Beginning at KPRI-FM San Diego in the late 1960s, Wisdom went on to work at KGB-FM San Diego and KMET-FM Los Angeles during the formative years of FM rock radio in the 1970s. Today, he leads Ram Media Foundation and, among other roles, serves as a portfolio manager with American Money Management, LLC (AMM),

By Gabriel Wisdom I stepped out onto the stage at the San Diego ComicCon dressed as Thor. The wings on my helmet were slightly crooked, and the cape was too heavy for the San Diego summer weather, but none of that mattered. I can still feel the weight of the hammer in my hand, a ridiculous, glorious mirrored prop a friend of mine had built in his garage. The room was buzzing and in 1976, ComicCon was young and alive. The training wheels had come off and we had 3000 paid attendees – real fandom, but nothing like today’s 130,000 who attend each year. Behind me stood Stan Lee and his Marvel artist John Buscema, both of them watching the crowd like proud parents at a very strange school play. “Ladies and gentlemen!” I called out, raising the hammer. “I am THOR, God of Thunder, Lord of the Savage Lighting, and host for tonight’s masquerade ball!” The crowd cheered, and for a moment everything felt perfectly under control. Then I glanced at the judges seated in the front row. Gene Roddenberry, hands folded like he was observing a social experiment. There was Ray Bradbury, eyes burning with Fahrenheit 451 curiosity. And to Roddenberry’s right…a special surprise guest I’d brought along at the last minute, Timothy Leary, smiling like he’d just dropped in to see what condition his condition was in. I felt my stomach drop recalling earlier how ComicCon co-founder Shel Dorf had pulled me aside, his face tight with concern. “You brought him ?” he asked heatedly. “Do you have any idea what this could do to us? The most dangerous man in America , isn’t that what Nixon called him? I had shrugged, maybe a little too casually. “Leary and I are doing a radio show together with rock stars and other guests talking about science fiction; stuff like that, only this is science-faction. He’s crazy smart, and funny. Great fun.” Shel didn’t see it that way, but it was too late because there in the front row, the notorious “pied piper of LSD,” Doctor Timothy Leary was sitting between two of the most respected creative minds in speculative fiction. The first contestant came out dressed as a passable Spider-Man. “Have no fear, Spidey is here,” I boomed, voice steady, but my eyes kept drifting back to the front row. Leary leaned over to Roddenberry saying something that made them both laugh. Bradbury looked less amused. He crossed his arms, studying Leary like he was a story problem he hadn’t solved yet. Stan Lee was standing by the side of the stage, arms folded. “You’ve stirred the pot, kid,” he murmured. “I may have left the gas on and blown up the kitchen,” I replied. “Even better,” Stan grinned. Murmurs started spreading through the convention ballroom about Timothy Leary. A number of older people stood and left for the exits, shaking their heads. A dozen others followed shuffling past the rows of seated attendees. The energy had clearly shifted. I tightened my grip on the hammer and began swinging. “Alright!” I bellowed, “The mighty Thor shall supply the cure!” “True believers!” Stan Lee shouted. “What is a masquerade without a little chaos? The crowd laughed. The tension cracked. I looked down at Roddenberry who met my eyes and gave an encouraging nod. “The great Gene Roddenberry,” I declared to a round of applause. Then I asked, “In the Star Trek universe, what happens when unexpected elements enter the system?” Roddenberry stood slightly but not all the way. “We adapt,” he said. “Or we evolve.” Bradbury chuckled despite himself. Leary raised both hands. “Yes, we evolve. Sometimes you have to go out of your mind to come to your senses,” he laughed. The room erupted with another round of applause, some cheers, some boos, but it was alive again. Electric. I seized it. “Okay, let’s evolve this masquerade! Every contestant, you are now challenged to make it stranger, make it bigger, and make it believable!”  What followed was chaos, yes -- but the right kind. Comic-Con was still half counterculture experiment, half gathering of true believers and those who thought stories mattered more than the world seemed willing to admit. © 2026 Stan Lee, Gene Rodenberry, and Me ™ by Gabriel Wisdom

San Diego Public Media is on KRAM 90.5 FM Borrego Springs 

Source: www.kpbs.org By KPBS Staff Published February 10, 2026 at 4:04 PM PST KPBS has announced that it will be broadcasting its FM channel to the Borrego Springs area starting February 10, 2026. The KPBS-FM primary signal will be broadcast on KRAM 90.5FM. The opportunity was presented to KPBS in mid-2025 by Gabriel Wisdom of American Money Management. Mr. Wisdom had recently purchased KRAM 90.5FM and was looking to rebroadcast KPBS to extend the public media station’s reach to Borrego Springs, a small desert community with a population around 3,000. “By airing programming from KPBS on KRAM 90.5 FM, we’re linking Borrego Springs with trusted journalism, and a cultural connection that strengthens civic life in San Diego’s beautiful desert community,” says Wisdom. It has been more than 15 years since KPBS had a transmitter for rebroadcasting the radio signal in that geographically challenged region. While part of San Diego County, the topography of the Borrego Springs area prevents KPBS’ signal from reaching the valley via the radio transmitter on Mt. Soledad on the coast. “As an essential public service, it's important that KPBS reach local communities, especially in times of crisis. This agreement is a good example of how we can creatively partner with others to continue that service to broader San Diego. KPBS looks forward to the chance to serve Borrego Springs,” says Deanna Mackey, KPBS general manager. KPBS has entered into a one-year programming agreement with Mr. Wisdom during which time it will fully assess the long term sustainability for the broadcast. “The KRAM-KPBS alliance is grounded in local identity, while keeping San Diego’s desert population connected to the wider world,” says Wisdom. 

Latest UPDATE 2/7/26: On-Air starting Monday, Feb. 9th