Borrego Springs is gaining a new public radio presence.
KRAM 90.5 FM is now established at 730 Christmas Circle, marking the arrival of a locally based public radio station and community media space in the Borrego Valley. The station operates from the former Wells Fargo building, which has been repurposed for public broadcasting and related media uses.
KRAM 90.5 is an FCC-licensed station and an initiative of the Ram Media Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The project has been in development for approximately three years and broadcasts at 90.5 FM, making it accessible to listeners at home, in their cars, and through digital platforms.
The station carries programming from KPBS, creating a broadcast connection between Borrego Springs and San Diego County public media. KPBS reaches an estimated 250,000 weekly listeners countywide, and KRAM 90.5 is included in KPBS station identifications, giving Borrego Springs regular mention across regional airwaves.
Gabriel Wisdom, founder of the Ram Media Foundation, said the partnership reflects both local and regional priorities.
“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,” Wisdom said.
Wisdom said the station’s call letters were selected to reflect the surrounding landscape.
“The call letters KRAM honor the area’s famous bighorns that roam freely in the foothills,” he said.
He added that the collaboration balances local identity with broader reach.
“The KRAM–KPBS alliance is grounded in local identity, while keeping San Diego’s close-knit desert population connected to the wider world.”
Former Wells Fargo Becomes Home of KRAM 90.5
The building at 730 Christmas Circle has long been a recognizable landmark in Borrego Springs. Its transition from a commercial banking space into a radio station reflects a shift toward public service and community use.
Exterior updates include station signage and a large-scale mural by artist Anne-Sophie Gaudet, whose work is familiar throughout the Anza-Borrego region. The mural reflects the desert landscape and Borrego Springs’ dark-sky environment, featuring a bighorn sheep beneath a star-filled night sky.
Interior spaces support station operations, with additional uses planned as the project continues to develop. The layout allows flexibility for broadcasting functions and future community-oriented activity.
Additional context on Wisdom’s role in the early FM radio era is available in the documentary
KGB: The FM Radio Revolution, available on YouTube.
Related Initiatives
In addition to the KRAM 90.5 project, Wisdom is involved in creative work focused on the Southern California desert.
He recently released
Salton Sea Tales, an eco-thriller novel set in the Salton Sea region that explores environmental risk, resource extraction, and survival in the California desert. Proceeds from the book support the
Ram Media Foundation.
