Bill Lueth, President of Classical California San Francisco, Announces Retirement

Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif., April 29, 2026 - Bill Lueth, president of Classical California San Francisco, will retire at the end of June, concluding a 38-year career in radio that helped reshape classical music broadcasting in California and across the nation.

Lueth has led the evolution of classical radio from a niche format to a widely accessible public media service, expanding audiences through inclusive programming and welcoming listeners of all backgrounds. He has served in leadership roles at San Francisco's KDFC-FM for nearly three decades and worked closely with KUSC-FM in Los Angeles over the past 15 years.

He was instrumental in bringing together two of the nation's leading classical stations, KDFC-FM and KUSC-FM into a single broadcast and digital platform. Today, the network reaches more than 2 million listeners across California and the nation, making it the largest classical music radio service in the country.

"Bill's commitment to making classical music accessible to everyone has shaped Classical California in lasting ways," said James Muhammad, President of Classical California. "He helped grow our audience, deepen our community impact, and position Classical California for continued success."

Lueth began his broadcasting career in 1986 at KUCV-FM in Lincoln, Nebraska, while studying opera in graduate school. He joined San Francisco's KKHI-FM in 1989 as a morning host and program director before moving into news roles at KPIX-FM and CBS Television. In 1997, he joined KDFC-FM, where he helped grow the station into the highest-rated music station in San Francisco by 1999.

He was appointed president of KDFC-FM in 2011 following its acquisition by the University of Southern California and transition to a nonprofit model. In 2012, he led a $7.5 million fundraising campaign to expand the station's signal into San Jose and Silicon Valley. He later oversaw programming integration with KUSC-FM and expanded his role to include vice president of marketing and sales. Lueth also led the station's relocation to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Bowes Performing Arts Center.

He was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2021 and has received multiple National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Awards for excellence in classical radio.

Lueth's retirement marks an important moment for Classical California, which is positioned to continue expanding its reach and impact across broadcast and digital platforms.