We might be connected electronically to hundreds, even thousands of people. But there’s still no substitute for meeting face to face. Those in person connections really make a difference. Our own Scott Piehler is a great example.
When Scott and his wife Tamar (and their dog Eliza) first moved to Alameda in February 2022, they thought it would be interesting to learn about their new home by joining Dennis Evanosky and Adam Gillitt for the Alameda Post’s first History Walking Tour on February 27. Scott and publisher Adam Gillitt struck up a conversation about the Post adding a podcast. And on April 29, 2022, the Alameda PostCast was born.
Flash forward three-and-a-half years, and 170+ episodes. The California Historical Radio Society (CHRS) was looking for someone to teach at their first-ever Broadcasting and Podcasting summer camp. Scott headed over to 2152 Central Avenue and spent three days teaching the next generation. Afterward, CHRS Executive Director Rachel Lee invited Scott to participate in Radio Day by the Bay.
It was there, on July 19, that Scott met Dr. Robert Franklin, Station Manager of KCSM, the Bay Area’s legendary Jazz station. Dr. Franklin told Scott that KCSM was looking for new content on their HD-2 side channel. A conversation ensued, and in the next few days, The Alameda Connection became a reality.
“I may have only been here since 2022,” Scott said, “but I’ve really just fallen in love with Alameda.”
It’s that love affair with the East Bay’s island city that led Scott to create The Alameda Connection. “There’s so much going on here,” he said, “and sometimes I feel like we get lost in the shuffle between San Francisco and Oakland. When you’ve got Alameda restaurants being recognized by the New York Times, there’s definitely a story to tell.”
Those stories start this Sunday, September 14, at 8 a.m. on KCSM HD-2. The first scheduled episode features a conversation with Michael Thanos, co-founder and owner of Forbidden Island.
“The locals might think of Forbidden Island as just a cool little Tiki bar on Lincoln, but it’s so much more,” Scott said. “Forbidden Island is really at the forefront of the Tiki revival in the USA. The Tiki tradition is so quintessentially American, and now it’s being embraced by an entirely new generation.”
Update 10/13/25-Due to a technical error, the first episode broadcast on 9/14 was with Rachel Lee, Executive Director of CHRS,
Later episodes will feature Evan Phillippe of The Pacific Pinball Museum, CHRS’s Rachel Lee, Jeramie Andehueson from Alameda Pride, Ron Silberstein of Admiral Maltings, and a lot more to come.
“My guiding principle in programming the show is to feature people and institutions that appeal to the Bay Area at large,” Scott said. “What are those features that would get somebody to hop the ferry and head to Alameda for a visit?”
While the show will initially be broadcast on KCSM-HD2 Sundays at 8 a.m., no worries if you miss it. The Alameda Connection will be available on demand at the KCSM website for two weeks. A week after initial broadcast, you can get the show in your podcast feed, via Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. The shows will be available as podcasts for 90 days. You can also subscribe to the show on YouTube. The YouTube channel also serves as the show’s permanent archive.
“The Alameda PostCast and The Alameda Connection are two very different shows, but they complement each other,” Scott noted. “I’m truly honored to be able to serve my adopted hometown in these ways.”
Those personal connections extend to the theme music for The Alameda Connection. “That’s my friend Bill Hart,” Scott said. “He’s a jazz guitarist I met in Atlanta. The song is called ‘Beachside Isle.’ How appropriate can you get for a show about an island?”
The Alameda Connection airs Sundays at 8 a.m. on KCSM-HD2. Follow the show on Instagram.
