IMRU is a weekly one-hour radio show made by a group of volunteers focusing on issues affecting the LGBT community in Southern California. IMRU airs on KPFK 90.7 Los Angeles on Mondays from 7-8 PM. KPFK is a Pacifica Radio Station.

Real Video
  IMRU Radio is featured in a wonderful mini-documentary from QueerYouthTV.org. In it, you can meet some of the volunteers from the show and learn about key issues related to production. Click on the high (DSL/Cable Modem) or low (56k) button to see this five minute feature about our radio show.
 

Brief History
Originally called "Morning Glory," IMRU evolved into a regular feature on KPFK in 1975. Completely staffed by volunteers, IMRU has gone through many changes with its format, time & day of broadcast, and people involved with it. At one time there were three shows producing LGBT content on KPFK: Lesbian Sisters, IMRU, and Radio GLLU (Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos). In 1997, the show evolved into the weekly radio news format it has today. This format includes feature segments on a wide variety of topics of concern to the LGBT community including politics, social issues, health issues, entertainment and also local and national news.

The play "The Jerker" that dramatized the reflections of a man dying of Aids and included graphic sexual language aired on IMRU August 31, 1986 at 10:00 PM. The FCC filed a complaint, and implied the show was "obscene" (not just indecent) and invited the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against Pacifica (which it declined to do). KPFK filed an appeal of the FCC ruling which severally limited speech on radio. Lawyers submitted and asked the FCC for an advance ruling for a "future broadcast script." The commissioner of the FCC at the time told the press he believed the new passage was obscene and would warrant legal action. When the FCC found out the "future broadcast script" was really from James Joyce's literary classic "Ulysses," the FCC adopted a new standard that emphasized merit and context. KPFK dropped its appeal.

Mission Statement
IMRU's mission is to entertain, inform, educate and advocate.
  • IMRU entertains listeners through original pieces presented by LGBT artists. From poetry to the latest releases by musicians, out artists present their work. We also report on the latest developments in theater, movies and literature

  • IMRU informs the public of current LGBT issues and events through its local and national news segments and by highlighting community related organizations. We also inform the public of the numerous resources available to the community through our weekly calendar segment and website.

  • IMRU educates both the LGBT and heterosexual communities about LGBT legal, political, social, health and coming out concerns. Educational segments also focus on gay history and gender issues.

  • IMRU advocates for positive growth in the LGBT community. We challenge our listeners to become civically, politically, and culturally involved in improving the quality of life, the advancement of civil rights, and the artistic development of LGBT people.
Vision Statement
IMRU's vision is to inspire dialogue within the LGBT community and within the larger community to create a coalition of people working to affect positive change in our society.

Awards
Segments airing on IMRU have won the following awards:
  • National Federation of Community Broadcasters "Silver Reel".
  • Radio-Television News Association of Southern California "Golden Mike".
  • Citation from Gay Fathers in LA
  • The Glaad Media Awards.


    Recent Programming Guests and Topics:

    Authors


    • Patricia Nell Warren (The Front Runner, The Wild Man)
    • Paul Lussier (Last Refuge of Scoundrels)
    • Lisa Davis (Under the Mink)
    • Deb Price and Joyce Murdoch (Courting Justice)
    • Joel Rothschild (Signals)
    • Quentin Crisp (The Naked Civil Servant)
    • Armistead Maupin (The Night Listener)
    • Clive Barker (The Essential Clive Barker)

    Film & TV


    • Kissing Jessica Stein
    • Before Night Falls
    • If These Walls Could Talk Two
    • Six Feet Under
    • Queer as Folk
    • That's a Family
    • The Broken Hearts Club
    • More Tales of the City

    Music


    • The Bootlickers
    • Jamie Anderson
    • The Chainsaw Kittens
    • Angela Motter
    • David Sereda
    • Sister Funk
    • Janis Ian
    • El Vez

    Entertainers


    • Bruce Vilanch
    • Lea Delaria
    • Varla Jean Merman
    • Kate Clinton
    • Sabrina Matthews
    • Margaret Cho
    • Jason Stuart
    • Alix Olsen
    • Marga Gomez
    Varla Jean Merman Image
    Varla Jean Merman

    Organizations


    • PFLAG
    • Bears LA
    • APAIT: Asian Pacific Aids Intervention Team
    • Lambda Legal Defense Fund
    • Bienestar
    • The LA Gay & Lesbian Center
    • Unity Church/Minority Aids Project
    • California Alliance for Pride and Equality
    • Dignity
    APAIT Bionic Woman Image
    APAIT Bionic Woman

    Issue Coverage


    • AIDS Health Updates
    • LGBT History
    • Gay and Lesbian Domestic Violence
    • Transgender Education
    • Gay Youth Resources
    • Legal Concerns
    • Gay Senior Issues
    • Civil Rights
    • Hate Crimes
    • Gay Parenting Issues
    Out of The Past Poster
    LGBT History: Out of The Past

    ...And A Whole Lot More!!!!!!!

    What is IMRU? • Who We Are • Show Highlights
    Local Links • Contact Us