The past two weeks have been both inspiring and, frankly, a bit bittersweet.
On July 26, we celebrated 50 years of KCBX at a wonderful event at the Octagon Barn, and one week later, as a consequence of Congress’ rescission of funding for public media, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it would soon cease operations.
The announcement that CPB was closing and winding down operations hit particularly hard. Over my five-decade career in public TV and radio, I have witnessed the remarkable growth and expansion of the public radio system.
In 1971, a pair of wires zig zagged across the country, delivering the first broadcasts of NPR’s All Things Considered to just under 90 stations. Today, more than 1,500 local public radio stations—like KCBX—are connected through NPR’s satellite and internet infrastructure and serve as critical distributors of emergency alerts in their communities.
KCBX must now secure a total of $420,000 per year to fully replace the funding previously provided by CPB.”
Federal funds, allocated by Congress and distributed to stations like KCBX through CPB, have been instrumental in building a public radio network that now reaches 99% of the U.S. population. For KCBX, our first CPB grant, received in 1978, provided a launch point to help the station grow listener support, pay for programming, and bring in paid staff. Since that time, just as the system has grown and changed, so have we.
KCBX must now secure a total of $420,000 per year to fully replace the funding previously provided by CPB. CPB provided direct funds, in the form of grants, for programming and infrastructure costs, and paid indirect expenses for music rights, satellite interconnections, and emergency alerts. This represents a significant 40% increase in our annual fundraising efforts.
With your support, we’re confident this will not be insurmountable.
The anniversary event was a time to say “thank you” to our community for supporting KCBX for 50 years. We truly would not be here without you—whether you count yourself as a volunteer, donor, sponsor, listener, or all four. Now, we are asking the community to continue supporting the news, information, and music programs that you rely on.
In the past month, hundreds of people have made gifts for the first time, renewed their support, or increased their giving. This outpouring of support shows that the community values what we do. You can help KCBX today and in the future.
Whether you have been part of the KCBX community for months, years or decades, we appreciate you. Thank you.