Coffee With KVPR (August 14, 2026) recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Coffee with KVPR last Friday. It was a pleasure to welcome Leadership Circle and Broadcasters Circle members into the studio for coffee, conversation and an inside look at the work your support makes possible.

For those who were able to attend — and for those who were unable to join us — we wanted to share a recap of the updates presented by President & General Manager Joe Moore and Director of Radio Elizabeth Arakelian.

KVPR one year after the loss of federal funding

Just over one year ago, Congress eliminated federal funding for public media stations like KVPR. At the time, many wondered whether stations like ours would be able to survive. Across the country, some stations have been sold, gone dark, or discontinued NPR and PBS programming.

Thanks to YOU, KVPR has not only weathered that storm — we have come out stronger.

In the first year following the defunding of public media, your support helped KVPR eliminate the shortfall caused by the loss of federal funding. Membership, KVPR’s largest source of revenue, is up around 40 percent year-over-year, both in revenue and in the number of active supporters. It has been one of the strongest years in KVPR’s 48-year history.

That success is deeply encouraging, but the challenge is ongoing. The loss of federal funding was not a one-time occurrence. To remain sustainable in this new era, KVPR must continue building and broadening its base of community support.

Audience growth and the next generation of listeners

We are also seeing positive signs in KVPR’s audience. Over the last two years, KVPR’s total broadcast audience has grown by more than 40 percent, following several years of declines earlier in the decade.

Much of that growth is coming from younger listeners. In Spring 2026, 35 percent of KVPR’s audience was age 34 or younger, compared with 15 percent two years ago. This is an important sign that the next generation of public radio listeners and supporters is finding KVPR.

KVPR may have been defunded, but we are not defeated. Our commitment to serving the Valley has never been stronger.

A growing investment in local service

In addition to the national programs our listeners value from NPR and other trusted public media sources, KVPR has continued investing in local programming, journalism and community engagement.

In the last two years, KVPR has launched Central Valley Daily, our weekday local news podcast and broadcast series; introduced The Arts Angle with Donald Munro; created Central Valley Roots, a local history vignette series hosted by Joe Moore; expanded our presence on social media with video storytelling; and reinvented our longtime wine tasting event as Corks & Brews, nearly doubling attendance and profit from the previous year.

KVPR has also restarted its internship program with Fresno State, resulting in three former interns continuing on with the station: Israel Cardona Hernandez as a part-time reporter, Branden Sandoval as an on-air host for Weekend Edition, and Samantha Rangel as a full-time reporter.

We have also launched a new partnership with Fresno State’s Institute for Media and Public Trust, and KVPR will soon add a reporter in Bakersfield through the California Local News Fellowship, administered by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Amaray Alvarez will begin work in September covering Kern County for KVPR.

Our on-air team has also grown. Justin Sacher joined KVPR as local host of Morning Edition, Soreath Hok became host of Central Valley Daily, and Frank Dee is now KVPR’s local host of NPR’s All Things Considered. Elizabeth Arakelian joined KVPR as Director of Radio in 2025, focused on improving our local service and meeting audience needs. Alexa Teal Green joined the station in 2026 as Director of Engagement and Events, helping deepen KVPR’s community connections. Veteran Fresno Bee journalist Marek Warszawski has also been contributing freelance reports and will soon join KVPR as a part-time senior correspondent.

A major milestone for KVPR’s home

We are also excited to announce that we have recently hit one of the most meaningful milestones in KVPR’s recent history: on August 5, KVPR paid off the $650,000 loan on our Broadcast Center in Clovis. The building is now owned free and clear.

This was a dream that began more than 20 years ago under then-General Manager Mariam Stepanian, and we are proud to help carry that legacy forward.

KVPR will celebrate this achievement, along with the 10-year anniversary of our Broadcast Center, with an open house on Tuesday, October 6, featuring food trucks, tours and more. Capital campaign donors will also be invited to a special champagne celebration before the open house.

New programming on KVPR

Elizabeth Arakelian also shared updates about KVPR’s new programming lineup, designed to better serve audience needs, broaden KVPR’s appeal and bring listeners more of the context, conversation, joy and discovery that public radio does best.

Beginning this month, KVPR is adding NPR’s Fresh Air to the weekday schedule. This is the only flagship NPR program KVPR has never carried, and it has long been one of our most requested shows. Hosted by Terry Gross and Tonya Mosley, Fresh Air will air weekdays at 1 p.m. and encore weeknights at 8 p.m.

Other additions include Tiny Desk Radio, a radio adaptation of NPR’s beloved Tiny Desk Concerts; The Sam Sanders Show, which explores trends and conversations in media and entertainment; Political Breakdown, a statewide politics and policy program from KQED; and The Maddy Report, a locally produced public policy program from the nonpartisan Maddy Institute in Fresno. Listener favorite Science Friday will also receive a weekend encore.

To make room for these additions, KVPR is retiring Open to Debate and BBC programming. We know some listeners will miss these programs, but we are confident the new lineup will complement Morning Edition, All Things Considered and our hourly headlines while creating more opportunities for distinctive programming you can only hear on KVPR.

You can read more about KVPR’s new programming lineup here:https://www.kvpr.org/inside-kvpr/2026-08-08/kvpr-debuts-new-programming-adds-nprs-flagship-interview-show-fresh-air-to-lineup

You can also read more about The Maddy Report joining KVPR here:https://www.kvpr.org/inside-kvpr/2026-08-04/the-maddy-report-joins-kvpr-broadcast-schedule

Building KVPR’s future together

KVPR is approaching 5,000 members after many years of having just under 4,000. Our next goal is to broaden the base of support even further and grow toward 6,000 members or more.

To do that, KVPR plans to lower barriers to entry during upcoming membership campaigns, encouraging more new and younger listeners to begin supporting the station. While that may reduce short-term revenue, it is an important investment in KVPR’s long-term sustainability.

That is where Leadership Circle and Broadcasters Circle members can play a powerful role.

As we prepare for upcoming campaigns, we invite you to consider increasing your giving to help support matching and challenge gifts. These gifts provide an important incentive for new supporters to join and help build the pipeline for KVPR’s future.

Thank you for making this work possible. Your support keeps public radio strong in the Valley, and helps ensure KVPR remains Central to the Valley, and Central to You.