Diversity at KVPR

KVPR is committed to diversity in our content, programming and across our team.

Our Diversity Vision:
KVPR is committed to the value of diversity in the workplace and in our content. We believe that public radio plays a unique role in helping to foster cross-cultural understanding, and that people from diverse backgrounds enrich and inform our collective knowledge, experiences, and actions. KVPR works to recruit from a large pool of prospective job applicants, and takes part in community engagement and outreach events across our region to help further our vision of diversity. We maintain and build partnerships with community groups to help expand this vision and station outreach. We aim to hire and promote qualified individuals who bring with them their own unique cultural, ethnic, and personal experiences. We create content and platforms reflecting the needs, issues, and interests of the diverse communities that make up the San Joaquin Valley.

Elements of diversity important to KVPR:
KVPR embraces diversity in all forms and protected classes prescribed by federal, state and local law, including race, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, religion, sex, (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, age, handicap, marital status, medical condition, AIDS/HIV, political activities or affiliations, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking or any other classes that may be defined by federal law, state law, or local ordinance. KVPR prohibits discrimination or harassment based on these classifications and conducts a continuing program to exclude all unlawful forms of prejudice and discrimination in our personnel policies, practices, and working conditions.

Reflecting a diverse region and audience in our coverage:

KVPR will seek opportunities to produce and highlight content involving, but not limited to the following groups, which have significant populations within our service area:

· Latino/a/x communities, including Spanish language speakers, Mixtec, Triqui, and others

· Southeast Asian and other Asian communities: Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Filipino, etc.

· African-Americans

· Near East, Middle East and South Asia: Persian, Yemeni, Punjabi, Pakistani, etc.

· Tribal nations

Equal Employment Opportunity:
White Ash Broadcasting, Inc. (WAB) is committed to a policy and practice of promoting equal employment opportunity, in accordance with state and federal law, without regard to race, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, religion, sex, (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, age, handicap, marital status, medical condition, AIDS/HIV, political activities or affiliations, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking or any other classes that may be defined by federal law, state law, or local ordinance. KVPR prohibits discrimination or harassment based on these classifications and conducts a continuing program to exclude all unlawful forms of prejudice and discrimination in our personnel policies, practices, and working conditions.

To make this policy effective and to ensure compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the Federal Communications Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, KVPR has developed an Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, which can be found here.

Reflecting Diversity:

As of 2/3/25

Full-Time Staff:
Male: 7

Female: 6

Hispanic: 3

White: 10

Board of Directors:
Male: 8
Female: 5

Hispanic: 2

Asian: 2

Middle/Near Eastern: 1

White: 8

Recent Accomplishments (2024):

· Launched Central Valley Daily daily news podcast, targeting younger, more diverse listeners.

· Hosted candidate forums across the San Joaquin Valley with a diverse range of partners including Fresnoland, League of Women Voters, Kern Sol News, Maddy Institute, CMAC

· Community engagement events at Bakersfield College, Merced Multicultural Arts Center, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Fresno City College, Fresno State

· Partnership with the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative

· Coverage of issues related to farm labor and the agricultural workforce, including bird flu among workers in the dairy industry

· Coverage of efforts to reopen Madera Community Hospital

Diversity Goals for 2025:

· Increase the diversity of station’s staff.

· Identify issues of importance to our local diverse communities.

· Produce content reflecting the voices of the region, including reporting on the needs and issues that are important to those communities.

· Increase the diversity of the station’s content and audience.

· Increase the diversity of our advisory councils and our Board of Directors.

Annual Initiatives & Implementation

The following are steps management has identified to help implement the goals above, and evaluate their success:

A. Outreach

1. Produce or co-host at least two community engagement events with diverse local groups to listen, learn and collaborate with diverse audiences that are traditionally underrepresented in public media.

2. Participate in job fairs and outreach events and activities to share the work of KVPR and showcase any potential job openings.

3. Sponsor events in partnership with local organizations representing diverse communities.

4. Sponsor scholarship opportunities for student journalists of color.

5. Partner with local colleges and universities to expose students to career opportunities in broadcasting through classroom appearances, special events, etc.

B. Hiring

1. Widely disseminate information concerning each full-time job vacancy.

2. Provide notice of job openings to community groups.

3. List every upper-level opening in a job bank or newsletter of a media trade group whose membership includes substantial participation of women and minorities.

4. Identify and recruit qualified candidates for advisory council and Board of Directors positions.

5. Identify and recruit qualified candidates for full-time job openings that express an element(s) of diversity.

6. Create internships or work study opportunities to help students of diverse backgrounds gain job skills in the public media industry.

C. Training

1. Participate in activities sponsored by community groups active in broadcast employment issues, including conventions, career days, workshops and similar activities.

2. Implement diversity training for all station personnel.

3. Provide professional development opportunities for staff designed to enable station personnel to acquire skills that could qualify them for higher-level positions.

4. Provide training to management level personnel as to methods of ensuring equal employment opportunity, preventing discrimination and creating a more inclusive workplace.

D. Evaluation and Reporting

1. Annual EEO Report filing with FCC (due July 31 each year)

2. Annual CPB Employment Statistical Report (part of the Station Activities Survey, due in February)

3. Annual board review of station Diversity Statement, goals, activities and progress report (February)

4. Annual review of Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Last updated February 3, 2025