When Congress cancelled funding for public broadcasting in July, they left local stations defunded, but not defeated. Now, the hard work has begun to replace the money that was lost, and to keep KVPR’s service to the Central Valley strong. With the start of the new fiscal year just days away, KVPR is launching a fund drive, including a $12,000 challenge from the James B. McClatchy Foundation when the station signs up at least 100 new monthly sustaining members, or existing members increasing their monthly giving.
“We’re thrilled to have a local partner like JBMF stepping up with much needed support at this critical time,” said KVPR President and General Manager Joe Moore. “They see the importance of public media in the Central Valley, and they also understand that for stations like KVPR to survive the post-federal funding era, we need more listeners to become supporters.”
KVPR lost about 7 percent of the station’s overall funding with the elimination of federal support. When KVPR starts its new fiscal year on October 1, it will be the first time in the station's 47-year history that there will be no support for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which will shut down in the coming weeks.
While gifts from all listeners are welcomed, the station’s fundraising this September is focused especially on encouraging new supporters to join the station on a monthly basis. “Public radio is a vital force for tens of thousands of local listeners across our valley. Now that KVPR has been defunded, we're asking for listeners who have been on the sidelines to step up and help defend it,” said Moore.
KVPR has already made significant strides in raising new funds following rescission. In the hours following the passage of the White House rescission bill, KVPR launched a special two-day emergency fund drive, where we heard from hundreds of local supporters. As of early September, the station is about two-thirds of the way to recovering the lost revenue.
Defunding resulted in the loss of around $175,000 for KVPR for the year that begins October 1. That amount doesn’t include the indirect support that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting provided stations, such as funding the public radio satellite system, an online content management system for stations, and intellectual property licensing costs. It also doesn’t include the loss of a FEMA Next Generation Warning System grant administered by CPB, which was worth around $38,000 for KVPR. That project would have funded a new emergency auxiliary transmitter site for KVPR 89.3, to be used in the event of a wildfire or other natural disaster which could impact the station’s main site at Meadow Lakes. The project will no longer be built thanks to the end of federal funding.