Just over one year ago, it was a dark day in the history of public media, when Congress eliminated all funding for public media stations like KVPR. Many people didn’t know if stations like KVPR would survive. And while across the country, some stations have been sold off, have gone dark or have discontinued their regular programming, that’s not the case here in the Central Valley. Thanks to the generosity of our community, today, KVPR is stronger than ever.
In an hour of need, KVPR listeners stepped up. In the first year after the defunding of public media, our listeners helped erase the shortfall and contributed to one of the best years in our 48-year history. Listener support was up around 40 percent year-over-year, both in overall revenue and in the number of active supporters. Of course, the federal defunding was not just a one-time hit. We now have to do it all over again to offset the absence of federal support in year two. We know we won’t continue to grow at 40 percent a year, but sustaining the current base of support is critical to ensuring the sustainability of KVPR’s operations in this new era.
A major investment:
The one-year anniversary of the federal defunding also roughly coincided with another, significant milestone. On August 5th 2026, the station officially paid off a 10-year loan on its broadcast center in Clovis, with a $650,000 balloon payment. The station now owns the 10,000 square foot, $4 million facility, free and clear. Located in the City of Clovis research and technology park, the broadcast center opened in 2016, providing the station its first-ever permanent home. This was a dream that started over 20 years ago by then KVPR General Manager Mariam Stepanian. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, I’m honored to continue her legacy and officially bring our capital campaign to a close by paying off this loan. This investment not only allows KVPR to operate debt-free, it allows the station to take close to $50,000 a year that had been devoted to principal and interest on the loan, and direct that money to operations.
Audience growth:
But KVPR’s success extends beyond fundraising. More people are listening to and engaging with our content than ever, across all platforms. Over the last two years, KVPR’s total broadcast audience is up by over 40 percent (Nielsen, Spring 2026).
This is after a few years of declines in the early part of this decade. Much of the growth is among younger listeners, Millennials and Gen Z. This is the next generation of public radio listeners and supporters. In Spring 2026, 35 percent of our audience was 34 or younger. That’s compared to 15 percent two years ago.
This isn’t just a one-time blip. We saw some improvement in Spring 2025, and even more in Spring 2026. This growth in audience coincides with national trends in public radio, though KVPR’s success outpaces nationwide audience growth among NPR stations.
So what has led KVPR to this success? Amid the external challenges of the last few years, our team has been hard at work, delivering on the promise we make to our listeners every day: to bring them voices and sounds that inform and inspire. In addition to our acclaimed and popular national shows from NPR like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, we’ve focused on bringing essential local content to our listeners.
In the last two years, KVPR has:
- Launched the Central Valley Daily podcast and broadcast series in late 2024, rejuvenating our tradition of being a home for essential conversations about the Valley.
- New local vignette series Central Valley Roots, which is focused on Valley history, places and people.
- Expanded the station’s presence on social media with videos on Instagram and TikTok. We’re using social media and events to build audience awareness and extend our reach. Views are up over 600 percent in one year.
- Reinvented our long-running KVPR wine tasting event after 40 years with a new format and pricing structure. Now known as Corks and Brews, we basically doubled attendance and the profit from that event versus the previous year. It will be back in 2027 on the first Sunday in May in Fresno.
- We restarted our internship program with Fresno State. Each of the three students who have gone through the program have been invited back as employees following the conclusion of their internships. Israel Cardona Hernandez is a part-time reporter in our newsroom, Branden Sandoval is an on-air host for Weekend Edition and Samantha Rangel has joined our team as a full-time reporter in the KVPR newsroom. KVPR also launched a partnership with Fresno State’s Institute for Media and Public Trust to deepen audience engagement on issues like media literacy and journalism issues.
- We’ve brought on new local hosts for all of our flagship NPR shows. Justin Sacher joined us as our new Morning Edition host in 2024. National Edward R. Murrow Award-winner Soreath Hok is the new host of Central Valley Daily, and veteran Fresno broadcaster Frank Dee is our new local host for NPR’s All Things Considered.
- We’ve also made other strategic additions to our team. Elizabeth Arakelian became our new Director of Radio in early 2025, focused on improving our local service and serving audience needs. In early 2026, Alexa Teal Green joined us as Director of Engagement and Events, helping us to deepen our community connections.
- A few weeks ago we launched The Arts Angle with Donald Munro, highlighting local arts and culture events. The segment previews upcoming theater and arts events, and is a co-production with The Munro Review.
- Over the last few months we’ve aired several freelance reports from veteran Fresno Bee journalist Marek Warszawski, and he has now joined our news staff as KVPR’s senior correspondent, covering local issues that matter to Valley residents.
- We’re adding a reporter in Bakersfield as part of the California News Fellowship program administered by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Amaray Alvarez will start work in September, and will cover Kern County for KVPR. This will help KVPR deepen the station’s coverage of news in Bakersfield area.
KVPR paid off a $650,000 balloon payment on the station's broadcast center in Clovis, CA in August 2026.
While plenty of challenges remain, from sustained funding to the rapid pace of technological change, these “wins” are worth celebrating. We will do just that, and honor the 10th anniversary of the KVPR Broadcast Center in Clovis on Tuesday October 6th with an open house featuring food trucks, live music, studio tours and more. Festivities will begin at 5:00 p.m.
As we look ahead to KVPR’s 50th anniversary in 2028, we see a vibrant future for public media in the Central Valley. It’s one filled with local service, community voices, authentic storytelling, trusted news coverage, and artistic expression. While technology and trends come and go, local listeners are telling us how important KVPR is to their lives today and for tomorrow as well. Thanks for your support!
