Inside FM89

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) has awarded Valley Public Radio with the 2020 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Writing.

In a brand new special series from Valley Public Radio, award-winning journalist and author Mark Arax offers a special perspective on our times, viewed through the lens of writer William Saroyan. 

Each week, Valley writers will read a short story by Saroyan, and we’ll discuss its relevance.

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, we have temporarily suspended our local broadcasts of Clearly Classical and Young Artists Spotlight, and have directed nearly all station employees to work from home. As a result, we have temporarily replaced those locally-produced programs with network classical music programming from our friends at Classical 24, which is a national, live-hosted classical music program from American Public Media and PRX.

For news reports from NPR and from Valley Public Radio regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, click here. Other resources:

StoryCorps, a renowned nonprofit celebrating the stories of everyday Americans, will be stopping in Bakersfield for three days of recording during its San Joaquin Valley Mobile Stop. Recording at the Beale Memorial Library from March 11-13, StoryCorps will make a limited number of appointments available to Valley Public Radio listeners.

Valley Public Radio’s news department once again walked away with multiple awards at the 70th Annual Golden Mike Awards in Los Angeles. The annual awards gala honors the best in broadcasting in Southern California, and is produced by the Southern California Radio and Television News Association. The February 15th event at the Universal Hilton Hotel featured a keynote address by former Fox News host Shepard Smith.

Valley Public Radio won honors in four categories in division B, including Best Public Affairs program for Valley Edition and Best News Reporting.

Join us for the StoryCorps opening ceremony Wednesday, February 12, 2020, 11:30AM at CMAC in Fresno

StoryCorps, a renowned nonprofit organization celebrating the stories of everyday Americans, will record interviews in the San Joaquin Valley from February 12 to March 20 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour. Having collected over 65,000 interviews from Americans in all 50 states, StoryCorps has gathered one of the largest single collections of human voices ever recorded.

UPDATE 3/11/20: Out of an abundance of caution due to the Coronavirus situation, the StoryCorps San Joaquin listening event previously scheduled for March 19, 2020 has been cancelled, and will be rescheduled to a new date later in the year. 

Valley Public Radio is pleased to announce that Kathleen Schock has joined the FM89 team as the new host of the station's news magazine program Valley Edition. The program airs Friday mornings at 9:00 AM with a rebroadcast at 7:00 PM, and is also available as a podcast.

A Fresno native, Kathleen has a bachelor’s in international relations from the University of Southern California, a master’s degree in journalism from UC Berkeley, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Fresno State.

After 15 years as the beloved co-host of WNYC Studios’ Radiolab and an illustrious five-decade career in print, television, and radio journalism, Robert Krulwich announced today that he will retire from the show in January 2020. Radiolab will release a special tribute episode in late January.

Robert announced the news in a heartfelt letter, which you can read here. 

Philosophy Talk co-founder/host and Stanford University Professor Ken Taylor has passed away at age 65.  

The producers of the program shared the news with listeners today with this note:

The Philosophy Talk team is deeply saddened by Ken Taylor's unexpected and untimely passing. Ken was the show's co-founder, longtime co-host, chief cheerleader, and guiding light. We already miss him but are grateful for the legacy that he's left for us—his philosophical wisdom, deep insight... and booming charismatic radio voice on each of our 500 episodes to date.

From the spoken word to classical music and jazz, help celebrate the holiday season with an eclectic blend of holiday specials from Valley Public Radio. You’ll hear timeless classics like A Christmas Carol and a complete broadcast of Handel’s Messiah, to contemporary favorites like David Sedaris reading from his Santaland Diaries on Tinsel Tales, and Pink Martini’s “A Holiday In Pink” radio special. There’s also special Hanukkah programming, Paul Winter’s annual Winter Solstice Concert, and New Year’s Day live from Vienna.

Valley Public Radio will offer live special coverage of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump in the U.S. House of Representatives. The coverage from NPR begins Wednesday November 13, 2019 at 7:00 AM, with a hearing before the House Intelligence Committee. Further coverage will air on Friday November 15 at 6:00 AM as hearings continue.

If you're a fan of radio storytelling programs like The Moth Radio Hour, you won't want to miss a special storyteller's showcase event in Bakersfield Saturday December 7th. The Beale Memorial Library, in association with Bakersfield Toastmasters Clubs and Valley Public Radio will present  "Miles to Go Before I Sleep" an evening of true stories, told before a live audience.

For the sixth year in a row, the independent nonprofit rating service Charity Navigator has awarded Valley Public Radio its highest honor - four stars. The rating is based on the station's stewardship of donor funds, financial health, ethics and transparency policies. 

Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator wrote the following:

Thanks for your help in raising the needed funds to make the backup generator project a reality. As of 7/29/19 we have raised the money necessary to complete this project. Work will begin on the installation soon. Thanks for your generous support of Valley Public Radio. 

- Joe Moore
President and General Manager
Valley Public Radio

California State Senator Melissa Hurtado has named Valley Public Radio as Nonprofit of the Year for Senate District 14. Station President and General Manager Joe Moore and Finance Director Shirin Assemi visited the state capitol Wednesday to accept the honor as part of California Nonprofit Day. The station was one of 200 nonprofits honored as part of the celebration. 

From an earlier press release: