Youth Radio Reopens in Oakland, Providing Programs to New Cohort

Youth Radio is back.

The Oakland nonprofit, which had supported youth involvement in media for more than 30 years before shutting down in 2024, announced Tuesday that it will resume operations effective this week.

Youth Radio will continue to be headquartered inside its longstanding location at 17th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, which it owns. Its programs restart on Wednesday, June 24, with an orientation for its first cohort of 16 participants.

The reopening is due to a small group of “dedicated board members and community members,” according to Maeven McGovern, a longtime employee of the organization who has taken on the role of executive director.

Funding for the reopening has come from a variety of sources: board members, small donors, grants from Elevate Youth California and the Wellness Foundation. Youth Radio also received a loan from Community Vision to assist with mortgage payments.

A crowdfunding campaign, which launched in 2024 and raised roughly $18,000, “helped keep the lights on and keep things moving while we were figuring out how to reopen,” said McGovern.

Everyone involved with the reopening effort has a long history with Youth Radio, said McGovern, “but weren’t very involved with the leadership that was in place when it closed.”

So far, the staffing is modest, with one full-time program manager and three part-time instructors, along with McGovern. The organization, which expects to grow with time, is currently using consultants for administration.

Still, the reopening is a welcome return for a community organization that had become plagued by financial issues. By the time it shut down in November 2024, staff had not been paid for more than a month, and employee health insurance insurance premiums had lapsed.

It marked a confounding end to a beloved program. Youth Radio had provided equipment, training and mentorship for all aspects of media, including film, radio, podcasting, music and photography. It counted among its alumni TV newscaster Lanaya Lewis, music producer 1 O.A.K., rapper IamSu and Euphoria actor Angus Cloud.

McGovern herself worked in various roles at Youth Radio for 13 years.

“The skills and industry experience that young people gain from their experience at Youth Radio is probably what we’re really known for,” said McGovern. “But the sense of community that exists at the organization is what most people in it really remember. And honestly, when I heard about what happened, I just wanted to help in any way that I could.”

The sessions starting this week are introductory training programs, with room to grow as more cohorts join. McGovern noted the rise of “content creators,” and said that while Youth Radio’s programs prioritized journalism, they would likely also see more vertical video editing, along with podcasting and music production.

One more change: after a branding change to “YR Media,” the name of the organization will once again be Youth Radio.

“We’ve gone back to the original brand, as part of going back to our original self, I would say,” McGovern said, “and really reconnecting with what made Youth Radio great.”

An open house and information session about Youth Radio takes place Friday, June 26, where potential applicants can meet instructors and learn about the programs on offer. Details on the orientation here.