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Since its founding in 1954, KQED has looked forward and evolved to meet the needs of an ever-changing media landscape. Now one of the largest and most successful public media entities in the country, KQED is a leading example of how a community supported non-profit journalism and educational media service can thrive in a digital world.

KQED has doubled down on our mission to inform, inspire and involve residents about the issues that matter to us all. We aspire to meet this moment with Bay Area communities to provide new, compelling digital programs by producing video and podcast series created in-house with our talented reporters and producers through KQED Studios.

KQED Studios provides working capital to support digital innovation by funding the design and launch of new podcasts and other digital media. KQED will continue to deliver the programs you rely on – while simultaneously building for the future and reaching new audiences. 

Philanthropic support of KQED Studios helps deliver fresh programs to audiences of all ages, and ensures KQED is agile in an ever-changing mediascape.

KQED Studios Programs

The story of the food on your plate is more than just the recipe. Each ingredient and every cooking technique goes back hundreds if not thousands of years, crisscrossing the globe on a wild culinary adventure. In Beyond The Menu, host Cecilia Phillips uncovers the backstory on some of today’s most popular dishes.

Tech journalist Morgan Sung spends most of her day online — so you don’t have to. Each week, Morgan tackles a new topic that might seem niche on the surface but is destined to impact our lives — both online and off. She pulls from experts, creators, and history to add context to the trends and depth to the memes. And she’ll wrestle with as many browser tabs as it takes to explain the cultural moment we’re all collectively living.

Trusted local news in real time. With updates all day long, The Latest brings you the Bay Area and California stories you need to know as they happen. Listen to breaking news on your schedule, in 20 minutes or less.

Spooked features true-life supernatural stories, told first-hand by people who can barely believe it happened themselves. Spooked challenges skeptics of the supernatural, daring listeners to confront the unknown. These stories demand listeners question their own map of reality. Be afraid.

Spooked is made in partnership with KQED and PRX. It is hosted by Glynn Washington.

KQED Studios FAQs

 

How is this initiative different from KQED’s capital campaign, Campaign 21?

In 2021, KQED completed a $140M campaign that enabled us to invest in critical new infrastructure and core news and content production teams, and renovate our San Francisco headquarters with modernized facilities and expanded community events and meeting spaces. Now, with that strong foundation in place, we are entering an exciting new phase of growth and investment in new digital media and programming.

What is digital media?

Digital media refers to any content, like audio, video, text, or images, that is created, accessed, and shared electronically through the internet or computer networks, including websites, social media platforms, blogs, podcasts, and video games. Essentially, digital media is any form of media that exists in a digital format rather than a physical one.

Why is digital media so important to KQED’s future?

Media habits have shifted decisively in the last 10 years. In 2024, audiences spent 8+ hours a day using digital media, half that time watching videos and listening to podcasts. Investing in the production of digital media allows KQED to reach new audiences and welcome them into the public media fold. It’s good business to deliver on our community’s needs, and KQED Studios is a pipeline of vibrant, informative new programs for multi-platform audiences.

Will KQED still produce radio and television programs?

KQED is still committed to producing trusted, quality programming for both radio and television.

KQED Studios Philanthropic Partners

Our visionary philanthropic partners make generous investments in our free, high-quality programming aimed at providing people with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions, convene community dialogue, bring the arts to everyone, and engage audiences to share their stories. We extend our deep gratitude to the following KQED Studios philanthropic partners whose giving fuels the R&D of fresh, new multiplatform programming:

 

Krishnan Shah Family Foundation, Birong Hu, Destino Fund, Shelley and Steve Brown

Want to learn more about KQED Studios?

Contact a member of the Major Gifts team by phone at 415.553.2300 or by email at majorgifts@kqed.org.