Statewide Audience for KQED’s Forum Grows

STATIONS ACROSS CALIFORNIA ARE PICKING UP FORUM’S 10AM HOUR HOSTED BY MINA KIM

Stations in the greater Los Angeles region, the Central Valley and Northern California have started carrying the second hour of KQED Public Radio’s live broadcast of Forum. Hosted by Mina Kim, the second hour of the show explores current affairs statewide through the lens of race, justice and equality.

Named the permanent host of the second hour in July 2020, Kim has hosted conversations with newsmakers and important national thinkers, such as former Cabinet Secretary Julian Castro, author Roxane Gay and journalist Soledad O’Brien. The show has taken

deep dives into timely and critical topics, such as processing the grief and trauma of losing loved ones to COVID and the hidden cost of racism with guest Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. It has also engaged with guests and listeners about their hopes for what post-pandemic life could be like.

“At a time when many of us feel isolated or disconnected from others, hearing from people across more regions of the state reminds us of our shared experiences and makes our worlds bigger,” says Kim. “My goal is a show that represents what California is, and what it’s becoming.”

“I’m thrilled that Forum has become a show with two daily hosts,” Kim adds. “Listeners can only benefit when there are a variety of voices and experiences to draw from in the host chairs.”

Kim started her career in public radio at KQED as an intern with KQED’s Pacific Time. When the station began expanding its local news coverage in 2010, she became a general assignment reporter then health reporter for the station’s statewide news service The California Report. Kim’s award-winning stories have included on-the-scene reporting of the 2014 Napa earthquake and a series on gun violence in Oakland. Kim became the Friday Forum host in late 2014. She’s interviewed many notable figures, including Senator Nancy Pelosi, Claudia Rankine, Senator Cory Booker, Sarah Silverman and Elvis Costello, among others.

In addition to KQED in the Bay Area and Sacramento, the second hour of the program is now heard on KCLU in Thousand Oaks and on the Central Coast; KVCR in Riverside, San Bernardino and the Inland Empire; KVMR 105.7FM in the Sierra Foothills; and at 1pm on KVPR in Fresno and the Central Valley. KQED is also in discussions with other stations and communities to bring the show to a broader audience, either through additional carriage or partnership opportunities.

“Every day, Forum does a superb job of illuminating perspectives that are relevant to Californians looking for a deeper understanding of the complex issues and challenges we face,” says Duncan Lively, director of programming and operations for KCLU in Thousand Oaks. “Mina Kim is a deft host who brings out the best in her guests and callers while ensuring that the program maintains forward momentum. Forum is an essential piece of KCLU's public service.”

In addition to the growth of the statewide show, Michael Krasny, who hosted the 9am hour, retired in February after 28 years with the program. KQED is conducting a national search for his replacement for the 9am segment, which is broadcast exclusively in the San Francisco Bay Area and is more regionally focused.