Strategic Priority: Radio

Even as audiences increasingly turn to digital platforms, KQED Public Radio remains indispensable for listeners and one of the Bay Area’s most powerful vehicles for local and national news, cultural connection, and community identity. Our goal is to strengthen that role while evolving radio into a dynamic gateway to KQED’s other offerings, platforms and experiences.

Media habits are changing rapidly, and so is KQED. While radio remains a major source of KQED’s reach, we see enormous opportunity in growing digital listening and deepening engagement. By leveraging the authenticity and trust of our on-air hosts, integrating digital-first content, and embedding timely, short-form pieces into the live experience, KQED radio will meet communities wherever they are and however they listen.

At the heart of our approach is a commitment to a revitalized radio service that feels unmistakably live and distinctly local. We will strengthen our core offerings while attracting younger listeners through more relatable storytelling and seamless digital integration. Short-form, promotable content will create more entry points for discovery and build immediate engagement across platforms.

As financial pressures and competition from digital platforms intensify, KQED is focused on what matters most: maintaining trust, expanding access, and deepening community ties. We will expand our broadcast reach, invest in marketing that elevates our service and programs, and position radio as both a signature live experience and a promotional engine that drives audiences across our full ecosystem of content and platforms.

KQED is 100% community-fueled, independent media serving the Bay Area. Together, we can build a strong, resilient public media institution for today and the future. Explore ways to support this plan through membership, major giving, legacy giving, and volunteering opportunities.