Sacramento, CA - March 30, 2021: Capital Public Radio (CapRadio) today announced that it has signed a Management and Programming Agreement with Humboldt State University (HSU) to manage KHSU and the other non-commercial NPR-member stations licensed to the University. The collaborative agreement is effective April 1; it was formally approved in late February after months of study and discussion.
CapRadio entered into a similar agreement with North State Public Radio (NSPR) in October 2020. Under the new agreement with HSU, the FCC-issued broadcast licenses for the KHSU stations will be retained by the University, while CapRadio and Chico-based NSPR will be responsible for daily operations and programming in service to North Coast audiences. Like KHSU, all of the stations that are part of this agreement are affiliated with a campus of the California State University.
The new agreement ensures that high-quality national and state programming for the North Coast will continue and donations from the region will be used to support the KHSU stations. CapRadio and NSPR will conduct market research and community listening sessions to determine the needs of the local audience.
“With the results of the research as our guide, we will evolve KHSU’s on-air and digital programming,” said Jun Reina, CapRadio’s General Manager. “Ultimately, we will be able to ensure stronger resources to improve audience services, including uninterrupted access to national programming from NPR, BBC and APM.”
“In an expanding world with a shrinking number of reliable sources, a strengthened KHSU will continue to be a conduit for North Coast listeners to learn about and connect to a rapidly changing and interconnected planet,” said Phil Wilke, NSPR’s General Manager. “The partnership will also offer the ability to respond to critical and breaking news for the North Coast audience, making KHSU even more relevant and connected locally.”
As the license holder for KHSU, the University will maintain overall responsibility for the stations and a strong relationship with CapRadio and NSPR as the agreement unfolds. Additionally, with the cost-sharing for programming, management and other efficiencies, HSU expects to continue to realize annual savings of more than $250,000 that previously subsidized the stations, as well as significant savings from reduced space use and other soft costs.
“This is a promising new partnership that achieves our goals and opens up new possibilities for the future,” said Frank Whitlatch, HSU’s Vice President for University Advancement. Whitlatch has overseen KHSU since the summer of 2019, and, along with former KHSU General Manager Ed Subkis, helped negotiate the agreement on behalf of HSU. “HSU students will continue to have internship opportunities at KHSU, with the added benefit of the expertise at CapRadio, and our North Coast communities will have a connection to state and national public radio programming.”
About CapRadio
CapRadio serves California’s Capital region, Central Valley and Sierra Nevada as the public-supported alternative to for-profit media. As the NPR-member station based in Sacramento, CapRadio connects with communities through seven broadcast stations, live streaming, podcasts, digital communities, live experiences and more. Known for its award-winning newsroom, CapRadio is recognized as a leader in community-engaged journalism and state government reporting, and CapRadio Music is the exclusive broadcast source of classical and jazz in the region. With more than 500,000 weekly listeners on-air and online, CapRadio provides a trusted and indispensable source of information, music and events.
About KHSU
KHSU is a community-supported, non-commercial NPR-member station, licensed to and located on the campus of Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. Its history traces to 1960, when KHSC became the first licensed, non-commercial FM station in the California State University. The station broadcasts a diverse mix of national and state public radio programs to a population of about 135,000 people throughout Northwest California and Southwest Oregon. Listen to KHSU online at khsu.org.
About NSPR
North State Public Radio is a national award-winning, non-commercial NPR member station featuring the best programs from national and international sources, as well as locally produced news, music and information shows. In partnership with CapRadio since October 2020, NSPR has been serving the communities of Northern California for more than 50 years and can be heard on KCHO 91.7 FM Chico, KFPR 88.9 FM Redding and smaller translators in Burney, Chester, Dunsmuir, Mount Shasta, Greenville, Hayfork, Oroville, Weaverville and Westwood. Listen to NSPR online at mynspr.org.
--
CONTACT:
Shirlee Tully
[email protected]
