Nevada Public Radio was incorporated in December 1975 as an independent, non-profit corporation. KNPR signed on the air March 24th 1980. We were Nevada’s First NPR affiliate, in the early years Morning Edition and All Things Considered aired alongside classical music, jazz, bluegrass, radio drama, blues, folk music and more. In December 1980 we moved into newly constructed studios in the parking lot of Sam’s Town thanks to the generosity of Sam and Bill Boyd.
In 1998 broadcast operations moved to a custom built facility on the campus of The College of Southern Nevada thanks to a major grant from the Donald W Reynolds Foundation. This move signaled the beginning of significant expansion of radio service in broadcast to more of Nevada and adjacent counties in Utah, Arizona and California. Coinciding with rapid population growth in the Southern Nevada region, Nevada Public Radio grew in relevance and reach as the dominant NPR news station for Nevada, signature public radio entertainment, classical music, magazine production and the delivery of that content in emerging formats online. With the 2017 sign-on of KVNV in Reno, Nevada Public Radio became a statewide broadcaster reaching 93% of Nevada’s population.
Nevada Public Radio now operates a non-commercial, radio broadcast network comprised of seven stations, KNPR-FM Las Vegas (88.9), KCNV-FM Las Vegas (89.7), KTPH-FM Tonopah (91.7), KLNR-FM Panaca (91.7), KWPR-FM Lund/Ely (88.7), KLKR-FM Elko (89.3), KVNV Sun Valley/ Reno (89.1), plus nine rural translators.
A volunteer governing board including founder and Director Emeritus, Lamar Marchese oversees Nevada Public Radio. The Community Advisory board is also a valued component in achieving the mission of Nevada Public Radio:
Nevada Public Radio will enhance the quality of life and foster civic engagement by informing, educating and inspiring our growing audiences.
Since those humble beginnings, Nevada Public Radio has grown to be one of the state’s premier non-profit organizations, recognized as a leader in broadcast excellence, technical innovation and outstanding stewardship of donor funds. Nevada Public Radio has won numerous national awards for broadcast program production and excellence in publishing. The current CEO served six years on the NPR national board and NVPR executives are active members of national professional associations that further the mission of public broadcasting.
The staff is comprised of 35 full and part-time employees. Contract staff, volunteers and interns are also vital to accomplishing our public service mission.
Nevada Public Radio is committed to producing relevant content that meets the information needs of the communities we serve. To complement the national and international offerings from network producers NPR, APM and PRI, our own production KNPR’s State of Nevada is a nationally recognized public affairs program that creates a venue for dialog on the issues that matter to our region. Launched with a $500,000 grant of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, KNPR’s State of Nevada has been honored locally and nationally for program excellence including the “ACE” Award from the Public Radio Program Directors Association.
Desert Companion is the city regional magazine honored with multiple “Maggie” awards for publishing, design and editorial excellence. Reporting, smart writing and service journalism shines along with lifestyle and cultural profiles. The magazine extends the public media core values of independent editorial integrity into the magazine space reaching a broader demographic than traditional broadcast.
KNPR’s State of Nevada, Desert Companion and our network produced offerings are all supported and extended with a dynamic online presence at KNPR.org, related websites, podcasts and digital expressions that represent an evolving area for content production, marketing and membership/corporate support opportunities.
