NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO nwpr.org ANNUAL REPORT 2014 Contents CONTACT US Listener & Member Services: 800-842-8991 By the Numbers .......................................................... 2 - 3 Coverage Map Business Office: 509-335-6500 Grow & Serve the Audience .................................... 4 - 5 National Programs Audience & Member Services: Regional News & Information [email protected] Music Programming News Department: Deepen Community Impact ................................ 6 - 9 [email protected] StoryCorps From the Top Mailing Address Harness Technology .............................................. 10 - 11 Northwest Public Radio Significant Improvements & Upgrades The Edward R. Murrow KJEM Jazz Programming College of Communication Washington State University Be Sustainable .......................................................... 12 - 17 PO Box 642530 Membership & Donations Pullman, WA 99164-2530 Financials Legacy Associates Broadcasters Circle 2014 ANNUAL REPORT Leadership Circle For more information about this Partners report, contact Major Gifts Business & Community Partners Officer Sandi Billings at [email protected]. Cover photo by Marie Glynn/ MG Clicks Photography ©2015 Northwest Public Radio. A community service of The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO 03/15 148019 Year in Review In FY 2014, Northwest Public Radio made significant progress toward long-term strategic goals. Reviewing the year’s successes, it’s notable that many highlights of the year involved young people: young performers, young listeners and young radio professionals. Northwest Public Radio connected listeners to From the Top, an NPR program that shines a spotlight on outstanding young musicians. NWPR hosted From the Top in Tacoma with the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts in April, where seven artists, all 18 years old or younger, gave outstanding performances. Northwest Public Radio’s newest station went on the air in Pullman with a new program stream and a college-student staff in November. KJEM delivers 24-hour jazz programming and is managed by students who are learning the broadcast ropes Evan Swanson under the tutelage of NWPR’s professional staff. As you review this annual report, I hope you share Strategic goals for the next four years were drawn my pride in the station’s successes of FY 2014. Your up as we completed the last year of the previous investment in Northwest Public Radio—through plan. The areas of focus remain unchanged: donations, visiting the station or events hosted by • grow and serve the audience, NWPR staff, and listening and sharing what you • deepen community impact, learn with friends, family and neighbors—is key to • harness technology and NWPR’s success. • be sustainable. With four years’ experience and success in moving Kerry Swanson the needle in these essential areas, we have made Station Manager adjustments to projections and tactics. We are confident of even greater success in the coming years—success in providing better service to more people. 2014 ANNUAL REPORT | 1 By the Numbers TWENTY business supporters Signals FIVE 264 FTE STAFF Vancouver 104.7 Penticton 32 5 KNWP 90.1 BellinghamBBeelle inngg 395 95 2 KZAZ 91.7 KQWS 90.1 VictoriaVictorriaia MoMountuunnt VernonV KHNW 88.3 Omak 152,050 OkanO ogan OakOOaa Harboror 9797 5 KNWR 90.7 PPortPoort AngAngelesgeleelesess KMWS 89.7 2 weekly listeners 395 95 FFoFororrkks 91.3 Everett CChhelellaan 91.1 90.3 62,309 2 2 office & studio 2 Spokane 90 Coeur d’Alene KNWU 91.5 101110 SeattleSeaeaattlt le LeavenworthLeLeaeaveavena worth 93.1 miles on BeBelBBellevueel 2 KWSU 1250AM 90 locations: BBrBreBremertonreremr mertoton Caasasshhmmere KLWS 91.5 engineering Pullman, Tacoma, Tri-Cities, 89.9 101 WWenaWenatcheetchthtcheee Ephraattaa KRFA 91.7 vehicles Wenatchee and Yakima TacomaTTacTaaccommaa 900 97 Quiuincycy 90 MMoMosesses s LLaLakeake 90 93.3 95 5 5 EllensburgEllennsbbuurrgg KJEM 89.9 local and regional Aberdeen Olympiamppiia 395 KYVT 88.5 OtheOth llolo CCololfaxx 121 8282 19195955 news stories produced CentraliaCentnttraralaliliia 102.3 KVTI 90.9 PullmanPPuuulllmmaaann MoscowMMooosssccoww 2,760 9595 12 YYaYakimaaakkik mmaa 122 OOrroofofinnoo KSWS 88.9 5 395395 LeLLewistoneewwiwisststononn RichlandRRichlalandd 122 contributing PascoPPascsco KNWY 90.3 9595 KamKKaammiiaahh Kelso KKennKennewicknnewicck WWaWallWallaalllaaW WaWWallalla members: Longview CotCCo tonwwoooodd 822 30 773730 90.5 97 91.3 1,723 KNWV 90.5 three 26 Goldendadaale GGrangevgevillee program sustaining 84 102.7 9,273 Vancouver 84 84 100.9 members Portland streams KFAE 89.1 KWWS 89.7 197 101 KNWO 90.1 26 395 95 square miles covered (est.) 84 Joseph/Enterprise 97 5 NPR & Translator News Approximate Signal Coverage NPR News Classical Music NPR Jazz 222,816 Translator Classical Music © Northwest Public Radio NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO POTS OF 297,681 UNIQUE VISITORS TO COFFEE 572 (estimated) nwpr.org Vancouver 104.7 Penticton 5 KNWP 90.1 BellinghamBBeelle inngg 395 95 2 KZAZ 91.7 KQWS 90.1 VictoriaVictorriaia MountMouunnt VernonV KHNW 88.3 Omak OOaOaka Harboror OkanO ogan 9797 5 KNWR 90.7 PPortPoort AngAngelesgeleelesess 2 KMWS 89.7 395 95 FFoFororrkks 91.3 CChhelellaan 91.1 Everett 2 2 90.3 2 Spokane Coeur d’Alene KNWU 91.5 LeavenworthLeLeaeaveavena worth 93.1 90 101110 SeattleSeaeaattlt le BellevueBeBelBel 2 KWSU 1250AM 90 BBrBreBremertonreremr mertoton Caasasshhmmere KLWS 91.5 89.9 101 WWenaWenatcheetchthtcheee Ephraattaa KRFA 91.7 TacomaTTacTaaccommaa 900 97 Quiuincycy 90 MMoMosesses s LLaLakeake 90 93.3 95 5 EllensburgEllennsbbuurrgg KJEM 89.9 Aberdeen Olympiamppiia 395 KYVT 88.5 OtheOth llolo CCololfaxx 121 8282 19195955 CentraliaCentnttraralaliliia 102.3 PullmanPPuuulllmmaaann MoscowMMooosssccoww KVTI 90.9 9595 12 YYaYakimaaakkik mmaa 122 OOrroofofinnoo KSWS 88.9 5 395395 LeLLewistoneewwiwisststononn RichlandRRichlalandd 122 PascoPPascsco 9595 KamKKaammiiaahh Kelso KNWY 90.3 KKennKennewicknnewicck Longview WallaWWaWallalllaaW WallaWaW lla CotCCo tonwwoooodd 822 30 773730 90.5 97 91.3 KNWV 90.5 26 Goldendadaale GGrangevgevillee 84 102.7 Vancouver 84 84 100.9 Portland KFAE 89.1 KWWS 89.7 197 101 KNWO 90.1 26 395 95 97 84 Joseph/Enterprise 5 NPR & Translator News Approximate Signal Coverage NPR News Classical Music NPR Jazz Translator Classical Music © Northwest Public Radio 2014 ANNUAL REPORT | 3 Grow & Serve the Audience Regional News & Information National Programs By John Paxson, News Director By Gillian Coldsnow, Assistant Manager of Programming and Operations Anna King continued her award- winning coverage of central With listener feedback as our Washington, highlighted by dozens guide in making this year’s of pieces examining the failure of program changes, we the Wanapum Dam on the brought new programs to Columbia River and the impact on weekends on the NPR News the recreational and farming John Paxson, News Director service and reduced the communities that border the river. NWPR Gillian Coldsnow, number of repeat broadcasts. And, as she has for a number of Assistant Manager of Programming & Operations years, Anna led the region in NWPR Latino USA, the foremost reporting on the continuing Latino voice in public media cleanup work at the country’s most and the longest-running Latino-centered program toxic site, the Hanford Nuclear on radio, reports on diversity, culture, civic Reservation. dialogue and how people live and struggle with difference. And for the listeners who just can’t get Courtney Flatt broke new ground Anna King, Richland Correspondent enough of game shows like Wait Wait…Don’t Tell with unique reporting on such Kayo Lackey/OPB Me!, we strengthened the weekend lineup with varied topics as how climate NPR’s Ask Me Another, a lively hour of puzzles, word change affects migrant workers and games and trivia played in front of (and with) a what such change means for ice live audience. The host is noted comedian and climbing in the Pacific Northwest. storyteller Ophira Eisenberg. Live Wire! is a She also monitored the battle over Northwest variety show offering music, proposed species protection for conversation and sketch comedy. Hosted by Luke the western sage grouse and took Courtney Flatt, Burbank (who you may remember as a reporter on listeners on a marvelous journey to Multimedia Journalist Courtesy Courtney Flatt Morning Edition and All Things Considered, and as the coulee country of north-central panelist and guest host on Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Washington to listen for the rare spotted bat. Me!), the show is recorded in front of a live audience in the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. And the station achieved a significant, first-of-its-kind grant to establish a bilingual news reporting team in Yakima. Funds from the Yakima Valley Community Foundation were matched by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to establish a project known as the Yakima Valley Community Information Connection. The project will pair the talents of a NWPR bilingual reporter based in our Yakima studios with the reporting and producing staff of the Granger-based, Spanish- language radio station KDNA. As the fiscal year ended, the search had been launched for the new reporter. NORTHWEST PUBLIC RADIO Music Programming Jessie Jacobs, By Jessie Jacobs, Music Coordinator Music Coordinator NWPR FY 2014 was a time of transition as we bid a fond farewell to Robin Rilette, who embarked upon a new career opportunity after 23 years at NWPR. Taking change in stride, Northwest Public Radio expanded its schedule of locally