Join us SCPR 2016 ANNUAL REPORT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO 89.3 KPCC | 89.1 KUOR | 90.3 KVLA | 89.5 KJAI | 89.9 K21OAD | 93.3 K227BX Come home to SCPR Southern California Public Radio builds a deep sense of community: whether you listen on the road, enjoy podcasts at home, read digital stories, engage via social media, or congregate at events in real time, SCPR creates a warm and welcoming environment that feels like home. Supporters from across Southern California turned out in force to join us at our SCPR Community Open House. Friends, Looking back on 2016, it’s become fashionable for news media outlets to say that their content “is important now more than ever.” Not at SCPR. Our combination of in-depth, fact-based journalism and inclusive civic engagement has always been important and it will always remain important. SCPR’s audiences have always understood this. And, therefore, our audiences are among the most remarkable in all of media. SCPR’s audiences range from kids in the back seat of their parents’ cars to centenarians who were born before the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920; from immigrants who are new to our country to people who can trace their ancestry to indigenous tribes that antedate the arrival of Europeans; across economic, ethnic, cultural, religious, and political lines. This disparate group of Angelenos shares a common set of traits: curiosity, a commitment to life-long learning, a deep respect for others, and a desire to improve the quality of civic and cultural life in one of the world’s most diverse metropolises. At SCPR, we routinely remind ourselves that we must “hold up an accurate mirror to the imperfect paradise” that is greater Los Angeles if we are to fully realize the potential of our public service mission. On any given day, the exercise of our craft requires facility in dozens of languages, analysis of emerging economic and cultural trends, political acumen, command of legacy broadcast and emerging digital technologies, and a willingness to listen to you. When you add your voice to the conversation — whether it’s calling into Larry Mantle’s AirTalk or posting a comment on our website or sharing a story we’ve done on social media or telling a co-worker at the water cooler “I heard this story on KPCC today” — you help us further a mission that is unique in Southern California. And, as other media struggle to remain connected to LA, the connection you make with us each and every day improves the quality of our journalism and strengthens the civic fabric of the community we share. “Join us.” It’s a phrase you often hear during our programming, whether it’s asking you to tune into The Frame, attend an In Person event or check out something interesting on our mobile digital platform. “Join us” is an invitation, of course, not a command. But it’s more than just an invitation. When we ask you to “join us,” it’s an acknowledgment that your knowledge and your insights and your perspectives are integral to our understanding of Southern California. When you “join us,” you help strengthen the bonds that unite us as Angelenos and as Americans. On behalf of the SCPR Board of Trustees, our employees and our audiences, thank you for joining us in 2016. We look forward to joining you in 2017 and beyond. Sincerely, The mission of Southern California Public Radio is to strengthen the civic and cultural bonds that unite Southern California’s diverse communities by providing the highest quality news and information service Ana Valdez, Chair Bill Davis, President through radio and other interactive media. We will be a public forum that engages its audiences in an ongoing dialogue and exploration of issues, events and cultures in the region and in the world, seeking to provide greater understanding and new perspectives to the people of these communities and their leaders. 2 SCPR 2016 Annual Report 3 Covering Communities In Person At Southern California Public Radio, our public Crawford Family Forum and service journalism is built on a foundation of then hit the road, bringing fact-based, in-depth reporting and community programs to communities engagement — bringing individuals from diverse throughout Southern backgrounds and disparate perspectives together California including a regional to discuss and debate the news and events that tour celebrating AirTalk’s 30th touch them every day. On air, online and at our anniversary, the first-ever live SCPR’s Ashley Alvarado (right) in conversation with multicultural activist Sonia Kang in the Crawford Family Forum. frequent live events, broadcast of Take Two and an “When I listen to SCPR asks our affordability series as part of SCPR’s Regional SCPR’s manager of public engagement. Her position For her part, Kang is equally enthusiastic about KPCC or attend an audience to join us Desk. These events were a major success, drawing empowers Alvarado to develop strategies for involving SCPR — not only what she hears on air, but also in the conversation together Southern Californians from different new and existing audiences with SCPR across what she encounters at KPCC In Person events. In Person event, — and it is not just walks of life to make connections and broaden platforms (broadcast, web and live events) and, as “I’m mixed Mexican and Black, born in Puerto Rico, I feel a sense of a figure of speech. their understanding of their community and the she sees it, a critical part of her job is just listening. raised in Hawaii, and my husband is Korean. I literally With the launch world around them. “Our audience knows more than we do. Getting to make up 70 percent of the racial, ethnic and cultural belonging because of the live events Six years, 500 events and more than 60,000 know the community not only allows us to share composition of LA,” she says. “When I listen to I’m hearing stories platform in 2010, attendees later, today SCPR is more committed to information people may find helpful — it also builds KPCC or attend an In Person event, I feel a sense we put front and community engagement than ever before. KPCC relationships that inform our coverage and generate of belonging because I’m hearing stories about my about my struggles center our emphasis In Person, the station’s events and engagement compelling stories.” struggles and my reality, stories from diverse reporters and my reality.” on producing in team, has doubled its original size and redoubled Alvarado developed one such relationship with Sonia about people who could be my neighbors and friends.” person content to its commitment to producing events on subjects Kang, a multicultural activist and social entrepreneur Fostering that sense of belonging, Alvarado says, bring audiences into the story. “Our goal,” says Jon as varied as gentrification, homelessness, civic she met at a community event. “Sonia is fantastic,” is what sets SCPR apart. “We hear over and over Cohn, managing producer of forum programs and participation, and public education. Alvarado says. “She has a wealth of wisdom” that has about people feeling disconnected from or wary of the live events, “is to be a gateway to public media, “KPCC In Person invites audiences into an proven to be an asset to SCPR programs like Take Two, media,” she says. “At KPCC, we are actively working to engaging people from across the region in face- ongoing dialogue and exploration of issues, which invited her to join a segment focused on talking deepen our knowledge of the communities we serve to-face conversation.” The events started in the events and cultures,” says Ashley Alvarado, to kids about race. and to deserve their trust.” 4 SCPR 2016 Annual Report 5 SCPR’s Bianca Ramirez, Joanne Griffith, Roy Lenn and Sharon McNary (pictured, left to right) reflect the broad range of backgrounds and experiences shaping Southern California. their common language, that’s what my to have built a water system,” she says. sisters and I spoke at home. We had a pretty “It was a great education for my beat — all-American upbringing, but James’ story telling important stories about the things made me think of the things I might not we build together to make life better, like know or appreciate about how hard my bridges, sewers and water pipes.” McNary’s parents worked to give us the privilege of storytelling gets a boost from one of her growing up in the United States.” other former lives, as well: Before taking Take Two editor Joanne Griffith grew a reporter job at SCPR, she launched the up on the other side of the Atlantic, in station’s Public Insight Network, a group of England, and remains a British citizen. several thousand people who — by sharing Today, SCPR helps her make sense of their experience and expertise — help the her adopted country as she confronts the newsroom cover Southern California. challenges of raising a daughter in America. SCPR STAFFERS: “When I first got here, Steve Julian steered “ Whether we are me around the freeways, Larry Mantle schooled me on local politics and John Rabe talking about taught me about the Los Angeles beyond education, the Hollywood hype,” she says. “Now, as immigration or Reflecting Our Region an employee, I get to help people better understand Southern California, whether the economy, I they are new arrivals or lifelong residents. There’s so much to talk about and to share, can connect to and I get to be part of the conversation the stories we tell Audiences turn to Southern California Public Radio about education, immigration or the economy,” she every day.