Inside KVPR

Follow the progress on construction of the new broadcast center for Valley Public Radio. Our new facility is designed to engage the community and provide a strong foundation for the station for decades to come.

$200,000 Challenge, Largest In History Of Valley Public Radio

KVPR | By VPR Staff

Published November 30, 2015 at 2:03 PM PST

Valley Public Radio's new home, now under construction

Valley Public Radio/FM89 is pleased to announce the station has been awarded a $200,000 challenge grant from the James Irvine Foundation for the construction of its new broadcast center. To meet this challenge, Valley Public Radio must raise $200,000 in pledges before the end of 2015. The new broadcast center is under construction at the Clovis Technology Park, located at Temperance and Alluvial Avenues.

The James Irvine Foundation has partnered with Valley Public Radio to help create a local news
reporting presence for the San Joaquin Valley region. The partnership has led to the creation of an award‐winning news team, with reports and features that have been picked up by other media sources, including NPR and The California Report. One of the primary reasons for the construction of this new broadcast facility is to expand community engagement through local news reporting, cultural arts performances, and student internships.

“This is the largest challenge grant in the history of Valley Public Radio,” says Mariam Stepanian, President and General Manager. “We anticipate listeners and members will respond to the urgency of this challenge and help us raise $200,000 to cross the finish line before we move in, which is scheduled for early 2016.” Unexpected changes in federal and state regulations caused the fundraising effort to increase by $1 million. The station must raise the funds prior to relocation scheduled for March 2016.

Valley Pubic Radio is committed to expanding your world through voices that inform and sounds that inspire, with a vision of bridging artistic expression while giving voice to the diversity of the valley. Establishing this new broadcast center will inspire community engagement, while helping create a healthy community.

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society. The Foundation’s grantmaking focuses on three program areas: Arts, California Democracy and Youth. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided over $1.5 billion in grants to more than 3,500 nonprofit organizations throughout California.