On Thursday, July 17, 2025, the United States Senate voted to rescind funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This decision eliminates approximately $1.1 billion in CPB funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 -- stripping federal support from public media, including NPR, PBS, tribal radio stations, rural broadcasters, and community stations like KZFR.
KZFR has proudly received CPB funding since 2008. These grants helped us grow into the arts and cultural epicenter and trusted source of news and information that you rely on today. CPB funds are vital to KZFR: they make up approximately 20% of our annual operating budget.
This loss is about more than just dollars. It’s about what disappears when independent radio is no longer supported. It’s about losing a space where local voices matter, where stories are told without corporate filters, and where our region continues to have a voice on the airwaves.
In the Chico Enterprise-Record, we described this moment as a turning point: “Even in the face of federal cuts and uncertainty, we continue to celebrate the community we serve and the role that KZFR plays in keeping us connected.”
And in the Sacramento Bee, we made it clear: Public radio makes America less safe when it disappears,” because in rural areas like ours, we don’t just play music—we broadcast emergency alerts, amplify underrepresented voices, and reflect the identity of our region.
In our 35 years of broadcasting, we’ve navigated global recessions, six Presidential administrations, floods, fires, the COVID pandemic, and countless challenges to our determination, passion, and commitment to our mission: to entertain, enlighten, educate, and inform the communities of the North State.
If you already give, thank you for your generous support. Please consider making an additional gift or increasing your monthly donation. If you’ve never given before and would like to, visit KZFR.org/donate or text "KZFR" to 44321 to donate today.
We’re asking you to stand with us to protect something we’ve built together. Your contribution sends a clear message: rural communities matter, local voices deserve to be heard, and independent media is worth preserving.
And if you believe in what KZFR stands for, we invite you to share our story—tell your neighbors, post on social media, and encourage friends and family to tune in and give.
Together, we can ensure that KZFR remains a powerful voice for the North State.
With gratitude,
KZFR Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers
