| City of license | San Francisco, California |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose (KQED 88.5) Sacramento (KQEI 89.3) |
| Branding | NPR News & Information |
| Frequency | 88.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Repeaters | See below |
| First air date | June 25, 1969 |
| Format | Public Radio |
| ERP | 110,000 watts |
| HAAT | 387 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 35501 |
| Callsign meaning | Quod Erat Demonstrandum |
| Former callsigns | KXKX-FM |
| Affiliations | National Public Radio Public Radio International American Public Media |
| Owner | Northern California Public Broadcasting |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kqed.org/radio/ |
KQED-FM (88.5 FM) is an NPR-member radio station owned by Northern California Public Broadcasting in San Francisco, California.
KQED-FM was founded by James Day in 1969 as the radio arm of KQED Television. The founding manager was Bernard Mayes who later went on to be Executive Vice-President of KQED TV and also co-founder and chairman of NPR (National Public Radio). KQED-FM was first located in a former church building where the Presbyterian church ran station KXKX-FM the licence of which was sold to KQED. The first programming of KQED-FM included news feeds from NPR, 'street radio' broadcast live from local street corners, drama and music. Later, due to reduced funding, Mayes opened the air to 'Tribal Radio' - productions by local non-profit groups, some in their own languages. Today, KQED-FM is the most-listened to public radio station in the United States,[1] and as of the fall 2005 Arbitron ratings, the station ranks third in the San Francisco market.[2] In addition to local programming, KQED-FM carries content from major public radio distributors such as National Public Radio, Public Radio International, BBC World Service and American Public Media. Among the locally produced shows are Forum with Michael Krasny, The California Report, Perspectives and Pacific Time.
In addition to over-the-air broadcasts, KQED-FM audio is carried on Comcast digital cable channel 960 and is webcast with live streaming audio around the clock with Forum, and Pacific Time carried live with nationwide coverage on Sirius Satellite Radio. KQED also offers an extensive audio archive and podcasts of previous shows for download.
One of the most famous programs to have been broadcast on KQED was An Hour with Pink Floyd, a sixty minute performance by Pink Floyd recorded in 1970 without an audience at the station's studio. The program was broadcast only twice—once in 1970, and once again in 1981. The setlist included "Atom Heart Mother", "Cymbaline", "Grantchester Meadows", "Green Is the Colour", "Careful with That Axe, Eugene", and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun".
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In 2003, KQED Radio expanded to the Sacramento area by purchasing KEBR-FM in North Highlands from Family Radio, a religious broadcaster based in Oakland. Some residents and management at KXJZ, the NPR station already serving the Sacramento area, criticized the move, saying that KQED would only duplicate KXJZ programming. KXJZ's parent company, Capital Public Radio, also had plans to purchase KEBR. CPR's plan was to broadcast jazz on KEBR and convert KXJZ into an all-news station. Indeed, KQED and KXJZ carry Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, and All Things Considered at the same times opposite each other. KQED argues that it carries more regional news programming during the middle of the day, and news programs at night, while KXJZ has a smaller news bureau and music programming overnight. Capital Public Radio and community residents argued that duplication of exactly the same NPR programming serves no one, and that it is very unusual for one NPR station to move in on the territory of a successful existing station. KXJZ has also increased its local midday programming with the addition of Insight, a daily interview program.
This was not the first time KQED-FM changed its format, to the chagrin of its competition and listeners – when they converted to an all news and information format by dropping classical music during the day, management and listeners of the other San Francisco public radio station, KALW, claimed their format had been stolen. KALW previously ran news and information programs during the day.
In addition to the main station, KQED-FM is relayed by these stations and translators to widen its broadcast area.
| Call sign | MHz | City of license | Power (W) |
Class |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KQEI-FM | 89.3 | North Highlands, California | 3,100 | A | FCC |
| K201BV | 88.1 | Benicia, California | 4 | D | FCC |
| K201BV | 88.1 | Martinez, California | 4 | D | FCC |
| K202CT | 88.3 | Santa Rosa, California | 10 | D | FCC |
KQED and KQEI also broadcast in HD Radio
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