Jefferson Public Radio
| Type | Public Radio Network |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
|
First air date
|
1969 |
|
Broadcast area
|
 Oregon California
|
| Owner | Southern Oregon University |
|
Launch date
|
1969 |
| Affiliation |
National Public Radio Public Radio International American Public Media |
|
Official website
|
Official website |
Jefferson Public Radio is a regional public radio broadcasting network serving over a million potential listeners in Southern Oregon and the Shasta Cascade region of northern California. The network is headquartered on the Southern Oregon University campus in Ashland (near Medford) and named after the proposed State of Jefferson, an area which roughly corresponds to its vast and mostly mountainous coverage area of 60,000 square miles (160,000 km2).
KSOR signed on in April 1969 as a 10-watt radio station operated by students at what was then Southern Oregon College. It began moving away from its college radio roots during the 1970s, becoming a full NPR member by the end of the decade. In the early 1980s, it began building a massive translator network covering large portions of Oregon and California. At first, it was not familiar with the history of Jefferson. However, by the time KSOR began to build full-power stations later in the decade, it realized that its service area was virtually coextensive with the State of Jefferson. It rebranded itself as "Jefferson Public Radio" in 1989, feeling that name was more than appropriate for its growing network and the area it served.
JPR currently has an operating budget of $2 million.
The network broadcasts local programming as well as programs from National Public Radio, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the BBC World Service among other sources.
Its programming is organized into three broadcasting services. Most listeners in the JPR service area can choose between all three services, giving them a programming choice comparable to those in far larger markets.
"Classics & News" is JPR's original radio service and can be heard throughout the JPR broadcast area. The service has the most translators and the most powerful signals. On weekdays the station plays NPR's news programs Morning Edition, and All Things Considered, and local classical music programming during the midday. In the evenings, the service runs WFMT's Beethoven Network hosted by Peter van de Graff, branded as State Farm Music Hall. For many years, it signed off from 2-5 a.m., but now airs 24 hours a day.
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Wikipedia