07/19/2025
Well it happened and this is how it affects 90.1fm KKFI Kansas City Community Radio;
This Is Real: What the Funding Cuts Mean for Community Radio & KKFI.
You’ve probably heard by now that Congress passed the rescission bill. While big outlets like NPR and PBS are getting all the attention, what’s happening to community and public media stations like KKFI is getting completely lost in the shuffle.
Terms like "woke media" get thrown around like punches, but the real impact these cuts will have on our communities? That's what's being missed, ignored, or glossed over by many mainstream news outlets. I'm not going to lie, it’s been tough trying to explain to people how this affects stations like KKFI. Especially when you hear folks say they don’t listen to the radio anymore, or that the music we play isn't "their kind" of music.
But here’s why this matters to ALL OF US:
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) handles the music licensing agreements for noncommercial public radio stations. They work with various organizations to get a blanket license that makes it affordable for stations like KKFI to play music. Without that blanket license, many stations will simply be unable to afford the fees and will likely go dark.
And the ripple effect on our local music scene? It’s huge. We're talking about musicians, venues, local fairs, and festivals. Public radio stations aren't playing the same homogenized playlists you hear everywhere else. We play those smaller groups and artists just trying to make it – the ones you catch at local coffeehouses, house concerts, bars, or at a local music festival like the Crossroads Music Festival. Think about how many times you’ve discovered a local artist on KKFI and then gone to see them play live because of that. If you’re an artist and your music gets on the radio, chances are it’s on a station like KKFI, not some syndicated giant. How many artists got their start because of that kind of access? Access is everything.
Secondly, these funding cuts will directly impact our early warning detection systems. These systems are absolutely crucial and they save lives, especially in rural and tribal communities. When the power goes out and cell phones die, people turn to their radios. If there’s nothing there for them to hear in isolated communities, lives will be lost. I have a friend who lived through the hurricane and floods in North Carolina—a musician, coincidentally—and he said their radio was their lifeline for knowing where to go and what to do. I can’t even imagine not having that lifeline, but that’s the reality many will face.
This isn't about whether you think a show is too "left" or too "right." It’s about the bigger picture. Hundreds of rural radio stations, no matter their political leaning or what kind of content they broadcast, will simply vanish. This goes far beyond KKFI. Community radio stations provide music for everyone. They provide access, whether someone has internet or can afford to pay for it.
Here at KKFI, we anticipate a loss of $170,000 over the next two years from the CPB Grant. That’s about 10% of our entire budget. The immediate impact is clear, but the full effect these cuts will have on our community and KKFI will only truly be known with time.
Being in the middle of our pledge drive right now, the weight of this is unsettling. If you want to support KKFI and help us keep going, there's truly no time like the present. We value our listeners and are grateful for your support.
If you would like to learn more, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or call the station at 816-931-3122.