KQED Inc.
FormationJune 1, 1953 (1953-06-01)
TypeNon-profit organization
Headquarters2601 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, California
94110
ServicesPublic broadcasting
Revenue
US$102.6 million (2021)[1]
Staff
599 (2019)[2]
Websitekqed.org
Formerly called
Northern California Public Broadcasting (2006–2010)

KQED Inc. is a non-profit public media outlet based in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, which operates the radio station KQED-FM and the television stations KQED/KQET and KQEH. KQED's main headquarters are located in San Francisco and its Silicon Valley office is located in San Jose. In 2019, the San Francisco headquarters broke ground on a 90 million dollar renovation project, which was completed in late 2021. Improvements included a larger newsroom and studio, as well as a top floor outdoor terrace. The heart of the KQED headquarters is a 238-seat multipurpose event center called The Commons. The renovated venue hosts KQED Live, a series of lectures, concerts, discussions and other live events with entertainers, journalists, politicians, musicians, authors, chefs, and other guests.[3] Reopening events for the public were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]

History

The KQED office on Plaza de César Chávez in San Jose.

KQED was organized and created by veteran broadcast journalists James Day and Jonathan Rice on June 1, 1953, and first went on air April 5, 1954. It was the sixth public broadcasting station in the United States, debuting shortly after WQED in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The station's call letters, Q.E.D., are taken from the Latin phrase, quod erat demonstrandum, commonly used in mathematics.[5] KQED-FM was founded by James Day in 1969 as the radio arm of KQED Television.

On May 1, 2006, KQED, Inc. and the KTEH Foundation merged to form Northern California Public Broadcasting.[6] The KQED assets including its television (KQED) and FM radio stations (KQED-FM) were taken under the umbrella of that new organization. Both remained members of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), respectively. With this change, KQED and KTEH are considered as sister-stations today. The "Northern California" name did not become widely used, so in December 2010, the umbrella organization was renamed to "KQED, Inc.".[7] KTEH changed its call letters to KQEH and rebranded as "KQED Plus" on July 1, 2011 after research found that most viewers were unaware that KTEH was affiliated with KQED.[8]

KQED public television

The KQED headquarters on Mariposa Street in San Francisco.

KQED is a PBS-member public television station in San Francisco, California, broadcasting digitally on UHF channel 30, and virtually on its analog-era channel 9. This channel is also carried on Comcast cable TV and via satellite by DirecTV and Dish Network. Its transmitter is located on Sutro Tower, and has studios based in San Francisco's Mission District.

KQED public radio

KQED-FM (88.5) is an NPR-member radio station owned by KQED, Inc. in San Francisco, California.

KQED-FM is the most-listened-to public radio station in the nation.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "KQED financial information for September 30, 2021" (PDF). KQED Inc. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "KQED Inc. FY2020 Form 990" (PDF). cdn.kqed.org. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  3. ↑ admin. "KQED to celebrate new headquarters – Public invited to grand opening – Palo Alto Daily Post". Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  4. ↑ "KQED's New Headquarters Nears Completion | KQED's Pressroom". KQED. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
  5. ↑ "News and Events : KQED's Pressroom". Kqed.org. 2011-12-05. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  6. ↑ "KQED, Inc. and KTEH Foundation Form New Broadcast Organization" (Press release). KQED Pressroom. 2 May 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
  7. ↑ "About KQED's former legal name". KQED, Inc. 2015-04-07. Archived from the original on 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  8. ↑ Barney, Chuck (June 22, 2011). "TV station KTEH to drop call letters, become KQED Plus". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Top 10 NPR Affiliate Radio Stations - Cision". Cision. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
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