Spokane Public Radio has reimagined our broadcast schedules to give our audience three distinct, full-time stations:
SPR News (91.1 FM KPBX): Regional news from the SPR News Team, talk, and your favorite NPR shows like Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
SPR Classical (91.9 FM KSFC): Classical music 24/7, featuring the local hosts you know and love, along with a compliment of national shows.
SPR Jazz (90.3 FM KPBZ): Jazz around the clock, with familiar local hosts and the WFMT Jazz Network.
FAQ's
Why are you changing program schedules?
We’re changing because we need to grow and better serve our audience. Listener habits have shifted, and our current mix of programming no longer works as well as it once did.
By offering three dedicated stations—SPR News, SPR Classical, and SPR Jazz—we can provide consistency, quality, and more of what listeners want.
SPR News on 91.1 FM will reach more people thanks to the stronger signal—ensuring more people can reliably hear the news. Meanwhile, fans of classical and jazz will finally have the kind of thoughtful, 24-hour stations that only public radio can offer.
Why can’t you leave things alone?
We’ve seen a gradual decline in listener engagement under our former model. To stay relevant and strong, we have to adapt. The long-term health and future of Spokane Public Radio requires us to make thoughtful and strategic choices today.
Will I still be able to hear my favorite show?
We did what we could to keep as many shows as possible, though not everything was able to fit into our plans. We based our decisions on current listening levels and what we think will work well together in serving listeners’ needs. We also worked to stay within our programming budget to ensure that we are good financial stewards of the financial support we receive.
Where are SPR’s locally produced shows going?
Most of our community produced shows can still be heard on SPR News (KPBX) on weekend evenings. We really wanted to keep the majority of our local shows on SPR News because of the love and support they get from our audiences.
See schedule links below for details.
Our classical hosts will now be heard on our 24/7 classical station, SPR Classical. Jim Tevenan and Henry McNulty can be heard on SPR Classical weekdays from 8-11a and 3-6p respectively. They will continue to focus on local connections to classical music, interviews with artists, and features of local arts organizations.
The jazz hosts you enjoy – Rachel, Mike, & Jan -- will also be heard on SPR Jazz. Now listeners have two opportunities to hear these locally produced jazz shows.
It’s worth noting that many of our local programs are available on-demand through our website. You can listen to them whenever you want and we will continue to expand our on-demand offerings in the coming months.
Is this in response to the fight over Federal funding?
No. We’ve been planning these changes for over six months. That said, the loss of Federal funding makes it even more important to create a strong, sustainable service.
What makes you think this will make the station better?
Research from across the public radio system shows that single-format stations are the most successful.
The consistency in programming gives us confidence to invest in more reporting capacity, local arts coverage, and local programs. We can better serve audience needs when we have sustainable, foundational services.
Is this a way to bring in new audiences?
Yes, in part. While we recognize the importance of our current audience, listening overall has gradually trended downward. Research shows audiences tend to gravitate toward consistent, focused programming. A full-time NPR news station gives us the best chance to welcome new listeners and change those trends.
How else can I listen to SPR News, SPR Classical or SPR Jazz?
You can stream all three SPR channels on our website or find us on apps like TuneIn and NPR One. You can also stream us through Apple Music and Google Play.
If you have an HD radio, tune to 91.1 FM HD1 for SPR News, HD2 for SPR Classical, and HD3 for SPR Jazz.
See the link below for a list of stations and frequencies.
Listeners are the heart of SPR. We’d love to hear what you think.
We appreciate your patience as the new lineup settles in. Give it a listen, give it some time, and let us know what you think.
Share your thoughts with us: Email: kpbx@kpbx.org Phone: (509) 328-5729
Mail: Spokane Public Radio, 1229 N Monroe St, Spokane WA 99201
Printable schedule links below