SPR traces its roots to the early 1970s on Spokane’s South Hill in the basement of broadcasters George and Susan Cole. Public radio and TV stations were forming across the country after the landmark passing of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, providing support for educational, informational, and cultural access to people across the country.
KPBX briefly broadcast in downtown Spokane and then briefly went silent as they raised funds for a 56,000-watt station covering the region. The station became an NPR affiliate and slowly renovated the second floor of the Hoban Building on North Monroe. On January 20, 1980 KPBX began broadcasting, as promised, “a world of difference,” with a wide range of news, music, public affairs, and local productions.