One year ago, Congress eliminated already-allocated federal funding for public broadcasting — a devastating blow to local public media organizations and the millions who rely on it daily. That decision wiped away critical funds that Classical KC depended upon on to serve the people of the Kansas City region.
It was a dire moment, marking a sudden shift from how Classical KC has been supported since its inception.
The community stepped up in a big way. During an emergency fundraising drive held following the rescission, hundreds of gifts poured into Classical KC, helping to close the gap for that fiscal year in just days.
The rescission is likely permanent, meaning Classical KC will continue to rely on audience support as it never has before. And the impacts on public media as a whole will continue to reverberate: some stations have been forced to shrink, and the system is still in flux due to legal and political uncertainty.
And Classical KC's future is evolving as we, alongside our sister station KCUR, continue the amicable separation from our license holder, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and are moving from the campus to a new temporary location on the Country Club Plaza.
Classical KC has remained strong because of the support from our audience. Despite the uncertainty from events over the past year, Classical KC has been able to:
- Launch a new on-air and digital feature, The UMKC Conservatory Hour, which shines a spotlight on some of Kansas City's best emerging, and seasoned artists
- Hire our first-ever graduate fellow, Rodrigo Camargo, in partnership with the UMKC Conservatory
- Develop and launch a new local show, Sounds Like with Sean Chen, also in partnership with the UMKC Conservatory
- Highlight local performances through a free weekly Concert Recommendations newsletter by John Schaefer
- Partner with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to broadcast their most recent live performances
- Add performances by the Cleveland Orchestra to our broadcast schedule
- Feature Carnegie Hall Live performances
- Expand the Take Note newsletter with new contributors, Bill McGlaughlin and Brooke Knoll
- Serve record numbers of listeners through our holiday programming
- Collaborate with the Kansas City Symphony on their Mobile Music Box performances
We know that you, our community of supporters, is what will keep Classical KC strong and resilient.
If you are not already a Classical KC donor, we hope you will consider joining your friends and neighbors who support the very best of classical music – from across the globe and from right here in Kansas City — at classicalkc.org.
