LAist - Southern California Public Radio
LAist (Southern California Public Radio) is an independent nonprofit public radio station and digital newsroom serving Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire via 89.3 FM, a multi-platform news website, mobile apps, podcasts, and events, funded primarily by audience donations and corporate sponsorships as a 501(c)(3).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersPasadena, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LAist - Southern California Public Radio does
LAist, operating as Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) digital newsroom and public radio broadcaster headquartered in Pasadena, California. Founded in 1999 (as KPCC) and now operating across four wholly-owned FM stations — KPCC 89.3, KUOR, KVLA, and KJAI — LAist functions as L.A.'s largest NPR station and serves Southern California residents in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Core editorial products include the laist.com news website, mobile applications on iOS and Android, flagship programs AirTalk, FilmWeek, The LA Report, and Imperfect Paradise, plus a portfolio of podcasts distributed through Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees and owned by American Public Media Group (APMG), a diversified public media conglomerate that also owns Minnesota Public Radio (MPR).
Underlying technology consists of conventional broadcast radio infrastructure at 89.3 FM paired with digital publishing tooling (Brightspot CMS-derived web properties), first-party mobile apps, podcast hosting and syndication feeds, and standard web analytics/identity integrations (Google Analytics, Google sign-in, Apple ID, Facebook SSO) plus payment integrations (PayPal, Apple Pay). The technical footprint is operational media infrastructure rather than a proprietary platform; there is no disclosed AI/ML product surface.
The business model is audience-funded nonprofit media. Revenue is generated through (i) recurring sustainer memberships and one-time listener/viewer donations (with tiers at $10, $15, $30, and $125/month plus a $1,500 Leadership Circle one-time gift), (ii) corporate sponsorship (B2B underwriting), (iii) a business membership program, (iv) planned giving (IRA charitable gifts, stock gifts, bequests, donor-advised funds, vehicle donations), and (v) event revenue from the Annual Gala and ticketed community events. Critically, federal public media funding was eliminated, removing roughly $1.7M in annual revenue, which has forced accelerated reliance on direct audience support. All editorial content is offered free without a paywall, in keeping with public-media norms and the organization's nonprofit mission.
LAist - Southern California Public Radio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LAist - Southern California Public Radio
- Legal name
- Southern California Public Radio
- Website
- https://laist.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- LAist (Southern California Public Radio) is an independent nonprofit public radio station and digital newsroom serving Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire via 89.3 FM, a multi-platform news website, mobile apps, podcasts, and events, funded primarily by audience donations and corporate sponsorships as a 501(c)(3).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LAist - Southern California Public Radio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations (MPABAIAI), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)
Keywords
Where LAist - Southern California Public Radio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pasadena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
LAist - Southern California Public Radio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Listener/Viewer Donations: Monthly sustaining memberships and one-time donations from audience members. Donors receive thank-you gifts such as merchandise and event tickets at various contribution levels.
- Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship programs for businesses seeking to align with public media
- Business Membership Program: Business membership program offering corporate benefits in exchange for support
- Planned Giving: Bequest intentions and legacy giving programs including IRA charitable donations, stock gifts, and vehicle donations
- Event Revenue: Revenue from events including the Annual Gala and ticket-based events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Sustainer - $10/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Sustainer - $15/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Sustainer - $30/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Sustainer - $125/month |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | One-time Donation - $180 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Leadership Circle - $1,500 one-time |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LAist operates as an independent, nonprofit digital newsroom and radio broadcaster, functioning as L.A.'s largest NPR station at 89.3 FM. It produces and distributes local and national news, podcasts, newsletters, and live events across digital, broadcast, and in-person channels for Southern California audiences including Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Product overview
LAist (Southern California Public Radio) operates as an independent, nonprofit digital newsroom and radio broadcaster offering a multi-platform media portfolio. The core offerings include the LAist.com website delivering local and national news coverage across topics including Housing, Arts & Entertainment, Food, Climate, Politics, Education, Transportation, Criminal Justice, and Health for Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire; the 89.3 FM NPR radio station; and flagship shows AirTalk (call-in discussions), FilmWeek (film reviews), The LA Report (daily morning newsletter), and Imperfect Paradise (weekly deep-dive news magazine). The portfolio extends to a mobile app for iOS and Android, email newsletters, and live events programming. All content is available on-demand via streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AirTalk: LAist's flagship talk show featuring live discussions on current events and listener engagement.
- FilmWeek
- The LA Report
- Imperfect Paradise
Products and services
- LAist.com Website
Companies that use LAist - Southern California Public Radio
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature2 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- American Public Media Group (APMG)coreParent organization owning and operating LAist and Southern California Public Radio. APMG is the parent company that also operates Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) and other public media entities.
- NPRcoreNational Public Radio affiliation providing access to national news content, programming, and the NPR brand association. LAist is L.A.'s largest NPR station broadcasting at 89.3 FM.
- KPCCcorePrimary NPR-affiliated radio station broadcasting at 89.3 FM, LAist's flagship radio station
- Minnesota Public Radio (MPR)minorRelated company under APMG family, alongside SCPR and other public media affiliates
- Los Angeles Regional Food BankminorCharitable partner offering meal donation incentives to donors - donors can provide meals to families in need in LA County, Orange County and Inland Empire instead of receiving thank-you gifts
- Pasadena HumaneminorAnimal welfare partner offering shelter pet meal donations as thank-you gift option for donors, serving animals across 11 cities in greater Los Angeles area
- Metro (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority)minorTransportation authority partnership for CicLAvia events - Metro presents CicLAvia events where LAist hosts booths at community hubs
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NPR (National Public Radio): National public radio network and content provider that LAist is affiliated with. Provides national programming distributed to LAist, but operates at national scale with significantly larger audience and revenue base.
- iHeartMedia Los Angeles: Largest commercial radio operator in the U.S. with multiple LA stations. Competes for LA listeners and advertising/underwriting dollars with broad-format commercial programming rather than nonprofit news focus.
Emerging players
- ProPublica: National nonprofit investigative journalism organization funded largely by donations. Competes for the same nonprofit-news donor pool, particularly among major-gift and planned-giving segments, and increasingly partners with local outlets like LAist.
Direct peers
- KQED: San Francisco Bay Area's primary NPR and PBS affiliate operating as a nonprofit public media organization. Closely matches LAist's hybrid radio/digital newsroom model with multi-platform distribution and donor-funded operations.
- Chicago Public Media (WBEZ): Major NPR member station serving Chicago with listener-supported nonprofit newsroom and podcast production. Directly comparable as a tier-1 urban NPR affiliate facing similar digital expansion and sustainer-funding dynamics.
- KCRW: Santa Monica-based public radio station and NPR affiliate serving the greater Los Angeles market. Most direct local competitor, overlapping on music programming, news, and culture coverage with the same SoCal donor and listener base.
- WGBH (Boston): Boston's flagship public broadcaster and major NPR/PBS affiliate with extensive podcast and digital newsroom operations. Comparable scale and multi-platform donor-supported nonprofit model.
- KPBS (San Diego): Southern California NPR and PBS affiliate serving the San Diego market. Comparable regional NPR member station with similar sustainer model and digital expansion strategy within the same state.
- WNYC Studios (New York Public Radio): Largest public radio station in the U.S. and flagship NPR member station. Closest analog to LAist in operating model — listener-funded NPR affiliate producing national podcasts, live shows, and digital journalism.
Regional players
- KQED-FM / KUSC: Classical music public radio station serving Southern California. Operates in the same SoCal broadcast territory with overlapping FM listener base, though focused on classical format rather than news/talk.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
LAist - Southern California Public Radio social profiles
Digital presenceLAist - Southern California Public Radio compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LAist - Southern California Public Radio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
LAist - Southern California Public Radio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LAist - Southern California Public Radio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LAist - Southern California Public Radio
What does LAist - Southern California Public Radio do?
LAist operates as an independent, nonprofit digital newsroom and radio broadcaster, functioning as L.A.'s largest NPR station at 89.3 FM. It produces and distributes local and national news, podcasts, newsletters, and live events across digital, broadcast, and in-person channels for Southern California audiences including Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire.
Is LAist - Southern California Public Radio a public or private company?
LAist - Southern California Public Radio is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LAist - Southern California Public Radio founded?
LAist - Southern California Public Radio was founded in 1999. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is LAist - Southern California Public Radio based?
LAist - Southern California Public Radio is headquartered in Pasadena, United States, in the North America region.
How does LAist - Southern California Public Radio make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Listener/Viewer Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorship, business Membership Program, planned Giving and event Revenue.
Who are LAist - Southern California Public Radio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NPR (National Public Radio) and iHeartMedia Los Angeles. ProPublica is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are KQED, Chicago Public Media (WBEZ), KCRW, WGBH (Boston), KPBS (San Diego) and WNYC Studios (New York Public Radio). KQED-FM / KUSC is listed as a regional player.
Does LAist - Southern California Public Radio have an API?
No public API is recorded for LAist - Southern California Public Radio.
What industry is LAist - Southern California Public Radio in?
LAist - Southern California Public Radio's product category is Public Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAB, National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style), with a secondary code of MPABAIAI, News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations. Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.