Cincinnati Public Radio

What Cincinnati Public Radio does

Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc. is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public media organization that operates three FCC-licensed FM radio stations serving the Greater Cincinnati tri-state area (Ohio, Indiana, Northern Kentucky): 91.7 WVXU (NPR news and information), 90.9 WGUC (classical music — the only classical station in Cincinnati), and 88.5 WMUB (a WVXU simulcast operated under a Licensed Management Agreement with Miami University). WVXU launched on October 1, 1970 as Voice of Xavier University and was purchased by CPR in August 2005; the current organization was formed by combining WVXU with the pre-existing WGUC. CPR delivers programming via FM/HD Radio broadcast with digital multicasting, online streaming, iOS and Android mobile apps, smart-speaker activation, and a slate of original podcasts including Looking Up, The Novelizers, The Art Of..., Cincinnati Edition, and Backed Up. Educational outreach is delivered through Classics For Kids (children's classical music) and Democracy & Me (high-school civic engagement), both supported by the Charles H. Dater Foundation.

The organization is funded approximately 95% from private sources — listener members, sustaining donors, corporate underwriting, foundations, planned/legacy gifts, stock transfers, and community rewards programs — with the remaining ~5% coming from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPR paid off the $15M acquisition loan for WVXU five years early in August 2020 and completed the Scripps Family Center for Public Media, a 35,000-square-foot mass-timber and LEED-certified facility at 2117 Dana Avenue in Evanston, in April 2025 — the first mass timber broadcasting facility in the United States and the first LEED-certified commercial campus in the Tri-State. The new campus hosts state-of-the-art studios, a public podcast booth, a performance space, and community gathering areas, and is being activated as an event venue for the broader Cincinnati civic and arts ecosystem.

CPR's go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer: it acquires and retains listeners through trusted local journalism, classical music curation, civic events, educational outreach, volunteer-powered pledge drives, and major-donor cultivation. Its corporate sponsors — including ProKids (a ~20-year underwriter), ArtsWave, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Mariner Wealth Advisors, and Pixel and Timber — reach an audience described by CPR as educated, affluent, and culturally engaged. The organization distributes content for free across all channels with no subscription or paywall, monetizing exclusively through voluntary contributions and underwriting.

Name

Cincinnati Public Radio

Legal name

Cincinnati Public Radio, Inc.

Website

https://cinradio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cincinnati Public Radio is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating NPR news (91.7 WVXU, 88.5 WMUB) and classical music (90.9 WGUC) stations across the Greater Cincinnati tri-state, funded primarily by listener donations, corporate underwriting, and foundations, with programming distributed via broadcast, streaming, mobile, and original podcasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF), Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Classical music programming
• Local journalism
• Nonprofit media
• Podcast production

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations / Membership: Cincinnati Public Radio depends on members and donors for the majority of its operating revenue. Listeners contribute through one-time and recurring (sustaining) donations, with a dedicated membership department managing donor relationships. The organization runs periodic pledge drives on-air.
2. Corporate Sponsorship / Underwriting: Local businesses and organizations underwrite or sponsor programming on WGUC and WVXU. Sponsors receive mention credits and association with trusted public radio content. A VP of Corporate Support manages these relationships. The organization offers a media kit and PayNow advertising portal for sponsor billing.
3. Planned / Legacy Giving: Legacy society members include Cincinnati Public Radio in their wills or estate plans. Options include bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, IRA beneficiary designations, and life insurance. A Director of Major & Planned Gifts manages these relationships. A partnership with FreeWill enables online legacy planning.
4. Capital Campaign - Building Connections: First capital campaign in CPR's 60+ year history to fund the $32 million new headquarters at 2117 Dana Avenue. The 25 Club asks for $25,000 commitments ($5,000/year for 5 years). Additional support channels include donor-advised funds, QCDs through IRAs, and stock gifts.
5. Stock and Securities Gifts: Donors can transfer appreciated stock directly to CPR. Stock transfers are facilitated through Charles Schwab (Account #5958-3068, DTC #0164, Code 40). Full fair market value may be deducted without capital gains tax.
6. Rewards Program: Kroger Community Rewards and Joseph-Beth Booksellers Give Back programs enable shoppers to direct a small percentage of spending to CPR at no additional cost to the shopper.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cincinnati Public Radio is a nonprofit public media organization operating three FM radio stations — 91.7 WVXU (NPR news/talk), 90.9 WGUC (classical music), and 88.5 WMUB (a simulcast of WVXU) — delivering trusted local journalism, classical music, and cultural programming to the Greater Cincinnati market. Programming is distributed through FM/HD Radio broadcast, online streaming, mobile apps, smart speakers, podcast platforms, and an online merchandise shop, supported by listener donations, corporate underwriting, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Cincinnati Public Radio operates as a unified public media organization encompassing three radio stations: 91.7 WVXU (NPR news), 90.9 WGUC (classical music), and 88.5 WMUB (WXU simulcast). The organization delivers content through multiple channels including broadcast radio, HD Radio multicasting, online streaming, smart speakers, and mobile apps. Its digital offerings include original podcasts (Looking Up, The Novelizers, The Art Of..., Cincinnati Edition, Backed Up, The 90 Second Naturalist), outreach programs (Classics For Kids, Democracy & Me), and Studio Sessions live performances. Services include membership/donations, corporate sponsorship, production services, and a public podcast booth at its new Scripps Family Center for Public Media headquarters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cincinnati Edition: A daily news talk show airing every weekday at noon on 91.7 WVXU, focusing on the Tri-State metro area in Ohio, Indiana and Northern Kentucky.
• Classics For Kids
• Democracy & Me
• The 90 Second Naturalist
• Looking Up
• The Novelizers
• The Art Of...
• Backed Up

Products and services

• 91.7 WVXU NPR news/talk radio station offering national and international news, local journalism, and talk programming for the Greater Cincinnati market.
• 90.9 WGUC Classical music radio station broadcasting curated classical programming to the Greater Cincinnati area, one of the first commercial classical stations in the U.S.
• 88.5 WMUB FM radio station that simulcasts the WVXU news/talk programming, extending the NPR news/talk format's geographic reach in the region.
• Looking Up Podcast Original podcast exploring astronomy and space topics, produced by Cincinnati Public Radio and available on podcast platforms.
• The Novelizers Podcast Original podcast focused on novels, books, and the literary arts, produced by Cincinnati Public Radio.
• The Art Of... Podcast Original podcast exploring topics in the arts, produced by Cincinnati Public Radio.
• Cincinnati Edition Daily local news and public affairs program covering Greater Cincinnati, with in-depth reporting, interviews, and listener call-ins.
• Backed Up Podcast Original history-focused podcast that explores context behind current events, produced by Cincinnati Public Radio.
• The 90 Second Naturalist Short-form nature segment/podcast offering brief explorations of natural-history topics, produced by Cincinnati Public Radio.
• Classics For Kids Educational outreach program introducing children to classical music, supported by WGUC and distributed to stations nationally.
• Democracy & Me Educational outreach program focused on civics, government, and democratic participation, targeted at students.
• Studio Sessions Performance program featuring live and recorded performances captured in the Cincinnati Public Radio Performance Studio.
• Performance Studio Production Services Studio production services offered to artists and organizations for audio recording, mixing, and live performance capture at the Performance Studio.
• Cincinnati Public Radio App Mobile application for iOS and Android that provides live streaming of WVXU, WGUC, and WMUB, on-demand audio, podcasts, and member features.
• Corporate Sponsorship & Underwriting Corporate sponsorship and underwriting program allowing local and regional businesses to underwrite specific programs and gain on-air and digital acknowledgement.
• Cincinnati Public Radio Membership Listener membership program with recurring, major, and planned-gift contribution levels that fund station operations.
• Juneteenth Special Programming Special annual programming marking Juneteenth, with curated music, storytelling, and local voices broadcast across the Cincinnati Public Radio stations.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPR connects tens of thousands of listeners daily with trusted news and local culture.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Urbanist MediaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Since 2023, CPR has partnered with Urbanist Media's Urban Roots podcast to produce Juneteenth special programming with a local Cincinnati focus, aired on both WVXU and WGUC.
• Miami UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Cincinnati Public Radio entered into a Licensed Management Agreement with Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2009 to provide a simulcast of WVXU on their station, 88.5 WMUB. CPR manages and programs WMUB, extending its news/NPR reach.
• Xavier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Xavier University sold WVXU to Cincinnati Public Radio in August 2005 for $15 million. Prior to this, WVXU was the Voice of Xavier University (WVXU) since 1970. CPR built an award-winning local news team following the acquisition.
• Nordic StructurescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic Structures supplied the mass timber structural system for CPR's new headquarters at 2117 Dana Avenue, making it the first mass timber building in Cincinnati and the only mass timber broadcasting facility in the country.
• Skanska USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkanska USA served as the construction partner for the Scripps Family Center for Public Media project, building CPR's new mass timber headquarters.
• Emersion DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmersion Design was the architecture firm responsible for designing CPR's new headquarters, contributing to the mass timber construction and LEED certification elements of the project.
• SchaeferminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm involved in the CPR new headquarters project as part of the building design team.
• CMTAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering firm (likely MEP) involved in the CPR new headquarters project as part of the building design team.
• NPR (National Public Radio)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWVXU is a member station of NPR, carrying national programs including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. CPR's news team produces content distributed through the NPR network.
• BBC World ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWVXU carries BBC World Service programming, particularly at night, keeping listeners informed and entertained beyond traditional NPR programming hours.
• APM (American Public Media)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWVXU carries programming distributed by APM, a major public radio distributor, supplementing NPR and BBC content on the station.
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPRX distributes additional programming to WVXU, further expanding the variety of public radio content available to CPR's audience.
• The NovelizersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCincinnati Public Radio partnered with The Novelizers to distribute their podcast (converting beloved movies into immersive narrative audiobooks). CPR serves as the podcast's distributor, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other platforms.
• Crayons to ComputersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCPR partners with Crayons to Computers annually to collect gift cards and donations for foster children during the holiday season, providing school supplies and toys to families served by ProKids.
• CET (Center for Educational Telecommunications)minorOthersCET is the current/prior landlord at Central Parkway, where CPR has rented office and studio space. The relationship ended as CPR moved to its new permanent home at 2117 Dana Avenue.
• Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThane Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, hosts The 90 Second Naturalist — a nationally syndicated nature segment produced by CPR featuring daily animal trivia, conservation news, and nature education set to ambient sounds.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KQED (San Francisco): San Francisco Bay Area NPR/PBS affiliate combining radio and television public media. Comparable in operating a multi-channel nonprofit public media organization funded primarily by members and sponsors, with strong educational outreach.
• WNYC (New York Public Radio): Operates WNYC-FM and classical WQXR in the New York metro area. Most directly comparable peer: multi-station nonprofit public radio with news, classical, and original podcasting (Radiolab, On the Media) serving an educated urban audience through membership and underwriting.
• WBEZ (Chicago Public Media): Chicago's NPR affiliate, with original podcasts (This American Life acquisition) and a recent merger with the Chicago Sun-Times. Highly comparable as a multi-platform public radio organization transitioning into broader public media with original content and corporate partnerships.
• WBUR (Boston University): Boston University's NPR news station. Comparable as an NPR-affiliated news station with strong local journalism, member-supported revenue model, and an engaged educated urban audience.
• WGBH (Boston): Boston's primary NPR/PBS affiliate. Comparable as a large-market public broadcaster producing award-winning local journalism, classical programming, and nationally distributed content, with similar reliance on member contributions and underwriting.
• WAMU 88.5 (American University): Washington DC NPR affiliate. Comparable as a university-affiliated public radio station producing award-winning local journalism (e.g., 1A program), member-supported, and serving an affluent educated audience.
• Colorado Public Radio: Operates news and classical stations serving Colorado. Comparable as a regional multi-format (news + classical) public radio organization with member-driven funding and a recent focus on capital expansion and original podcasting.
• Minnesota Public Radio (American Public Media): Operates a multi-station classical and news radio network across Minnesota. Directly comparable as a classical-music-and-news public radio operator with a national distribution arm (APM) and a track record of capital investment in facilities and content.

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): National network of which WVXU is a member station. Comparable as the central content distributor and brand for member stations, with shared political and funding exposure (CPB defunding) that affects all affiliates including CPR.
• iHeartMedia: Largest U.S. commercial radio operator. Comparable in operating radio broadcast stations and podcast distribution at scale, and a competitor for advertiser dollars and listener attention in the Cincinnati market, though a commercial rather than nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CincinnatiPublicRadio
• Facebookfacebook.com/CincinnatiPublicRadio
• Instagraminstagram.com/cincinnatipublicradio
• TikToktiktok.com/@cincinnatipublicradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cincinnati-public-radio

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cincinnati Public Radio