CapRadio

What CapRadio does

CapRadio, formally Capital Public Radio, is a non-profit public radio station headquartered in Sacramento, California, licensed to California State University, Sacramento. Founded in 1979, the station operates across eight FM frequencies covering Northern California including the Sacramento region, Lake Tahoe/Reno, Stockton/Modesto, Quincy, Groveland/Sonora, and Sutter/Yuba City. It produces and distributes local news on state government, the Sacramento region, environment, health care, housing, education, and arts, alongside NPR national programming and locally curated classical and jazz music. Sub-brands include Classical, JazzStream, and ClassicalStream, with content available via FM broadcast, live streaming at player.capradio.org, mobile applications for iOS and Android, smart speaker integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, and on-demand podcasts.

CapRadio's underlying technology consists of traditional FM broadcasting infrastructure complemented by digital streaming platforms. The station maintains FCC broadcast licenses for seven stations (KXJZ, KKTO, KUOP, KQNC, KXPR, KXSR, and KXJS), giving it a regulated distribution footprint that is difficult to replicate. As an NPR member station, CapRadio accesses national journalism and syndicated programming while layering local reporting and music curation on top.

The station's revenue model is characteristic of U.S. public radio: free-to-listener service funded by voluntary listener donations and memberships (including evergreen, one-time, vehicle, stock, and legacy giving), corporate underwriting/sponsorship in lieu of traditional advertising, and public broadcasting grants (including CPB funding). Content is distributed across eight FM frequencies, global online streaming, mobile apps, smart speakers, and podcasts, with marketing conducted through its website, email newsletters (SacramenKnow), social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube), and community events. The organization has between 101 and 250 employees and is led by President & General Manager Frank Maranzino.

Name

CapRadio

Legal name

Capital Public Radio

Website

https://capradio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CapRadio is a non-profit NPR member public radio station serving Northern California across 8 FM frequencies, delivering local news, NPR national programming, and classical and jazz music to Sacramento-area listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Nonprofit Radio Networks (NPR-style) (MPABABAB), News/Talk Radio Networks (MPABABAD)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news coverage
• Classical music programming
• Jazz radio shows
• Community-supported media

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations/Membership: Voluntary contributions from listeners through one-time donations, evergreen donations, and membership programs. Members receive benefits such as newsletters and thank-you gifts.
2. Corporate Underwriting/Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships and underwriting messages that acknowledge supporter contributions without traditional advertising. Includes vehicle donation programs and stock giving options.
3. Public Broadcasting Grants: Funding from public broadcasting sources including CPB and partnerships with other public media entities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CapRadio is a non-profit public radio station that produces and distributes local and regional news, NPR national programming, classical music, and jazz content to listeners across Northern California. Programming is delivered via eight FM broadcast frequencies, web streaming, mobile apps, smart speakers, and on-demand podcasts.

Product overview

CapRadio operates as a multi-platform public radio network offering a unified portfolio of news and music programming. The core offerings include: (1) News Programming covering California state government, Sacramento region, environment, health care, housing, race and equity, arts, education, and food/sustainability topics; (2) Music Programming featuring classical and jazz formats through dedicated channels including Excellence in Jazz and Local Artist Features; (3) Live Streaming via player.capradio.org for real-time radio listening; (4) Mobile Apps for iOS and Android; (5) Smart Speaker Integration for Alexa and Google Home; and (6) Podcasts & Shows for on-demand consumption. The station broadcasts on multiple FM frequencies across Northern California (90.9 FM Sacramento, 90.5 FM Tahoe/Reno, 91.3 FM Stockton/Modesto, 88.1 FM Quincy for news; 88.9 FM Sacramento, 91.7 FM Groveland/Sonora, 88.7 FM Sutter/Yuba City for music).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Classical: Classical music programming
• JazzStream
• ClassicalStream

Products and services

• News Programming Locally-produced news coverage of State Government, Sacramento Region, Environment, Health Care, Housing and Homelessness, Race and Equity, Arts and Lifestyle, Education, and Food and Sustainability, plus NPR national news content, distributed to Northern California listeners.
• Classical Music Programming
• Jazz Programming
• Podcasts & Shows

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KVIEminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026CapRadio and KVIE settled lawsuits related to broadcasting towers. Both are public media stations in the Sacramento region.
• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapRadio is an NPR member station, distributing NPR news content and national programming to its local audience. The partnership includes access to NPR journalists, news reports, and nationally syndicated programs.
• California State University, SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento (CSUS). This institutional relationship provides educational ties and community connection to the university.
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission)coreOthersCapRadio operates under FCC public files and licenses. The station maintains compliance with FCC public file requirements for KXJZ, KKTO, KUOP, KQNC, KXPR, KXSR, and KXJS stations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KQED: KQED is the NPR member station for the San Francisco Bay Area, providing public radio news, talk, and music programming. As a fellow California NPR affiliate with a multi-station footprint, it is the closest geographic peer to CapRadio and competes for statewide listener attention, donor bases, and underwriting relationships.
• LAist (formerly KPCC): LAist is Southern California's flagship NPR member station, operated by Southern California Public Radio. It shares the non-profit public radio model with multi-station FM distribution, NPR programming carriage, and listener-donation revenue mix — directly comparable to CapRadio's structure.
• KCRW: KCRW is a Santa Monica-based public radio station known for music programming (eclectic, jazz, classical) and independent news, licensed to Santa Monica College. It shares the NPR/independent programming mix and music-format emphasis with CapRadio's classical and jazz offerings.
• WNYC: WNYC is New York City's flagship public radio station operated by New York Public Radio, distributing news, talk, and classical music via FM stations. It operates the same multi-station, multi-format (news + classical) public radio model as CapRadio at larger scale.
• WBUR: WBUR is Boston's NPR member station licensed to Boston University, producing local and national news programming. The university license, NPR membership, and news-focused format make it a strong structural peer to CapRadio's CSUS-licensed, NPR-affiliated operation.
• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): OPB is Oregon's public broadcasting network operating multiple FM and TV stations across the state, licensed to Oregon State University. It shares the multi-station state-network structure, university license, and mixed news/music programming model with CapRadio.
• KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio: KUOW is Seattle's NPR member station, providing news, talk, and music programming in the Pacific Northwest. As a regional NPR affiliate with strong local news focus, it is directly comparable to CapRadio's regional news and NPR programming strategy.
• Colorado Public Radio (CPR): CPR operates classical, news, and indie music stations across Colorado with NPR affiliation. Its multi-format (news + classical + music) multi-station approach mirrors CapRadio's structure and content mix.
• New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR): NHPR is New Hampshire's statewide NPR member station providing news, talk, and classical programming. As a smaller, geographically-defined NPR affiliate with mixed news/music format, it is comparable in scale and model to CapRadio.
• Vermont Public Radio (VPR): VPR is Vermont's statewide NPR member station offering news, talk, and classical music programming. Comparable in scale, mission, and listener-supported model to CapRadio, with similar multi-format programming and nonprofit funding structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CapRadioNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/capradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/capradio
• Instagraminstagram.com/capradio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CapRadio