Kbia 91.3 FM

What Kbia 91.3 FM does

KBIA 91.3 FM is a non-commercial public radio station licensed to and operated by the University of Missouri, broadcasting from Columbia, Missouri, to the Mid-Missouri region since 1972. The station is an NPR member station that supplements national programming (Morning Edition, All Things Considered) with extensive local and statewide journalism, including the Missouri News Network — a statewide government and political reporting service syndicated to affiliate stations across Missouri. KBIA organizes its editorial output around specialized content desks covering Health & Wealth, Agriculture & Environment, Culture, and Energy & Utilities, producing daily newscasts, the long-running 'Radio Friends with Paul Pepper' interview program, and 'The Daily Blend w/ AC' talk show.

The station's distribution architecture centers on a primary FM broadcast (91.3 FM) with HD2 (Classical 90.5 via subsidiary KMUC) and HD3 digital streams, complemented by website streaming at kbia.org and an extensive podcast portfolio spanning health, politics, agriculture, and culture. KBIA partners with national journalism collaboratives including Side Effects Public Media (health/rural), Harvest Public Media (agriculture), and America Amplified to extend editorial capacity. Marketing and audience engagement operate through the website, email newsletters, and active social media accounts on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube, and Vimeo.

KBIA's revenue model follows the standard non-commercial public radio framework: listener memberships and donations (including sustaining gifts, major giving, legacy giving, charitable IRA rollovers, and vehicle donations), corporate underwriting following public radio guidelines, and institutional funding from the University of Missouri as parent entity. The station does not operate a commercial pricing model. A 'KBIA Capital Campaign' is referenced, indicating active fundraising infrastructure beyond annual memberships.

Name

Kbia 91.3 FM

Legal name

University of Missouri - KBIA

Website

https://kbia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KBIA 91.3 FM is a non-commercial public radio station operated by the University of Missouri, serving Mid-Missouri since 1972 with NPR programming, local news, the statewide Missouri News Network, and an extensive podcast portfolio across health, politics, agriculture, and culture verticals.

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/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news coverage
• NPR member station
• Podcast production
• Listener-supported media

Headquarters

HQ city

Mouscron

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Listener-supported public radio model where audience members contribute annual membership fees or one-time donations to support operations
2. Underwriting: Sponsorship messages from businesses and organizations, similar to advertising but following public radio guidelines
3. University of Missouri Support: Institutional funding from the University of Missouri as the station's parent organization

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KBIA is a non-commercial public radio station that broadcasts NPR programming, original local journalism, and cultural content on 91.3 FM (with HD2 and HD3 digital streams) to Mid-Missouri. It also operates the Missouri News Network statewide news service, produces podcasts and special projects, and distributes content online via its website and social channels.

Product overview

KBIA 91.3 FM is a public radio station operated by the University of Missouri, serving mid-Missouri as a member station of NPR. The station operates as a unified platform offering local and regional news through its KBIA News and Missouri News Network divisions, complemented by specialized coverage desks for Health & Wealth, Agriculture & Environment, Culture, and Energy & Utilities. Programming includes live radio broadcasts with newscasts, the daily talk show 'The Daily Blend w/ AC,' and the long-running 'Radio Friends with Paul Pepper.' The station distributes content through multiple channels including over-the-air radio (91.3 FM, HD2 at 90.5, HD3), a comprehensive podcast network covering health, politics, agriculture, and culture, and special long-form investigative projects. Partnerships include NPR Top Stories, Side Effects Public Media, and Harvest Public Media for extended coverage reach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Missouri News Network: Statewide news service providing Missouri-focused journalism
• Missouri Health Talks
• The Daily Blend w/ AC
• KBIA Newscasts
• Health & Wealth Desk
• Agriculture & Environment Desk
• Culture Desk
• Energy & Utilities Desk

Products and services

• KBIA News Local and regional news coverage for Mid-Missouri, including breaking news, investigative reporting, and original journalism, delivered to general public listeners.
• Missouri News Network Statewide Missouri news service providing coverage of state government, politics, and regional issues across Missouri, syndicated to affiliate stations.
• KBIA Newscasts Daily radio newscasts providing local, state, national, and international news updates distributed on-air and as podcasts.
• The Daily Blend w/ AC Weekly talk show hosted by Adonica Coleman featuring interviews with local business owners, community leaders, and cultural figures, including on-location segments at local businesses.
• Missouri Health Talks Podcast series featuring personal stories and discussions about health topics affecting Missourians.
• Radio Friends with Paul Pepper Long-running local interview show featuring community guests and local organizations.
• KBIA Special Projects Long-form journalism projects and documentary series including Reverberations, Socially Transmitted, One Small Bite, Dumped in Berger, A Night at the Inn, Alphabet Soup, The Weight of Evidence, America Amplified, and True/False Conversations.
• Classical Programming (KMUC 90.5 / KBIA HD2) Classical music programming broadcast on KMUC 90.5 (KBIA HD2), offering classical music performances and cultural programming.
• High Turnout Wide Margins Podcast focused on election coverage and political analysis.
• Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan Podcast featuring in-depth conversations and feature stories.
• The Next Harvest Podcast covering agricultural topics and food systems.
• River Town Podcast exploring communities and stories from river regions.
• Missouri on Mic Podcast featuring Missouri voices and local stories.
• Thinking Out Loud Podcast featuring thoughtful discussions on various topics.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBIA is an NPR member station, receiving and broadcasting NPR national news programming including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. NPR provides national news content that KBIA supplements with local Mid-Missouri coverage.
• University of MissouricoreOthersKBIA is operated by the University of Missouri's School of Journalism, providing educational opportunities for journalism students and serving as the station's parent institution and primary funder.
• Missouri News NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBIA operates the Missouri News Network, providing comprehensive Missouri state government and political news coverage distributed to affiliated stations across the state.
• Side Effects Public MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBIA partners with Side Effects Public Media, a national journalism collaborative covering health, mental health, and substance abuse issues with a focus on rural communities.
• Harvest Public MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBIA partners with Harvest Public Media (operated by KCUR), a collaboration covering food, agriculture, and rural issues across the Midwest.
• Donald W. Reynolds Journalism InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBIA operates in partnership with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, with staff serving in production roles supporting journalism education.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St. Louis Public Radio (KWMU): University-operated NPR member station in St. Louis, Missouri. Operates a similar university-affiliated model, statewide Missouri journalism coverage, and listener-supported revenue — directly comparable in mission and operations to KBIA.
• KCUR 89.3 FM: University of Kansas-operated public radio station in Kansas City, MO/KS region. Operates Harvest Public Media consortium — a direct partner of KBIA — and runs a comparable listener-supported NPR member model with regional journalism focus.
• Michigan Public Radio (WUOM): University of Michigan-operated NPR member station. Comparable university-affiliated public radio model with regional journalism, podcast portfolio, and listener-supported revenue structure.
• WILL Radio / Illinois Public Media: University of Illinois-operated NPR member station providing news, classical, and specialized programming. Mirrors KBIA's university-backed public radio model with multiple HD streams and podcast distribution.

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): National network that produces news and cultural programming distributed via member stations including KBIA. Functions as the central network upstream of KBIA's programming supply and shapes the broader public radio ecosystem.
• WBUR: Boston University-operated NPR member station, significantly larger and serving a major metro market. Comparable in university-affiliated model and public radio programming, but operates at much greater scale and audience reach than KBIA.
• WNYC / New York Public Radio: Major New York-based public radio operator running WNYC-FM, WNYC-AM, and WQXR. Operates a much larger-scale university-adjacent public radio model with extensive podcast and programming portfolio — a broader incumbent in the same NPR-affiliated space.

Regional players

• OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting): Oregon-based regional public broadcaster producing statewide news and cultural programming. Operates a similar NPR-affiliated model with multi-platform distribution including podcasts and HD services, comparable in mission to KBIA but serving a different geographic market.
• Iowa Public Radio: Statewide public radio network serving Iowa with news, classical, and music formats. Operates a regional statewide model comparable to KBIA's Missouri footprint, though organized as a multi-station network rather than a single anchor station.

Others

• Harvest Public Media: KCUR-led public radio collaborative covering agriculture and rural issues across the Midwest, in which KBIA directly participates. Functions as a content-sharing partner and consortium member rather than a competing station.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kbia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/@KBIApodcasts
• Facebookfacebook.com/KBIAnews
• Instagraminstagram.com/kbianews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Kbia 91.3 FM