Vermont Public Radio

What Vermont Public Radio does

Vermont Public Radio, operating as Vermont Public, is a nonprofit public media organization headquartered in Colchester, Vermont, and founded in 1977. It serves audiences across the state through more than 15 FCC-licensed radio and television stations and digital distribution. In May 2024, Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS were consolidated under the Vermont Public brand, creating a unified operating identity for the organization’s radio and television activities.

Revenue comes from community memberships and donations, business sponsorship, philanthropic and legacy giving, and merchandise sales. Its technology stack includes NPR’s content management system, AWS infrastructure, StreamGuys for streaming, and Engaging Networks for membership management. As of May 2024, the organization had 114 staff, comprising 104 full-time and 10 part-time employees. It uses generative AI for SEO headline development, transcription, and data synthesis under NPR guidance, while AI is not used to generate audio or video.

Name

Vermont Public Radio

Legal name

Vermont Public

Website

https://vermontpublic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermont Public is a nonprofit public media organization serving audiences across Vermont through more than 15 FCC-licensed radio and television stations, digital distribution, memberships, sponsorships, philanthropy, legacy giving, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Nonprofit Radio Networks (NPR-style) (MPABABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB), National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• Local news coverage
• Classical music programming
• Educational media content
• Community journalism podcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Vermont

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

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Community-supported funding model where listeners become members through regular donations, one-time gifts, or monthly pledge programs. The organization offers member benefits and runs campaigns including year-end giving.
2. Business Sponsorship and Underwriting: Corporate sponsorships and business underwriting, including a Corporate Circle program for major sponsors. Sponsors receive recognition but do not have editorial influence per public media firewall policies.
3. Philanthropy and Legacy Giving: Major gift program, planned giving, legacy society, and vehicle donations. The organization maintains philanthropic partnerships with donors.
4. Merchandise Sales: Vermont Public Store sells branded merchandise and items.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vermont Public Radio is a community-supported public media organization operating as a joint licensee of public radio (NPR member) and public television (PBS). It produces and distributes local news, listener-driven journalism, classical and jazz music programming, sports coverage, and children's educational content across 15+ FCC-licensed radio and television stations in Vermont, complemented by live digital streaming, podcasts, and on-demand video. Membership is sustained through listener donations, recurring pledges, corporate underwriting, and philanthropy.

Product overview

Vermont Public is an independent, community-supported public media organization operating as a unified multi-platform service that combines broadcast radio, television, and digital content delivery. The core product encompasses local news (Vermont Edition, Vermont This Week, The Frequency podcast), regional journalism (Brave Little State, Homegoings), music programming (Vermont Public Classical, Friday Night Jazz, All Ears, The Folk Show), sports coverage (The Sports Rapport), and children's content (But Why, PBS KIDS). Supplementary services include live streaming of TV and radio, on-demand video, podcast distribution, and Vermont Public Passport member benefits. The organization serves as a joint licensee operating both public radio and public television services alongside digital and on-demand offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vermont Public Classical: Local classical music service providing a vibrant and relevant local connection to classical music.
• Vermont Edition
• Brave Little State
• The Frequency
• Homegoings
• But Why
• Friday Night Jazz

Products and services

• Vermont Public (Community Membership) Community-supported membership program granting Vermont residents access to public radio and television content, exclusive benefits, and the ability to fund independent local journalism.
• Live TV and Video Streaming Live television streaming service at video.vermontpublic.org providing PBS programming and Vermont Public's own video content to viewers globally via web and apps.
• Live Radio Streams Online streaming of radio broadcasts including News, Classical, BBC World Service, and Jazz programming, powered by StreamGuys and accessible globally.
• Vermont Public Classical Dedicated classical music service featuring local hosts, artist interviews, and studio concerts with a broad repertoire including vocal, choral, opera, and contemporary music.
• Vermont Public Passport Member benefit providing extended access to PBS content and exclusive programming beyond standard broadcast schedules.
• PBS KIDS Children's educational programming block featuring PBS KIDS content available via broadcast and live streaming for families and educators.
• Vermont Public Store Branded merchandise store selling Vermont Public apparel and items to support the organization.
• Business Sponsorship and Corporate Circle Corporate underwriting and sponsorship programs, including a Corporate Circle tier for major sponsors, providing brand recognition across Vermont Public's broadcast and digital channels without editorial influence.
• Made Here Local film initiative funding and distributing films made by Vermont filmmakers about regional subjects, with Vermont Public providing funding and distribution support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in 2024, including for Continuing Coverage, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion, Innovation, and Podcast categories.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont Public operates as an NPR member station, following NPR's ethics handbook for editorial guidance. As a joint licensee, Vermont Public follows NPR's robust ethics guidance for public radio operations. NPR provides national news content and shared content management system infrastructure.
• PBS (Public Broadcasting Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont Public operates Vermont PBS as a joint licensee, following PBS Editorial Standards and Practices. PBS provides national television programming including PBS KIDS content and shares editorial standards guidance.
• StreamGuyscoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides live streaming services for Vermont Public's radio stations including News, Classical, BBC, and Replay streams.
• Engaging NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationPowers Vermont Public's email and membership web experiences, used for supporter and donation management.
• Amazon Web ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationWeb applications are served using Amazon Web Services infrastructure.
• New England News CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-state regional journalism collaboration for New England regional news coverage, sharing reporting and resources across public media organizations in the region.
• Made Here FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVermont Public supports local content creators and media-makers through funding and distribution, holding collaborators to journalistic and ethical standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vprnet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/vermontpublic
• Facebookfacebook.com/vermontpublic
• Instagraminstagram.com/vermontpublic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/78186

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 Vermont Public Radio