KAXE
KAXE (Northern Community Radio) is a nonprofit, member-supported public radio station founded in 1976, broadcasting on 91.7 FM and 90.5 FM across Northern Minnesota as an independent NPR affiliate delivering local news, music, and phenology programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersGrand Rapids, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What KAXE does
KAXE (legal entity: Northern Community Radio, Inc.) is a nonprofit, member-supported community radio station founded in 1976 and based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. It operates as an independent NPR affiliate broadcasting on 91.7 FM (KAXE) from Grand Rapids and 90.5 FM (KBXE) from Bemidji, serving communities across the Arrowhead and Iron Range regions of Northern Minnesota, including Aitkin, McIntosh, Coleraine, and Bemidji. The station is recognized as the oldest rural community radio station in the United States and celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2026.
The station's product portfolio centers on over-the-air radio programming with adjacent digital distribution via online streaming and major podcast platforms. Core programming includes the KAXE Morning Show, the Up North Report local news segment, phenology/nature content anchored by Staff Phenologist John Latimer (radio show plus Season Watch newsletter/podcast), music programming (The Setlist, Fresh Picks, Minnesota Mixtape, Headwaters, On the River), and community storytelling (Area Voices). Underlying technology is conventional FM broadcast supplemented by online audio streaming and podcast hosting; no proprietary platform, app, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.
KAXE is funded through a diversified nonprofit revenue mix that includes recurring member donations and one-time contributions, corporate underwriting and sponsorships from local businesses (e.g., Sugar Lake Lodge for Season Watch), planned giving vehicles (Charitable IRA Giving, Donating Stock, Car Donation, KAXE Endowment), and grant funding including the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund via the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). Affiliations with NPR and Public Radio International (PRI) extend its national content reach. The station maintains a small full-time team (Director of Content and Public Affairs, News Director, IT Engineer, Staff Phenologist, Phenology Coordinator) supplemented by volunteers and university interns (Report for Minnesota program with the University of Minnesota).
KAXE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KAXE
- Legal name
- Northern Community Radio
- Website
- https://kaxe.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KAXE (Northern Community Radio) is a nonprofit, member-supported public radio station founded in 1976, broadcasting on 91.7 FM and 90.5 FM across Northern Minnesota as an independent NPR affiliate delivering local news, music, and phenology programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KAXE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Radio Broadcasting
- NAICS
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD), Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)
Keywords
Where KAXE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
KAXE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Member Donations: Listener-supported funding through membership contributions, one-time donations, and recurring donations
- Business Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships and underwriting from local businesses and organizations
- Planned Giving: Charitable IRA giving, donating stock, car donation programs, and KAXE Endowment
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
KAXE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KAXE/KBXE (Northern Community Radio) is an independent nonprofit NPR-affiliate community radio station that broadcasts hyperlocal news, music, and nature programming on 91.7 FM (Grand Rapids) and 90.5 FM (Bemidji) across Northern Minnesota. It distributes the same programming via online streaming, podcasts, and email newsletters to listeners in the Arrowhead and Iron Range regions. The station is funded primarily by listener donations, business sponsorships, and grants rather than paid subscriptions.
Product overview
KAXE/KBXE is a public radio station operating as an independent NPR affiliate, broadcasting on 91.7 FM (KAXE) and 90.5 FM (KBXE) across Northern Minnesota. The station operates as a single unified broadcasting entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its product portfolio consists of over-the-air radio programming including the KAXE Morning Show, local news coverage through the Up North Report, and specialized content such as the phenology program with John Latimer and Season Watch podcast/newsletter. Additional offerings include music programming like The Setlist and Fresh Picks, community storytelling through Area Voices, and event coverage of local activities. The station celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Season Watch: A phenology/nature newsletter and podcast featuring seasonal observations and reports from staff phenologist John Latimer.
- Phenology with John Latimer
- Up North Report
- The Setlist
- Fresh Picks
Products and services
- KAXE/KBXE Radio Broadcasting Over-the-air AM/FM radio broadcasting on frequencies 91.7 KAXE and 90.5 KBXE, delivering NPR news, local news, music, and nature programming to Northern Minnesota communities.
- KAXE Morning Show Daily morning radio program featuring local news, conversation, and community updates for Northern Minnesota listeners.
- Phenology with John Latimer Weekly phenology program hosted by Staff Phenologist John Latimer covering seasonal changes in nature across Minnesota.
- Season Watch Phenology-focused podcast and email newsletter bringing nature news and seasonal observations to listeners, available via Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- Up North Report News program delivering top stories across Northern Minnesota from KAXE/KBXE News.
- The Setlist Live music curation platform showcasing the best weekly live music performances across Northern Minnesota.
- Fresh Picks New music recommendation show featuring album reviews and music discoveries.
- Area Voices Community storytelling platform featuring stories from Northern Minnesota residents and artists.
Companies that use KAXE
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KAXE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KAXE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Public Radio (NPR)coreKAXE is an independent NPR affiliate, broadcasting NPR news content and coordinating coverage with NPR reporters including Becky Sullivan (Western Bureau Chief) and John Otis (Latin America correspondent)
- Public Radio International (PRI)coreAffiliated with Public Radio International for additional public radio content distribution
- Northern Community RadiocoreParent organization for KAXE/KBXE managing multiple community radio stations in Northern Minnesota
- Sugar Lake LodgeminorSeason Watch podcast sponsor providing advertising and promotional support for the phenology program
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KAXE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin's statewide public radio network with a network of regional stations and NPR affiliation. Operates the same member-supported, NPR-affiliated public radio model as KAXE and serves comparably rural and small-city audiences in the Upper Midwest.
- KUNC: Northern Colorado community public radio station and NPR affiliate based in Greeley. Comparable as a smaller-market, member-supported public radio station producing local journalism and NPR content for a rural/small-city audience.
- KCRW: Santa Monica-based community public radio station with strong NPR affiliation and a large podcast portfolio. Closely mirrors KAXE's independent NPR-affiliate, listener-supported model while demonstrating how a community station can scale content distribution digitally.
- Iowa Public Radio: Statewide Iowa public radio network serving rural and small-city audiences with NPR content and local programming. Comparable as a regional public radio organization funded through memberships and underwriting serving a predominantly rural Upper Midwest audience.
- WAMU 88.5: Washington, D.C.-based NPR member station owned by American University with a strong local news and podcast operation. Comparable as an NPR-affiliated public radio station with significant original local journalism and podcast distribution.
- KEXP: Seattle-based listener-supported, nonprofit public radio station with deep music programming focus and a strong podcast/streaming distribution operation. Comparable as an independent, community-supported noncommercial station that has scaled digital listener-funded revenue beyond its broadcast geography.
- KNAU (Arizona Public Radio): Flagstaff-based regional public radio station and NPR affiliate serving northern Arizona's rural communities. Comparable in scale and mission to KAXE as a regional NPR-member station covering geographically dispersed rural populations.
- Vermont Public: Vermont's statewide public radio and TV organization with NPR-affiliated stations serving rural communities. Closely comparable to KAXE in mission, member-supported funding model, and rural community radio focus.
Broad incumbents
- Oregon Public Broadcasting: Oregon's statewide public radio and TV network and NPR affiliate. Comparable in NPR affiliation and member-supported nonprofit structure, but at materially larger scale with combined radio/TV operations.
- Minnesota Public Radio: Statewide public radio network and NPR affiliate based in St. Paul; operates a much larger multi-station footprint across Minnesota. Comparable as a public-radio content provider with NPR affiliation, but at significantly greater scale than KAXE's single regional cluster.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KAXE social profiles
Digital presenceKAXE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KAXE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
KAXE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KAXE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KAXE
What does KAXE do?
KAXE/KBXE (Northern Community Radio) is an independent nonprofit NPR-affiliate community radio station that broadcasts hyperlocal news, music, and nature programming on 91.7 FM (Grand Rapids) and 90.5 FM (Bemidji) across Northern Minnesota. It distributes the same programming via online streaming, podcasts, and email newsletters to listeners in the Arrowhead and Iron Range regions. The station is funded primarily by listener donations, business sponsorships, and grants rather than paid subscriptions.
Is KAXE a public or private company?
KAXE is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was KAXE founded?
KAXE was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KAXE based?
KAXE is headquartered in Grand Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does KAXE make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Member Donations are the primary driver. The others are business Sponsorships and planned Giving.
Who are KAXE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wisconsin Public Radio, KUNC, KCRW, Iowa Public Radio, WAMU 88.5, KEXP, KNAU (Arizona Public Radio) and Vermont Public. Broad incumbents are Oregon Public Broadcasting and Minnesota Public Radio.
Does KAXE have an API?
No public API is recorded for KAXE.
What industry is KAXE in?
KAXE's product category is Public Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAG, Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM), with a secondary code of MPABACAD, Independent Local Radio Stations. Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.