Kjzz Radio

What Kjzz Radio does

KJZZ is a public radio station broadcasting at 91.5 FM that serves the Phoenix metropolitan area and broader Arizona market. It is operated as a service of Rio Salado College, which is part of the Maricopa Community Colleges district — a government-state entity — making KJZZ a non-profit, publicly-supported media organization rather than a privately-held company. The station functions as an NPR affiliate, distributing NPR national and international content alongside locally-produced Arizona journalism, and also carries BBC World Service, American Public Media, and PRX programming. Its core audiences are Arizona residents, particularly in Phoenix/Maricopa County, who seek local news, public affairs coverage, Arizona political and election reporting, border/Mexico coverage, jazz programming, and civic engagement resources.

The station's product surface spans a traditional FM broadcast (91.5 FM), live audio streaming, a premium KJZZ Plus streaming service for sustaining members, an extensive podcast portfolio (including The Show, Sun Up, Prickly, Friday NewsCap, State of the Arts Arizona, Hear Arizona, and others), a jazz music platform (Jazz PHX) with playlists and venue mapping, and specialized news desks covering the U.S.-Mexico border (Fronteras Desk), Hermosillo/Sonora (Hermosillo Bureau), and the Mountain West region (Mountain West News Bureau). Underlying technology is standard digital audio broadcasting and streaming infrastructure, with interactive features (Q&AZ, Minute Mix powered by Newsmix.ai, Hotspots, Quizzes) layered on top.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) recurring listener memberships, sustaining memberships, and one-time donations, with members receiving perks such as KJZZ Plus access; (2) corporate underwriting/sponsorship of programming; (3) events hosted by Friends of Public Radio Arizona (FPRAZ) and merchandise sales through an online shop; and (4) vehicle and property donations via a car donation program. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on listener trust, civic engagement, events, and direct membership outreach rather than paid acquisition. Pricing details for individual membership tiers are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Kjzz Radio

Legal name

KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD

Website

https://fronterasdesk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KJZZ is a non-profit public radio station (91.5 FM) operated by Rio Salado College/Maricopa Community Colleges, serving Phoenix and Arizona with NPR-affiliated local news, politics, border coverage, podcasts, and jazz programming, funded through memberships, donations, and corporate underwriting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

News Talk Radio & Current Affairs Stations (MPABAIAI), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• NPR affiliate programming
• Local journalism news
• Jazz music programming
• Community college media

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Membership and Donations: Community-supported revenue through annual membership campaigns, sustaining memberships, and one-time donations from listeners. Members receive access to perks such as the KJZZ Plus streaming service and member portal.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship revenue from businesses that underwrite public radio programming. Sponsors receive recognition and branding associated with KJZZ content and programming.
3. Events and Merchandise: Revenue from events hosted by Friends of Public Radio Arizona, including community gatherings and cultural programming, as well as merchandise sales through the online shop.
4. Vehicle and Property Donations: Car donation program allowing supporters to contribute vehicles as an alternative to cash donations, supporting the station's operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KJZZ Radio is a public radio station operating at 91.5 FM that delivers NPR news and talk programming, local journalism from the Phoenix metropolitan area, jazz music, and cultural content to listeners across the region. It is operated as a service of Rio Salado College within the Maricopa Community Colleges district.

Product overview

KJZZ is a public radio station (91.5 FM) operated as a service of Rio Salado College and Maricopa Community Colleges, serving as an NPR member station for the Phoenix metropolitan area. The station offers a multi-platform portfolio comprising broadcast radio programming, over 15 distinct podcasts (including The Show, Sun Up, Prickly, and State of the Arts Arizona), jazz music streaming via Jazz PHX, and premium streaming through KJZZ Plus. News coverage extends through specialized desks including Fronteras Desk (border/immigration), Hermosillo Bureau (Mexico), and Mountain West News Bureau. Interactive features include Q&AZ (audience Q&A), Minute Mix (music playlist), and Hotspots (event discovery).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jazz PHX: Jazz music programming platform featuring playlists, venues, events, and jazz-related content for the Phoenix area

Products and services

• The Show Daily Phoenix-focused public affairs talk program covering local news, politics, and culture for KJZZ listeners.
• Sun Up Regular news and information program produced by KJZZ for Arizona audiences.
• Friday NewsCap Weekly news roundtable show that recaps the top Arizona and regional stories of the week.
• Prickly Weekly podcast and segment offering deeper explanatory journalism on Arizona topics.
• State of the Arts Arizona Program covering Arizona's arts, culture, and creative community.
• Hear Arizona Audio feature program telling stories of people, places, and cultures across Arizona.
• KJZZ Plus Companion programming channel/network offering additional KJZZ-distributed content.
• Jazz PHX Jazz music programming and curated content for the Phoenix market.
• Fronteras Desk Collaborative cross-border journalism project covering the U.S.–Mexico border region.
• Hermosillo Bureau News bureau based in Hermosillo, Mexico providing on-the-ground reporting on northern Mexico.
• Mountain West News Bureau Regional collaborative reporting project covering news across the Mountain West states.
• Q&AZ Listener-driven question-and-answer journalism project where the audience submits questions for reporters to investigate.
• Minute Mix Short-form music and feature content branded under KJZZ.
• Hotspots Branded local music / events feature program produced by KJZZ.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Rio Salado CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRio Salado College, a Maricopa Community College, is the primary institutional operator of KJZZ. The station operates as a service of Rio Salado College, providing educational broadcasting and community journalism as part of the college's public service mission.
• Maricopa Community CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaricopa Community Colleges is the parent college district for Rio Salado College and provides institutional oversight and support for KJZZ as part of the district's public service initiatives.
• NPR (National Public Radio)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationKJZZ is an NPR affiliate, carrying NPR national and international news content, programs, and journalism. NPR content is integrated into KJZZ's programming alongside local Arizona news coverage.
• American Public Media (APM)majorTechnology or IntegrationKJZZ distributes programming from American Public Media, including additional national public radio programs and content that complement NPR offerings.
• PRX (Public Radio Exchange)majorTechnology or IntegrationKJZZ accesses programming through PRX, a public radio distribution platform that provides access to diverse public radio content from producers nationwide.
• Friends of Public Radio ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends of Public Radio Arizona (FPRAZ) is the nonprofit support organization for KJZZ, managing membership campaigns, donations, events, corporate sponsorship, and community engagement activities for the station.
• Mountain West News BureaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKJZZ participates in the Mountain West News Bureau, a regional journalism collaborative covering news across the Mountain West region, providing expanded regional coverage for Arizona listeners.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KCRW: KCRW is an NPR-affiliate public radio station based in Santa Monica, California, offering news, talk, and music programming across broadcast and digital channels. It is highly comparable to KJZZ as a similarly structured community-supported public radio station with multi-platform distribution.
• KQED: KQED is a major NPR and PBS affiliate in Northern California producing extensive local journalism, podcasts, and digital content. Comparable to KJZZ as a public-media organization operating news bureaus, podcasts, and member-supported multi-platform distribution.
• KPCC / LAist: LAist (formerly KPCC) is an NPR-member public radio station serving Los Angeles with local news, talk, and podcasts. It is directly comparable to KJZZ as a Sun Belt market NPR affiliate with strong local journalism and podcast expansion.
• WAMU: WAMU 88.5 is the NPR member station for the Washington, D.C. area, producing local news and nationally distributed podcasts. Comparable to KJZZ as a public radio station with strong local political coverage and an expanding podcast portfolio.
• WHYY: WHYY is the NPR-member public media organization serving the Philadelphia region, producing local news, podcasts, and cultural programming. Comparable to KJZZ as an established community-supported public radio station with multi-platform distribution.
• Colorado Public Radio: Colorado Public Radio operates a network of public radio stations across Colorado with local news, classical, and music programming. Comparable to KJZZ as a Mountain West regional public radio operator participating in similar journalism collaborations.
• WBUR: WBUR is Boston University's NPR-member station producing local news and several nationally distributed podcasts. Comparable to KJZZ as a market-leading public radio station with institutional backing, multi-platform strategy, and civic-journalism focus.
• Houston Public Media: Houston Public Media is the NPR-member public broadcasting organization for the Houston metro area, operated by the University of Houston. Comparable to KJZZ as a college-affiliated public radio station in a major Sun Belt market.

Broad incumbents

• WNYC: WNYC is New York Public Radio, the largest public radio operation in the U.S., producing nationally distributed shows like Radiolab and The Takeaway. Comparable to KJZZ as a public radio brand operating at significantly larger scale with the same multi-platform, content-distribution model.

Others

• NPR: NPR is the national network that produces and distributes the programming that KJZZ affiliates with. Comparable as the upstream content and distribution infrastructure provider that shapes KJZZ's programming mix and brand association.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kjzzphoenix
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KJZZPhoenix
• Facebookfacebook.com/kjzzphoenix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kjzz-phoenix
• Instagraminstagram.com/kjzzphoenix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kjzz Radio