What Kopn does

KOPN 89.5 FM is a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station operating from Columbia, Missouri. Founded on March 3, 1973, and operated by the New Wave Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID: 43-1026021), KOPN broadcasts at 89.5 MHz with 36,000 watts of power, serving an approximately 100-mile diameter area in central Missouri. The station was the eighth open-access, listener-supported community radio station in the United States and the first to serve an audience under 100,000. Programming combines volunteer-produced music shows, syndicated content from NPR, PRX, and Pacifica, and local public affairs, with an emphasis on voices and genres underrepresented in commercial media.

The station's core technology is its FCC-licensed FM broadcast infrastructure, supplemented by online streaming via broadcasttool.stream, a Spinitron-powered two-week program archive, and the Mixcloud-distributed KOPN AMP Network for podcast content. The station has transitioned from reel-to-reel tape to digital production equipment and runs an ongoing Reel-to-Reel digitization project that has preserved thousands of historical recordings (1970s-1990s) in partnership with the University of Missouri-Columbia's Western Historical Manuscript Collection.

KOPN's business model is diversified across five non-commercial revenue streams: recurring listener donations and memberships ($60-$240/year tiers plus monthly options), local business underwriting, vehicle donations processed through CARS, legacy/planned giving, and CPB Community Service Grants as a federally qualified public media station. Operations are powered primarily by volunteers (program producers, DJs, music librarians, social media assistants) who provide open-access programming without editorial interference. Governance rests with a nine-member elected board of directors and a six-member Community Advisory Committee.

Name

Kopn

Legal name

New Wave Corporation

Website

https://kopn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KOPN 89.5 FM is a non-profit, listener-supported community radio station in Columbia, Missouri, broadcasting since 1973 at 36,000 watts to central Missouri. It serves local audiences with volunteer-produced music, syndicated public radio, and preservation of historical programming archives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Broadcasting Content Distribution & Interconnection (Sat/IP feeds) (MPABADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE), Podcast Live & Interactive Podcast Platforms (Live Shows, Call-ins) (MPACADAJ)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• FM radio programming
• Listener-supported radio
• Public radio service
• Music and talk programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener Donations/Memberships: KOPN is primarily funded through listener donations. Members who donate at least $60/year receive voting rights for the annual Board of Directors election. Donation tiers range from $60/year (Basic) to $240/year (Sustaining), with monthly options available at $7.50-$20/month.
2. Underwriting: Local businesses, professionals, organizations, and individuals underwrite KOPN's programming. Underwriting provides recognition for sponsors while supporting the station financially. Contact for underwriting is through [email protected] or 573-874-1139.
3. Vehicle Donations: KOPN partners with CARS (Charities Automotive Recovery Services) to process vehicle donations. The organization receives proceeds from vehicle sales (minus tow, auction, and other fees) once vehicles are sold.
4. Legacy Giving/Planned Giving: KOPN accepts bequests in wills or trusts, allowing donors to designate sums, percentages, or specific property to the station. This provides long-term financial sustainability and estate planning benefits to donors.
5. CPB Grants: KOPN is a CPB-qualified (Corporation for Public Broadcasting) station that receives Community Service Grants (CSG) from CPB, demonstrating eligibility for federal public media funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KOPN operates a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station at 89.5 FM with 36,000 watts of power, serving a roughly 100-mile diameter across central Missouri. It delivers eclectic music programming, local news and public affairs, and syndicated content from NPR, PRX, and Pacifica. Programming is supplemented by online live streaming, a two-week on-demand program archive, podcasts via the KOPN AMP Network, and a digitized historical Reel-to-Reel Archive Project preserving recordings from the 1970s-1990s.

Product overview

KOPN operates as a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station providing eclectic music programming, local news, and syndicated content from NPR, PRX, and Pacifica. The core offering is FM broadcasting at 89.5 FM supplemented by live streaming and a two-week program archive. The KOPN AMP Network extends reach through podcasts distributed via Mixcloud, while the Reel-to-Reel Archive Project preserves historical recordings from 1973 onwards. Community engagement features include public service announcements, an events calendar, and listener surveys. The station is owned and operated by New Wave Corporation, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KOPN 89.5 FM Radio Broadcasting Core FM radio broadcasting service at 89.5 MHz with 36,000 watts of power, serving central Missouri within a roughly 100-mile diameter. Provides eclectic music programming, local news, public affairs, and syndicated content from NPR, PRX, and Pacifica. Open-access model with volunteer programmers retaining full creative control.
• KOPN Online Live Stream Real-time online audio streaming of KOPN programming via broadcasttool.stream, enabling listeners worldwide to tune in to the live broadcast through the station's website.
• KOPN AMP Network Podcasts Podcast network featuring special programs including 'KOPN: The First 50 Years' documentary podcast and 'Marooned' music interview podcast, distributed via Mixcloud with iOS and Android apps.
• Reel-to-Reel Archive Project Digitization initiative preserving historical reel-to-reel recordings from the 1970s-1990s, including interviews with figures like Koko Taylor, Bobby Seale, and Sweet Honey in the Rock. Collections include Local Issues, African American, Native American, Music, Women's Issues, Poetry, Children's Radio, and Spirituality categories. Accessible via a searchable online catalog and archived at Western Historical Manuscript Collection, University of Missouri-Columbia.
• KOPN Program Archive

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained over 1,000 people in radio operations since 1973
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hickman High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Partnered with Hickman High School during Spring Into the Arts 2007 to make poetry programs available to students as part of National Poetry Month programming.
• Stephens College Children's SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Partnered during Spring Into the Arts 2007 to provide CD copies of children's collection tapes for in-classroom literacy programs.
• CARS (Charities Automotive Recovery Services)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKOPN partners with CARS to process vehicle donations. CARS handles the entire donation process including vehicle pickup, auction, and proceeds transfer to KOPN. Donors can call 855-KOPN-CAR or use the online donation form at kopn.careasy.org.
• Western Historical Manuscript Collection - University of Missouri ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKOPN's reformatted CDs are archived at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at University of Missouri-Columbia alongside the station's original reel-to-reel tapes. This partnership ensures long-term preservation and public accessibility of KOPN's historical programming.
• Mexico-Audrain County Library DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReformatted CDs from the Reel-to-Reel project are accessible to patrons at the Mexico-Audrain County Library District, extending accessibility beyond Columbia to surrounding communities.
• KMOS-TVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth KOPN and KMOS-TV are public media organizations serving central Missouri. KMOS-TV is listed as an underwriter supporting KOPN's programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• WXPN: WXPN is a University of Pennsylvania-affiliated public radio station serving the Philadelphia area with adult album alternative music and community programming. Comparable to KOPN as a non-commercial, music-focused community station with listener support.
• WFMU: WFMU is a listener-supported, freeform community radio station in Jersey City, NJ, with similar open-access programming philosophy, volunteer DJ base, and non-profit structure. It is one of the most direct comparables to KOPN's model of community-driven programming.
• WYSO: WYSO is a community-licensed public radio station in Yellow Springs, OH, operating with a similar small-market, volunteer-driven, listener-supported model. Highly comparable to KOPN in scale, mission, and operational structure.
• KCRW: KCRW is a Santa Monica College-based public radio station with eclectic music, news, and culture programming. Comparable to KOPN in mission (community/public broadcasting) and multi-format approach, though KCRW operates at significantly larger scale.
• WKAR: WKAR is Michigan State University's public media operation, providing radio and TV broadcasting. Comparable to KOPN as a public/non-commercial broadcasting entity with educational mission and CPB-eligible funding.
• KEXP: KEXP is a Seattle-based non-commercial, listener-supported radio station emphasizing independent music and community programming. Like KOPN, it is non-profit, volunteer-driven, and has expanded significantly into online streaming and podcast distribution.
• KPFA: KPFA is a listener-supported Pacifica Network community radio station in Berkeley, CA, with progressive talk, news, and music programming. Like KOPN, KPFA relies on listener donations, volunteer programmers, and is part of the Pacifica network that KOPN syndicates from.
• WUTC: WUTC is a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga public radio station with eclectic music and NPR programming. Comparable to KOPN as a small-market, university/community-affiliated public radio station with listener support.
• KUT: KUT is a University of Texas at Austin-affiliated public radio station providing news, music, and cultural programming. Like KOPN, it is a non-commercial station with NPR affiliation and reliance on listener donations and underwriting.

Others

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): CPB is the private, non-profit corporation that funds public broadcasting stations including KOPN. While not a peer in the competitive sense, CPB is the key funding intermediary that supports KOPN's Community Service Grants and is central to its operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Kopn