KVAN Radio

What KVAN Radio does

KVAN Radio is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community radio station operated by Global Change Media, a Tucson, Arizona–headquartered nonprofit organization founded in 1977. Launched in 2022, the station broadcasts on 91.7 FM in the Tucson metro area, streams globally at kvan.fm, and distributes through dedicated iPhone and Android applications. Its on-air identity centers on CosmoPop®, a federally trademarked music genre of "visionary higher consciousness" music created by co-founder Van of Urantia, paired with programming such as spiritual talk, the civic-activist series "Change Point: Activist Journeys in Southern Arizona," literary and community-voices features, and curated music showcases drawn from the affiliated Global Change Music nonprofit record label.

The station is staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers and "Human-Rights Missionaries," with no paid employees, and its physical studio is co-located with sister entity The Sea of Glass—Center for The Arts at 330 E 7th St, Tucson. The broader Global Change Media ecosystem—comprising the Global Change Music record label, the Musicians-That-Need-to-be-Heard Network, and the Sea of Glass performing-arts venue—provides an integrated artist-development and broadcast pipeline that supplies KVAN's content.

Revenue is generated through listener donations, on-air business underwriting acknowledgments (with payments processed via Square and managed through a single named contact, Mycenay Plyler), and in-kind contributions of time and services. Following the 2025 death of founder Van of Urantia, no public succession plan or strategic repositioning has been disclosed.

Name

KVAN Radio

Legal name

KVAN Visionary Radio

Website

https://kvan.fm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KVAN Radio is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community radio station in Tucson, Arizona, broadcasting on 91.7 FM and streaming globally. It features trademarked CosmoPop® music alongside spiritual and activist programming, operated entirely by volunteers under Global Change Media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG), Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Nonprofit radio station
• Music streaming service
• Spiritual talk programming
• Independent music airplay

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Financial Contributions: Listener donations from the community to support nonprofit operations. Operated by Global Change Media, a nonprofit organization.
2. Underwriting/Sponsorships: Business underwriting opportunities allowing local businesses to support the station and reach KVAN's global audience through on-air acknowledgments of support.
3. Volunteer Time and Services: Community members donate time, goods, services, and expertise to support station operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KVAN Radio operates a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community radio station on 91.7 FM in Tucson, Arizona, streaming globally via kvan.fm and dedicated mobile apps, broadcasting original CosmoPop® music, Global Change Music label releases, and spiritually themed transformational talk programming. The station provides airplay to independent musicians through the Musicians-That-Need-to-be-Heard Network and is funded by listener donations, volunteer contributions, and business underwriting.

Product overview

KVAN Visionary Radio is a nonprofit community radio station operating as a service of Global Change Media. The station broadcasts on 91.7 FM from Tucson, Arizona and streams globally at kvan.fm, available via a dedicated mobile app for iPhone and Android. The core offering centers on original CosmoPop® music — a proprietary genre created by founder Van of Urantia — and Global Change Music from a curated portfolio of artists featured through the nonprofit Global Change Music record label. Programming spans talk shows (Spirit Talk, Global Change Teachings For The New Millennium, KVAN Community Voices, Literary Lunch Hour, Change Point: Activist Journeys in Southern Arizona, CosmoWorship, and DJ-hosted shows), a library of featured music videos and concert recordings (including the Sacred Healing CosmoPop Concert 2022), and business sponsorship via Underwriting Opportunities. The station is supported by donations and volunteer contributions, and is connected to the broader Musicians-That-Need-to-be-Heard Network, all operating under Global Change Media's 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CosmoPop®: A visionary higher consciousness music genre created by Van of Urantia, described as music of the future for minds of the future.
• Global Change Music

Products and services

• KVAN Visionary Radio (91.7 FM / kvan.fm stream) The core nonprofit community radio broadcast delivering original CosmoPop® music, Global Change Music label releases, and spiritually themed transformational talk programming to Tucson-area listeners on 91.7 FM and to a global audience via internet streaming. Targeted at conscious, spiritually minded listeners and supporters of independent transformational music.
• KVAN Mobile App (iOS and Android) Native mobile applications for iOS and Android that stream KVAN Visionary Radio programming on demand for global listeners who want mobile access to the station's original CosmoPop® music and spiritually themed talk content.
• Global Change Music (Nonprofit Record Label) An affiliated nonprofit record label releasing original transformational and CosmoPop® music by independent artists, providing the catalog of releases aired on KVAN Visionary Radio. Targets independent musicians seeking distribution for spiritually themed or transformational work that mainstream labels exclude.
• Musicians-That-Need-to-be-Heard Network A dedicated artist support network affiliated with KVAN that offers independent musicians a structured pathway to obtain airplay on 91.7 FM / kvan.fm and consideration for Global Change Music releases. Targeted at independent artists whose transformational or spiritually themed music is excluded from mainstream radio.
• KVAN Underwriting Program A nonprofit underwriting offering allowing local and regional businesses and organizations to financially support KVAN Visionary Radio programming in exchange for on-air acknowledgment, providing values-aligned brand exposure to KVAN's engaged listenership. Targets local businesses seeking mission-aligned audience reach without traditional advertising.
• Donate or Volunteer Program A direct donation and volunteer participation program enabling listeners and supporters to financially contribute to KVAN Radio or to serve as Human-Rights Missionaries staffing the station's volunteer operations. Targeted at listeners and community supporters who align with KVAN's transformational mission.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Change MediacoreOthersParent nonprofit organization that operates KVAN. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, dedicated to serving humanity by creating and promoting projects that promote positive global change. Founded in 1977 (then known as Gabriel Records).
• Global Change MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit record label presenting artists who live a message for global change. Artists featured on KVAN are under this label. Provides airplay and support for progressive musicians excluded from corporate-run music industry.
• The Sea of Glass — Center for The ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformance venue in Tucson, Arizona where KVAN Studios are located. Sister venue and partner organization. KVAN broadcasts from studios within this facility.
• Musicians-That-Need-to-be-Heard NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit network organized by Van of Urantia to support committed and deserving musicians who are excluded from or choose not to participate in the corporate-run music industry.
• Global Change MultimediaminorOthersPartner organization listed in the footer as globalchange.media, supporting the mission of positive global change.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• KCRW: Long-established Santa Monica-based public/community radio station with member-supported revenue, music programming, and live sessions. Comparable nonprofit community-radio structure at significantly larger scale.
• WNYC (New York Public Radio): Major public radio operator combining news, talk, and music with member-supported funding. Comparable nonprofit station model but at much larger scale and with broader programming mix.

Others

• TuneIn: Internet radio aggregator that distributes broadcast streams (including AM/FM and community stations) to global listeners via apps and web. Indirect distribution infrastructure comparable to KVAN's own streaming/app setup.
• SoundCloud: Global audio streaming platform enabling independent musicians to distribute music directly to listeners without traditional radio or label intermediation. Adjacent as a complementary discovery/distribution channel for the Global Change Music label's artists.

Direct peers

• Pacifica Radio: Nonprofit listener-supported radio network with progressive, community-driven programming and grassroots fundraising. Operates in the same nonprofit/community-radio niche as KVAN with overlapping audience values.
• KEXP: Listener-supported nonprofit community radio station known for music discovery and live in-studio sessions, with global streaming and mobile apps. Closely comparable operating model around community-supported, non-commercial music and talk programming.
• WFMU: Independent, listener-supported nonprofit freeform radio station broadcasting from New Jersey with a global streaming audience. Comparable nonprofit, donation-driven operating model with a strong curatorial identity.
• KGNU Community Radio: Independent nonprofit community radio station broadcasting from Boulder, Colorado, supported by listener donations, underwriting, and volunteers with eclectic music and talk programming.
• WBAI: Listener-supported Pacifica-affiliated community radio station in New York with progressive programming funded by donations and underwriting. Comparable nonprofit, mission-driven community broadcasting model.
• KXCI Community Radio: Independent community radio station broadcasting from Tucson, Arizona on a similar nonprofit model with eclectic music, talk, and underwriting support. Most direct geographic and operational peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KVAN.FM
• Instagraminstagram.com/kvan.fm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kvan.fm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KVAN Radio