A visit to KLCC, Eugene’s NPR affiliate

Public radio is a window into what’s going on in the world for a lot of people who don’t have access to news via television or the internet — and still a great news source for those who do.

KLCC was a big part of my life growing up in Eugene, and my experience probably mirrors a lot of other college students who grew up listening to the NPR affiliate of their hometown in the backseat of their parents’ cars.

As news across the world is becoming accessible through smaller and smaller devices, the realm of public radio might seem vast to listeners, but the reality is much more quaint.

KLCC resides in a storefront on Charnelton and 8th Ave. in downtown Eugene. It has a staff of 14 full-time employees, eight part-timers and about 30 volunteers. Though, equipped with a small staff and workspace, KLCC reaches about 90,000 listeners across Oregon. Still, although KLCC has a lot of community support, public radio as a whole has been striving to shift with the new age of journalism.

“We observe that credible news sources are dwindling,” says John Stark, KLCC’s General Manager.

But, because of that, Stark says, KLCC has been trying harder than ever to improve listener content for not only local and regional issues, but national and international ones as well. As far as content, and keeping its listeners happy, KLCC seems to be doing well. In the past four years, KLCC has moved towards more news coverage and less music, but still has the nighttime music programs that its listeners love.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges all public radio is facing is finding an appeal towards younger generations. The average age of a public radio listener is 58 years old, according to Stark. Especially for KLCC, its audience has grown up with the station. Coming up on its 50th anniversary this year, KLCC began broadcasting in 1967.

“KLCC has its roots in the counterculture,” says Stark. It was there throughout the protests, explosion of music and cultural changes that fueled the late ’60s. Therefore, Baby Boomers tend to be the largest generation staying loyal, says Stark.

KLCC is trying its best to stay up with the times, though. They are moving towards pushing more digital content through streaming services and podcasts. Tripp Sommer, the station’s News Director, says although younger generations tend to get news through video and other visual formats, broadcasting is also a complex medium for news.

What makes audio unique?

Radio journalism involves an inherent use of multitasking. While print journalism includes mainly writing, and digital journalism relies heavily on photo and video, broadcast journalists have to know how to write, edit, operate equipment and voice their own stories for the air.

A problem with television news, that both Sommer and Stark touch on, is that since there’s such a focus on visuals, the sensationalized stories about events like crimes and fires tend to get covered frequently with the long idea of “If it bleeds, it leads.” Broadcast, however, is forced to go deeper since it’s solely relying on sound. “The tape tells the tale,” says Sommer.

For Stark, his favorite thing about public radio is both its accessibility and its ability to educate. “Everyday you get an education,” says Stark. “Everyday you learn something new.”