Last updated: Oct. 16, 2024
Under new management and leadership, CapRadio has stabilized our finances and operations and implemented new internal controls while improving and expanding audience services and significantly growing listenership and engagement. The future of CapRadio is bright, and we are deeply grateful for the community’s ongoing support during this remarkable turnaround story.
Resources: The CapRadio Story
Background
Since the station’s financial hardships came to light in the fall of 2023, the collective efforts of CapRadio’s new leadership team and board of directors, dedicated staff, members and Sacramento State have helped stabilize core operations and put the organization in a much better financial position. Additionally, CapRadio and Sacramento State have worked in close collaboration to adopt new financial protocols and controls.
This has been a challenging journey for everyone at CapRadio — and everyone in the community who cares deeply about local public media. With the support of the community, CapRadio is in the midst of a remarkable turnaround story that includes stabilizing finances and operations, implementing new internal controls, improving and expanding audience services and significantly growing listenership and engagement. These indicators unquestioningly demonstrate that CapRadio is not just standing firm again but building a better organization that is poised for continued success and impact in the future under new management and leadership.
Hear from interim GM Frank Maranzino
Internal Controls & Financial Progress
Since the Sept. 27 CSU audit, CapRadio and Sacramento State have worked closely to implement internal controls and stabilize finances. The station is in a much better financial position and we now have procedures in place to ensure effective donation management, oversight and accountability. We have also submitted all 42 recommendations from the Sept. 27 CSU audit. CapRadio and Sacramento State are working together to create a transparent and sustainable future for public media in the region.
Turnaround Facts
Since the Sept. 27 CSU audit, CapRadio has been orchestrating an inspiring turnaround story that has seen the organization come back from the brink of financial collapse to building a strong foundation that improves and expands important public services for generations to come. The results speak for themselves: membership support, listenership, engagement and audience services have all grown significantly.
Nielsen, Jun 23-Jun 24, Persons 6+, Mu-Su 6a-12m
Expanding Local Public Services
New Politics & Government Team
This new three-person reporting team will act as a watchdog to hold those in power accountable and explain how decisions made at City Hall and the state Capitol impact the future and well-being of residents across the region.
Hear from Politics Editor Chris Nichols
Central Valley Journalism CollaborativeCapRadio’s new partnership with the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative is helping to serve more communities and expand important public service journalism in the Central Valley and beyond. Learn more about the CVJC.
Hear from Exec. Director Alma Martinez
Jazz Programming ExpansionCapRadio is expanding Excellence in Jazz an extra hour from 7 p.m. to midnight every Sunday through Friday beginning August 15. Tune in for an even more diverse and engaging musical experience from our jazz hosts.Hear from Jazz Director Gary Vercelli
Timeline of Events
New Leadership & Governance
CapRadio is a purpose-bound, mission-driven organization. We exist to create more informed, involved and educated communities. This clarity and focus is our driving force as we place a renewed emphasis on our public service mission. The new leadership and board of directors at CapRadio is fully committed to building a reliable, transparent and sustainable organization that makes a positive impact in the region.
CapRadio
Executive Committee, CapRadio Board of Directors
Funding Overview
Member contributions are a testament to the value CapRadio brings to our community. With 70% of our funding coming from members, the community’s ongoing support has played a vital role in securing the future of public media for the region and helping CapRadio continue this remarkable turnaround story. Thank you!
*We are not currently receiving CPB funding as we undergo financial review.
Reach & Impact
CapRadio serves California’s Capital Region, Central Valley, Sierra Nevada and North State as a public-supported alternative to for-profit media. As the NPR station based in Sacramento, CapRadio connects with communities through 32 broadcast towers, streaming, podcasts, digital communities, live experiences and more.
CapRadio is recognized as a leader in community-engaged journalism and government accountability reporting, and our coverage is distributed throughout our Northern California network and to over a dozen NPR stations covering 97% of California counties each day. CapRadio is also the exclusive broadcast source of classical music and jazz in the region.
Each week, nearly 500,000 people choose CapRadio as a valued source of news, storytelling, music and events.
FAQs
Press the question to view the answer
Sacramento State commissioned the independent forensic examination of CapRadio. To learn more, please visit Sac State’s website.
CapRadio has stabilized our core operations and is in a strong position poised for long-term growth. We got here by operating more efficiently, breaking down silos and working together to build a better CapRadio that’s focused on transparency and sustainability as we place a renewed emphasis on our public service mission.
Some notable accomplishments include completing — or being on track to complete — all 42 compliance recommendations from the Sept. 27 CSU audit; successfully catching up on over 1,000 unpaid invoices and paying off five of seven major vendors ahead of schedule; growing membership support by 9% (compared to flat growth across the industry); growing weekly news listenership by 35%; and, expanding our newsroom by 20% in the last few months. It’s an exciting time for CapRadio.
CapRadio has implemented — and continues to implement — new policies and procedures as we work to create a sustainable future for public media in the region. In fact, changes were designed to ensure that issues identified by the Sept. 27 CSU audit will not be repeated again, such as:
- Creating a clear separation of duties for all cash/check handling activities to ensure all incoming funds are accurately accounted for and properly recorded.
- Canceling all CapRadio credit cards issued to individual employees for travel and expense purchases.
- Contracting out all financial accounting and reporting activities to Sacramento State.
- Implementing a delegation-of-authority process for all financial transactions to ensure employees have authority to perform financial-related transactions.
- Creating new CapRadio board policies, including updates to the board’s Bylaws and Conflicts of Interest Policy.
CapRadio operates 32 broadcast towers from Modesto to Eureka, serving nearly 500,000 people a week throughout Northern California with independent, local news coverage and locally produced music programming. CapRadio continues to invest in improving and expanding our important public services. CapRadio owns the 90.9 KXJZ tower in Sacramento. There is no planned merger with KVIE.
CapRadio will continue functioning as a Sacramento State auxiliary from our current headquarters on campus, which fully meets our needs. It also provides a more accessible location as we deliver on our educational mission and offer more real-world experience opportunities to students. Our priority is to ensure that we can fulfill our mission and continue to improve and expand important public services to our community in a sustainable manner.
CapRadio is excited to announce the venue at 1010 8th Street is moving forward as the location of “CapRadio Live,” a dynamic event space and learning lab in partnership with Sac State. CapRadio Live will support our educational mission and deepen community connection with a multitude of in-person programs and live experiences. There is more to come with an anticipated launch date of fall 2024.
No. CapRadio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit auxiliary organization of Sacramento State, which means that the University has responsibility and oversight of CapRadio with no operational role or authority. The two organizations have a close — but separate — working relationship.
In October 2023, CapRadio contracted out all financial management to Sacramento State in response to significant deficiencies in accounting, reporting and recordkeeping and oversight. Currently, Sacramento State Accounting Services is acting as the Finance and Accounting department for CapRadio.
CapRadio has a governing board and management team that actively operates the organization, in addition to a fully independent newsroom that is not influenced by station management or any other outside entity. CapRadio broadcasts under the University’s broadcast licenses.
CapRadio is pleased to announce that we are launching a new Sacramento State internship program starting fall 2024. Additionally in the fall, CapRadio and Sacramento State are launching the new CapRadio Live venue, which will function as a learning lab and events space for students and the community.
Independent Newsroom Reporting
Forensic Examination
In late October 2023, Sacramento State commissioned an independent forensic examination of CapRadio after the Sept. 27 CSU audit uncovered significant financial discrepancies and organizational deficiencies at CapRadio. The third-party examination was conducted by CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA).
Read the report
