KUNR celebrates 50-year anniversary

KUNR NEWS RELEASE

The call letters KUNR first broke through the FM radio airwaves on Oct. 7, 1963, with a short 15-minute broadcast that reached listeners in a 13-mile radius. Today, KUNR 88.7 is an affiliate of National Public Radio that serves 45,000 weekly listeners in 20 communities in Northern Nevada and Northeastern California.

This year marks KUNR’s 50th year of public broadcasting on the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus. The station has become a staple in the community and continues to be a growing source of local and regional news.

“Having a 50-year legacy gives people confidence that KUNR has thrived over time and is ready to meet the next 50 years’ challenges as well as opportunities,” KUNR’s General Manager David Stipech said.

The station has developed “as a community resource that is not just reporting but helping other organizations to help solve the pressing issues of the community,” Stipech said.

According to Stipech, KUNR is providing the highest level of service in their history and their staff is working hard to make programming more informative as well as incorporating technology in areas such as social media, mobile listening and web presence to reach more listeners.

The station strives to not only to be a resource for the community, but an opportunity for students.

“We’re partnering more on campus with University departments and schools, like the Reynolds School of Journalism, to help train the next generation of journalists and provide more content for listeners,” Stipech said.

In addition to a weekly Reynolds School Media Watch segment, the station is also working with the University of Nevada School of Medicine on a KUNR Health Watch segment, and has plans to expand programming for listeners through the Beyond the Headlines segment to include the College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and more colleges and departments.

To commemorate the anniversary, the station is hosting a variety of events starting with KUNR’s 2013 Golf Tournament at Lakeridge Golf Course Friday, Sept. 27. KUNR is also hosting a reception with NPR’s award-winning correspondent Jacki Lyden. This event will be held at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the Milt Glick Ballroom at the University’s Joe Crowley Student Union.

According to Stipech, the event will celebrate “all of the people who have given to the station as well as those we serve.”

For tickets and more information on KUNR and anniversary events, visit www.kunr.org.

KUNR is licensed to the Nevada System of Higher Education and has broadcast from the University campus since 1963. Program information and online streaming are available at www.kunr.org.

Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s land-grant university, the University of Nevada, Reno ranks in the top tier of best national universities. With nearly 19,000 students, the University is driven to contribute a culture of student success, world-improving research and outreach that enhances communities and business. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University has the system’s largest research program and is home to the state’s medical school. With outreach and education programs in all Nevada counties and home to one of the largest study-abroad consortiums, the University extends across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.