You might have noticed that Inside Radio recently reported that KQED is now the nation’s number-one news/talk station. That headline felt particularly gratifying because, not so long ago, KQED was in a very different place.
Like many public radio outlets, KQED experienced a steep audience drop in 2023. The dip forced the organization to confront how radio, still one of its most important platforms, was utilized. Programming stakeholders were also pressed to ask some difficult questions.
A street view of KQED’s HQ. The station serves San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Photo by Jason O’Rear.
KQED built a multi-department working group to study what happened, and to make recommendations to executive leadership.The process became less about chasing ratings and more about redefining how KQED presents itself to listeners.
One surprisingly powerful piece of that puzzle was something every broadcaster takes for granted: what radio calls itself.
Why the “Positioner” Matters
For years, the on-air identity was “KQED Public Radio.” It sounded familiar, trustworthy and safe. But it also reflected an era when most people encountered KQED only on the dial.
As audiences shifted to smart speakers, mobile streams and the web, “Public Radio” described a platform, not a purpose. KQED needed a refresh — a short, consistent phrase that tells audiences what we do and why it matters.
In commercial terms, it’s the “imaging” that shapes perception. Public media has its own heritage positioners too: “Live and Local”; “NPR for [City]”; and “Your Public Radio Station.”
The common thread is clarity. A good positioner crystallizes a brand’s value in just a few words.
From “Public Radio” to “KQED News”
As part of a raft of formatic changes, the programming team made the switch. Every legal ID, every promo, every break now centers on KQED News.
It was not a cosmetic change. It was a strategic reset.
It aligns with digital reality. “News” describes the content that appears on every platform — FM, app, smart speaker, newsletter or web — so the brand holds together no matter how people listen.
It focuses on the core value. Feedback indicated audiences associate the station most strongly with news, talk and information, not simply with the concept of “public media.”
It connects across departments. KQED News now lives alongside KQED Arts, KQED Live and KQED Education, reinforcing that news is one vital part of a larger civic mission.
It fits a transformation. As digital consumption grows, KQED’s broadcasts need a unifying identity that’s platform-agnostic but mission-specific.
Sounding Like the Audience
Something everyone in radio should ask of their stations is this: What does this station sound like to people who weren’t raised on it? Perhaps to a Gen Z listener hearing the station first on a smart speaker, or to someone scrolling on their phone during a commute?
The answers pushed KQED to “sound where the audience is moving.” That meant shorter, warmer breaks and a sound that feels contemporary without losing authority. It also meant thinking about morning commutes, home routines and weekend errands and shaping the tone of messages to fit.
KQED News was aimed not as an announcement, but as an invitation.
However, change is rarely comfortable, especially when it touches something as personal as a station’s name. Some staff worried that dropping “Public Radio” or “Public Media” might distance KQED from its heritage or confuse long-time members.
So programming leaders listened. Staff were given an opportunity to react to and shape the rollout. Those conversations surfaced important insights.
Among the feelings about a new positioner were statements like: “It legitimizes the work and gives a place where that information is coming from.”; “It directs focus on news.”; “It centers our local communities, in the Bay and around California.”; and “It describes more about what we want to be known for.”
Lessons for Other Stations
You don’t have to be a major-market outlet to benefit from revisiting your audience positioning. Here are some takeaways any station can apply:
Review the station positioner every few years. Audiences evolve, literally and figuratively. The words that resonated a decade ago may not capture what your station and its value proposition are today.
Center the listener, not the platform. “Radio” may still be the biggest reach vehicle, but the audience experiences the station across devices. Craft a name and a sound that travels well.
Test it internally. Resistance is natural. Invite feedback early so staff understand the “why” before the rollout.
Keep it short, clear and true. The best positioners don’t explain everything; they remind listeners what your station stands for.
Beyond the Tagline
A new positioner alone doesn’t explain KQED’s rebound. From signal improvements to marketing to fresh content, a return to the top was made possible by many teams. Still, “KQED News” played a measurable role in rebuilding awareness.
Nielsen data shows that KQED News held, and then grew its audience share, through late 2023 into 2024. This summer, [KQED has] the best listenership in station history.
A positioner is only as strong as the service behind it. KQED’s positioner aspires to reinforce recall, trust and habit. The phrase “KQED News” has to earn its meaning every day, through accuracy, local depth and human connection.
Moreover, radio doesn’t need to accept its demise. When radio leaders refresh how we describe our service to communities, we remind audiences why radio exists. For KQED, embracing KQED News wasn’t about leaving the past behind; it was about carrying the mission forward — clearer, stronger and ready for wherever listeners find KQED next.