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Outlet profile

Hawaii Public Radio

U.S. center-left

Owned byHawaiʻi Public Radio, Inc., an independent nonprofit corporation
FundingPrimarily listener donations and member subscriptions (over 65% of revenue); corporate underwriting; historically about 6% from federal Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) grants (~$525,000/year). CPB funding was eliminated in mid-2025 when Congress rescinded ~$1.1 billion from CPB at the Trump administration's request, forcing HPR to launch emergency fundraising.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Hawaii Public Radio traces its roots to 1976, when a group of citizens incorporated Hawaii Islands Public Radio as a nonprofit, though broadcasting did not begin until November 13, 1981, when flagship station KHPR 88.1 FM went on the air from facilities near the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus. The station started with a staff of two and grew steadily, adding a second programming stream on KIPO 89.3 FM in 1989 and expanding statewide with transmitters on Maui, the Big Island, Kauaʻi, and smaller islands over the following decades. HPR became the largest radio newsroom in Hawaii and a full NPR member station, carrying both national NPR programming and original local journalism. Funding has long relied on listener memberships as its dominant revenue source, with a smaller share historically coming from Corporation for Public Broadcasting federal grants. In 2025, Congress passed a rescission bill — backed by the Trump administration — that eliminated roughly $1.1 billion from CPB, shutting down the institution and costing HPR at least $525,000 annually, with total related losses estimated above $900,000. HPR responded with emergency fundraising campaigns and by urging listeners to 'protect' the station. Its editorial record reflects the NPR network's general center-left orientation, with a focus on local community impact, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander issues, and environmental and health policy as they affect the islands.

Sources

  1. History of HPR | Hawai'i Public Radio
  2. Hawaii Public Radio – Wikipedia
  3. Stand Up for HPR and Public Media | Hawai'i Public Radio
  4. Hawaii public media face big cuts as CPB funding ends – West Hawaii Today
  5. PBS Hawaii, Hawaii Public Radio respond to federal funding cut – Hawaii News Now
  6. How Trump's megabill will affect Hawaiʻi's hospitals, doctors and patients | Hawai'i Public Radio
  7. About HPR | Hawai'i Public Radio

Profile compiled 2026-08-08; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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