Arizona Public Media

Arizona Public Media is a station in Tucson, but it’s hardly a station of Tucson.
Unlike public media stations in other cities, AZPM can boast virtually no locally produced programming. We need not compare ourselves just to comparably-​sized cities – the 2,000 residents of Marfa, Texas crush us with the original content coming out of their tiny radio station. That station, like so many other public stations, is a treasure that serves its community.
But here in Tucson, AZPM’s local news coverage, if one can call it that, consists of a few shallow, taped phone calls and material recycled from the Associated Press. In over a decade of listening, I’ve never heard our station break a story or cover unfolding news in a timely manner. Why isn’t there a block of local news and cultural content every day? Why isn’t there a podcast to bring all of that material together and make it something we might actually hear?
Their cultural TV programming is infrequent enough that you forget it exists and their online video presence is barely present. The television side has shown glimmers of life recently, but most of it seems like a rehash of the insipid tourist-​fodder you’d expect from Arizona Highways or Sunset. There is essentially no local cultural radio, unless you consider the gruesomely boring and irrelevant Arizona Spotlight «programming.» I consider it a failure of editorial judgment.
Arizona Public Media is somewhat redeemed by the national programs it syndicates but, even there, it is timid and late to broadcast new shows. Instead, they run jazz all night, which, for most people, is no different than going off the air. Public media is an awesome thing, but Tucson could do so much better.

Your kids will grow up to be amazing people if you make them watch The Magic School Bus and cooking shows without commercials instead of Snooki.
Just sayin’…

I don’t think it comes as a great surprise that I love KUAT & KUAZ! The connection to the community, their steadfast interest in providing quality programming and their desire to keep it local makes this guy a pretty happy Tucsonan! For years I listened to NPR and the classical station and tuned into to KUAT Channel 6 and never really considered contributing. Two years ago I became a member of the station, and realized how important my gift was in the overall scheme of what they do. With that first gift I was given ownership of the station, a voice if you will, telling staff that I applauded what they were doing and I wanted it to continue. These days in addition to my yearly gift, I volunteer as often as I can. Working for Unilocal,the website that’s all about connecting people to great things in the neighborhood, it only makes sense that I give my support to the media outlet in town that does the same.
Know Before You Go… er…ugh…LISTEN: Your support helps keep public broadcasting alive. Can’t write a check? Volunteer your time!

Good programming, excellent picture on the HD channel, and very good signal into NE Phoenix! Much better signal than our channel 8!