Sept 15, 2025 - MCPB/KZYX received an unexpected and very welcome $175,000 donation last week. This show of support comes from an anonymous donor or group of donors whose stated intention in making the gift is to ensure rural public radio stations like ours can continue to broadcast and serve their communities.
The success of the KZYX 174 Campaign has provided room to breathe and continue regular operations in the short term. But moving into our new headquarters in Ukiah is the single most important step the station can take towards self-reliance and sustainability in the longer term. To meet that key objective, we have allocated this new gift to the Building Fund.
On the day of the rescission, KZYX General Manager and Director of Operations Andre de Channes was interviewed on KQED and CalMatters about how the loss of funding would impact KZYX. He described how devastating the cuts were to the station's ability to operate, not to mention our ability to complete the move to the new Ukiah headquarters.
On the heels of those interviews, a woman reached out to Andre and asked if he had time to chat. "We spoke for 45 minutes or an hour,” he reported, “and she asked me very detailed questions about the station, our demographics, the types of programs we air, our infrastructure, etc. At the end of the conversation, she told me she represents people who want to make sure public radio continues to exist, and she would be in touch about a possible donation. I had no idea if anything would come of it."
A few weeks later, she reached out again and said her client(s) would donate $175,000 to MCPB/KZYX. "After we spoke, I was hopeful we might get some support, but I never would have dared to hope for such a significant amount,” Andre said. “This represents a significant dent in the $1.4 million dollars needed to complete the Ukiah headquarters project, which includes remodeling the existing buildings; purchasing new, reliable equipment; and paying off the mortgage. And these funds come at a critical time, since we recently spent the remaining funds from our National Endowment for the Humanities grant, which together with generous community donations have gotten the Ukiah headquarters project to its present stage. Thanks to this extraordinary gift, we are now able to keep forward momentum on the building project while also continuing our usual operations.”
The staff, Board, and listeners of KZYX are extremely grateful for this generous donation.