Dabney Gough

As spring unfolds ahead of us, we at HPR have taken some time to reflect back on 2020 and all that it brought: the challenges presented by the pandemic, of course, but also the many ways in which this community-supported radio station has continued to thrive and serve listeners like you. We invite you to explore our 2020 Annual Report, which we’re sharing in digital form. It captures some of the things we’re most proud of from the past year, including:

Hawaiʻi Public Radio presents a special virtual winter concert season featuring some of Hawaiʻi's best local musicians, livestreamed to your living room or mobile device. Join us wherever you happen to be, across the Hawaiian islands or beyond. 

HPR presents a gift to our community with Ballet Hawaii’s The Nutcracker with the Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra. A long-standing, cherished tradition, The Nutcracker brings together two of Hawai‘i’s premier cultural organizations to present Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet uniquely set in Hawai‘i in a made-for-television event.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s fall fundraising campaign successfully ended on October 28, 2020 with $636,543 in contributions from donors residing in Hawaiʻi, on the continental US, and around the world. Of the 2,277 individuals contributing, 721 were first-time supporters. 

 This was the first full-length fund drive in more than a year, as the scheduled Spring Pledge Drive was postponed due to the emerging coronavirus pandemic.

Today, Hawaiʻi Public Radio kicks off a full-length fund drive - its first in over a year. In this Fall Pledge Drive, the station goes on air to solicit financial support from the community. Typically, the station conducts on-air fund drives every spring and fall, with each drive lasting 8-10 days. The 2020 Spring Pledge Drive, originally scheduled for April, was cancelled due to the emerging coronavirus pandemic. 
  

 HPR is giving away several prizes during its Fall 2020 Pledge Drive. Contribute to HPR October 19-27, 2020 to be automatically entered to win.

NO DONATION OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A DONATION WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.

By entering and participating in the Hawaiʻi Public Radio Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”), entrants agree to accept and be bound by these rules and the decisions of Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR) as final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes.

Eligibility & How to Enter

Federal employees are invited to contribute to HPR during this year's Combined Federal Campaign, which runs from October 5, 2020 - January 15, 2021. To donate, go to the CFC website and specify HPR with CFC number 53436.

HPR is giving away several prizes during the National Radio Day Fund Drive. Contribute to HPR on August 20, 2020 to be automatically entered to win.

NO DONATION OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A DONATION WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.

By entering and participating in the Hawaiʻi Public Radio Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”), entrants agree to accept and be bound by these rules and the decisions of Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR) as final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes.

Eligibility & How to Enter

[UPDATE 7/20/20: The survey response window has now closed. Mahalo to all who took the time to participate.]

We want to understand how you, our listeners, want to access and enjoy our news and music content. That's why we have partnered with Jacobs Media to participate in their annual Public Radio Tech Survey.

HPR and Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra have partnered to broadcast the first six performances from the 2019-2020 season, which was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Each show is hosted by HPR Music Director Gene Schiller and features performances recorded live on the stage of the Blaisdell Concert Hall, as well as interviews with the HSO maestro and/or guest artist. 

These performances will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on HPR-2, your home for classical music. Ways to listen & station locator.

HPR concluded its three-day Summer Pledge Drive at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, with more than $215,000 raised for the nonprofit, noncommercial radio station. More than 1,000 individual contributions were received from listeners across the state, 272 of whom were new members. 

HPR takes to the air June 9-11 with its Summer Pledge Drive. 95% of HPR's $6.4 million operating budget is contributed by individuals, families, and businesses in its community, and during the fund drive, listeners are invited to contribute to the station’s growth. 

 The station currently counts nearly 15,000 members; more than half are Sustaining Members who donate in regular monthly installments. Sustaining Members provide a steady stream of operating revenue, which creates a stable base from which the station can plan for future growth.    

We occasionally host musicians for livestream performances in HPR's Atherton Performing Arts Studio. Visit our YouTube channel for additional archived music videos.

Sean Naʻauao and the Poi Pounders - Hawaiian

Hawai‘i Public Radio has garnered two awards for local news reporting over the past year. 

Each year, HPR compiles a report of what we've accomplished over the past calendar year. It's a celebration of our community's power in helping us to achieve our mission to educate, inform, connect, and entertain.

Hard copies are mailed to current station members; it's also available digitally here:

HPR Annual Report 2019

Hawai‘i Public Radio’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. This is the eighth consecutive time that HPR has earned this top distinction.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio announces its Community Advisory Board (CAB) class of 2022. The CAB is an adjunct to HPR's Board of Directors and provides feedback to HPR management on station programming and community outreach opportunities. 

 The new 10 Community Advisory Board members (listed below) were selected from more than 80 nominations solicited through the station's communications and airwaves. Two are from Hawai‘i island, two from Maui, one from Lānaʻi, one from Moloka‘i, and the remainder from O‘ahu. The group is chaired by Nancy Budd of Kauaʻi.  

Hawaiʻi Public Radio announces that its new Lanaʻi transmitter is now on the air, providing an improved signal for West Maui, Lānaʻi, and Molokaʻi. The frequency 103.1 FM, licensed to Kualapuʻu, Molokaʻi, went live on January 13. It broadcasts HPR-1 (news, talk, entertainment, and a variety of music) to areas previously within a terrain shield, wherein the West Maui mountains obstructed the signal broadcast from Haleakalā. The full HPR-1 program schedule can be viewed online.

HPR takes to the air December 10-12 with its End of Year Fund Drive. 95% of HPR's $6.4 million operating budget is contributed by individuals, families, and businesses in its community, and during the fund drive, Hawai‘i is invited to contribute to the station’s growth, while taking advantage of donating within the 2019 tax year. 

The station currently counts 14,607 members; 54% are Sustaining Members who donate in regular monthly installments. 

Hawai‘i Public Radio is pleased to announce leadership changes in its Community Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB welcomes its new chair, Nancy Budd of Līhuʻe, Kaua‘i. Budd began a three-year CAB term in 2017. In her role as CAB Chair, Budd will also hold an ex-officio seat on HPR's Board of Directors. Joseph Uno of Honolulu recently completed his term as CAB Chair, and has been elected to a newly added seat on HPR's Board of Directors.  

The station also gratefully acknowledges the outgoing CAB class of 2020:

Hawai‘i Public Radio announces two additions to the team. As announced in July, station veteran Cat Gelman has been promoted to vice president, corporate relations. Her team also now welcomes two new hires, each in the role of corporate relations associate.  

Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s Fall Fund Drive ended on the scheduled tenth day of the campaign October 4, 2019. The fundraiser collected $761,652 in contributions from donors residing in Hawaiʻi, on the mainland, and around the world. 812 of those gifts were from first-time supporters. 

This was accomplished within a reduced fundraising schedule; thanks to the ongoing support of Sustaining Members, the station was able to give 42 hours of uninterrupted listening back to listeners over the course of the ten-day on-air drive.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR) takes to the air from September 25-October 4 with its semi-annual membership drive. 94% of HPR's $6.04 million operating budget is contributed by individuals, families, and businesses in its community, and during the fund drive, Hawai‘i is invited to contribute to the station’s growth.

HPR is giving away several prizes during the Fall 2019 Membership Drive. Contribute to HPR by October 4, 2019 to be automatically entered to win.

NO DONATION OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A DONATION WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.

By entering and participating in the Hawaiʻi Public Radio Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”), entrants agree to accept and be bound by these rules and the decisions of Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR) as final in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes.

HPR invites the communities of Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu, and Kaua‘i to a special screening...

Moananuiākea: One Ocean, One People, One Canoe

Hawaiʻi Public Radio announces the election of four new members to its 19-person, volunteer Board of Directors. Joining the Board are David K. DeLuca, Teri Freitas Gorman (Maui), Bryan Kapeckas, and Chuck Mitsui.

HPR President and General Manager José A. Fajardo said, “in pursuing our mission to educate, inform, connect, and entertain our communities in Hawai‘i and beyond, much of our success has been thanks to the guidance and expertise of our Board of Directors. In this spirit, we welcome our new Directors, who will be invaluable resources for us now and in the future.”

This week we are extending a special invitation to become a new member of this station.

Member-supported HPR receives 94% of its operating funds from the community - and only 6% from the federal government, by way of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The costs of doing business are high: in addition to facilities, infrastructure, and power, we also have to pay for the shows we air on HPR-1 and HPR-2. Morning Edition and All Things Considered alone cost the station about $1,000 per day! 

HPR's Generation Listen, the initiative aimed at engaging younger listeners with the station, has been accepted into Matson Inc.'s Ka Ipu 'Aina program. Ka Ipu 'Aina translates into "container for the land" and is an environmental community partnership that aims to improve Hawaiʻi's inland and coastal areas. As part of the partnership, Gen Listen will organize and implement a cleanup project this summer; Matson will donate all container equipment and underwrite trucking expenses.

Hawai‘i Public Radio’s Ryan Finnerty won first place for best feature story in the Radio II division in the 2018 Associated Press Television and Radio Association honors, announced on Thursday, May 16.

The winning story, "Artificial Intelligence Will Transform the Hospitality Industry" was described by judges as “a creative look at the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the hospitality industry.”