Even President Donald Trump can’t keep down KWMR, the treasured community radio station serving West Marin.
Although the federal Rescissions Act of 2025 just slashed more than 25% of KWMR’s annual budget, an emergency community fundraising campaign has staunched the financial bleeding. At least for now.
The station expected $160,000 of its $600,000 budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to come from federal funding distributed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Instead, KWMR—and more than 1,500 public broadcasting stations across the country—will get the big goose egg.
Ditto for 2027 and beyond, courtesy of Trump, who proposed “ending taxpayer subsidization of biased media.” Congress, with its Republican majority, passed the Recissions Act last month, eliminating about $1.1 billion of funding appropriated for public radio and television stations.
Rural stations, like KWMR based in Point Reyes Station, are among the hardest hit.
“So, we have to fundraise forever,” KWMR station manager Amanda Eichstaedt said. “We’re going to have to bring in more money, or we’re going to have to shrink at some point. That’s the reality of it.”
Diminishing the programming or services provided by KWMR could have a devastating effect on the 13,000 people in the immediate listening area, especially in emergencies. The remote area dotted with hills doesn’t always have reliable cell phone service, making the radio station a vital news source for residents. Not a small feat for the two full-time and five part-time staff members.
During the 2020 Woodward Fire, a swift-growing 5,000-acre wildfire caused by lightning, the station caught the attention of the Los Angeles Times as it provided essential information about the fire’s movement and evacuations. Eichstaedt, who lives in Olema, described it as a scary time for residents as they watched trees exploding on the hill and smoke filling West Marin.
“We couldn’t even have staff come to the station then because of the [Covid] pandemic,” she said. “But we got creative with our emergency announcements. We recorded the message, put it in rotation every 30 minutes and updated it when the situation changed. I could do it from home.”
Emergency reporting fills a crucial need in the community, yet it’s KWMR’s 24/7 programming potpourri that keeps listeners tuning in every day—either on their radios, online or through the station’s app. Local news and music represent the tip of the iceberg.
“KWMR currently regularly broadcasts 90 different locally produced programs and 26 syndicated shows over the course of a two-week rotation,” KWMR program director Jeff Manson said.
Syndicated shows run the gamut, from independent global news, Democracy Now!, to the Grateful Dead Hour and Philosophy Talk. The station also runs Spanish language programs. Homegrown shows, some presented by staff, but most hosted by enthusiastic community volunteers, are particularly diverse.
Epicenter tackles West Marin issues with news and interviews. Bolinas’ Howard Dillon reads his favorite books on TeaTime Books. Actor and poet Gene Ptak, an Inverness resident, hosts Poetry Now.
Volunteer programmers Bianka Alloyn and Sabreen Naimah co-anchor the Cute Radio show, playing funk, disco and soul from their extensive vinyl collection, throwing in some rock and electronic music for good measure.
“We try to choose a collection of songs that makes people either want to get up and dance or really take a moment to think about some of the lyrics that are in these songs,” Alloyn said.
Between tunes, Naimah and Alloyn engage in cheerful banter, often discussing what the music means to them. Listeners provide feedback too.
“During the show, we’ll get text messages or calls from people who say, ‘This is the song I used to play when I had my first crush,’” Naimah said. “We unlock memories for people playing these oldies.”
KWMR encourages anyone who wants to express themselves to pitch their show idea, no experience necessary. Manson trains folks on how to produce a program and run the studio equipment.
Meanwhile, the recent federal funding cut poses a risk to business as usual at the community station, even as donations have increased in the last few weeks. Lee Giammona, who has lived in Point Reyes Station for 50 years, began a fundraising effort called “25 to Stay Alive” and starred in a video promoting the campaign.
“I’m just a person who listens to the radio,” Giammona said. “I was in my kitchen putzing around and thought if people up their donation by 25%, we’ll be good.”
She contacted Eichstaedt, who did the math, and figured it could work. Most of the $160,000 cut was for operating expenses, according to Eichstaedt. Line by line, the station manager went through the budget and axed as many expenses as possible without laying off staff.
The station is in the hole about $70,000 to $80,000 for the upcoming fiscal year. Despite donations flowing in, Eichstaedt still worries. Will people contribute again during KWMR’s annual pledge drive at the end of the year? It’s a legitimate concern, especially for a rural station with only 13,000 people in the listening area.
In the wake of the Recissions Act of 2025, Public Media Company, a nonprofit that consults with local nonprofit media organizations, launched a fundraising effort for 115 public radio and television stations projected to close. These stations relied on the federal funds for 30% or more of their budget.
Public Media Company’s CEO, Tim Isgitt, said the campaign aims to raise $100 million for 78 radio stations and 37 television stations that serve 43 million people. As of last week, it has received $40 million in donations.
While Isgitt, a Marin resident, is a contributing member of KWMR, the station is not currently on Public Media Company’s recipient list because it falls short of the 30% threshold. Acknowledging the station is in need, Isgitt is hopeful that West Marin residents with financial means will come to the rescue.
“KWMR’s area covers people with resources, right?” Isgitt said. “There are far less resources available in Alexandria, Louisiana or Elko, Nevada. I hope this is a moment where people who care about the health of their local communities are stepping up.”
Interestingly, since the federal funding cut, the Marin GOP, a local Republican political organization, has asked its members to support KWMR. Their website states the station gives “a fair shake to conservatives in interviews” and notes its role in public safety.
Eichstaedt confirmed that KWMR presents perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Unbiased, I believe, is the term.
KWMR has three FM frequencies: 90.5 FM in Point Reyes Station, 89.9 FM in Bolinas and 92.3 FM in the San Geronimo Valley. To donate or listen online, visit kwmr.org.
