Arts and Culture

Rural public radio promotes and preserves local arts, music, and culture by incorporating local voices on the air and online. Through music programming, local call-in shows, gardening and food shows, and other features of local personalities, public radio stations capture the essence of their community and common interests that bind people together. Public radio music stations support local music and artists not featured or viable on commercial platforms, foster music discovery and education, and enable music preservation. These locally-produced programs play music across all genres — including classical, jazz, bluegrass, Americana, soul, country, blues, Latin, reggae, funk, electronic music, and more. Rural stations also collaborate with local arts institutions, operate performance spaces, and bring the community together for events — from small, intimate performances to festivals.

This cultural programming speaks to the regional interests of the station and the sound of their surrounding community, a unique aspect of public radio that is unique to the local listening audience. The production of this content helps rural radio stations capture and sustain local culture through music, art, and education.