KLCC Marks First-Ever Rural Voices Day, Spotlighting Western Oregon Communities

Eugene's KLCC marked the first-ever Rural Voices Day on March 4, joining a nationwide push by the Alliance of Rural Public Media to spotlight the relationship between public broadcasting and the rural communities stations like KLCC serve across western and central Oregon.

The Alliance organized the day explicitly in response to what it described as "massive funding cuts to public media," framing Rural Voices Day as both a celebration and an advocacy effort. The Alliance expressed hope to make the observance annual, with the goal of rallying "stations, audiences, and lawmakers around celebrating and supporting the services our stations provide to rural America."

KLCC, which broadcasts across a network of 10 signals spanning western and central Oregon, used the occasion to reaffirm its commitment to the region's rural listeners. "Public radio in rural America is built on trust, service, and dedication," the station wrote in a post by reporter Brooke Bumgardner. "KLCC is committed to providing western and central Oregon fact-based news and reliable reporting, brought to you by people who live, work and recreate in the same areas you do."

To mark the day, KLCC compiled recent news reports and podcast episodes examining healthcare, business, environmental, and governmental issues in rural Oregon. Among the images spotlighting that coverage: a Zac Ziegler photograph of a commercial truck fueling on natural gas at Weyerhaeuser's facility in Goshen, a detail that anchors KLCC's rural reporting in the specific industrial and environmental realities of communities outside Eugene's city limits.

The station framed its mission in direct terms: "KLCC amplifies the sounds, stories, and conversations that make western and central Oregon unique." That framing carries added weight amid the funding pressures the Alliance cited, as public media outlets across rural America face uncertainty about the federal and institutional support that underwrites local journalism and programming in areas where commercial alternatives are thin.

KLCC is based at 136 W 8th Ave in Eugene and can be reached at 541-463-6000 or klcc@klcc.org.