KQED 88.5 FM

Sadly, the airtime dedicated to commercial pitches has become unbearable. Listeners must still endure the pledge drives, while the daily commercial airtime increases. This station is no longer a reprieve from commercial radio; it is commercial radio in public broadcasting clothing. I am a 25-​year listener who is quitting.

Was still a huge hassle but I ended up resolving it. Did take a whole bunch of leg work between various federal and state agencies, none of which had a full picture of the series of hoops they want me to jump. Not KQED’s fault that DMV, EPA, CBP etc don’t talk to each other but nevertheless, would have probably done something else with the car if I weren’t misinformed off the bat about the complexity of dealing with a Canadian title.

Donor relations is the WORST of any non profit organization that I work with. I’ve been a listener to Public Radio for over 30 years and a donor from my post college grad years. The amount of my donations have ebbed and flowed with my income, but recently decided to do the sustaining membership. I’ve worked in many non profits and understand my contribution is not huge and wherever I’ve worked, people pick up the phone for a donor, return calls, make it as easy a possible to give to the organization (even small ones like me). Over the past two years with a sustaining membership I have had three occasions to have to change the card being used (in all cases it was due to fraud or the bank sending new cards). The last two changes took 6 weeks to resolve each time. NO ability to update your card online (so your money is not going to refined donor systems or efficiency to increase giving). You call, nobody answers. There is a number to press for donor relations. It goes to dead air. You email. You get a «sorry we’re so busy auto response». You are then told to call to update your card. Rinse, cycle, repeat. All effort to update your card to GIVE to the organization is on you. Recently after sticking in there with my mantra (It’s not Terry Gross’s fault that KQED clearly has the worst office systems and staff for donors) I was finally able to update my card. Of course a few months later, my bank sends a new card — with a new number and expiration date. I enter the Cave of Futility again. Phone call, dead space, leave message, no reply, repeat. Email, receive auto reply. Receive phone reply saying «we’ve already updated your card» (referring to above Herculean effort on my part). SIGH. Call back, dead space, leave message. Email. (Another call that they’ve already updated my card). DESPITE the fact that I clearly acknowledged the previous update and tell them I need to do it again. And then today WHEN THEY TRY TO CHARGE THE CARD– MAGIC! I get a call that I didn’t initiate. NOPE. I will donate to WHYY, American Public Radio, WBEZ and every other organization that generates the shows I listen to. Maybe I can just send Michael Krasny a check?

KQED used to be a great public station, but has now gone to the dark side, unabashedly commercial while still soliciting contributions. And the combining of San Francisco and Sacramento markets results in a lot of irrelevant content. I now listen to my favorite public programs by podcast.

This station has a consistent, and rather boring, liberal programming bias (for example, California Report and Latino USA). There is no regular program that is moderately conservative or libertarian. It is a sad example of how segments of the public can become isolated in a media bubble and not have access to alternative perspectives. As a life-​long liberal Democrat, I find myself turning into a right-​wing station such as KFSO just to find out what the «enemy» is thinking. I wish KQED program producers were more open-​minded and accepting of political variety.

The morning and evening news announcers on this public radio station are so BORING (I’m sure they’re lovely people regardless) — they remind me of the old SNL sketch «Delicious Dish» — soft spoken, lacking affect, humorless. They’re just old school public radio, and completely out of step with the more animated, wry, humorous talent on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Steve Inskeep, David Green — they’re smart AND entertaining — is that too much to ask? Please consider giving KUOW in Seattle a listen (love Bill Radke) — you’ll see what you’re missing…

Used to like this station. Now sick of their constant pledge drives.

I love KQED and was happy to donate my car to help support their excellent programs. The process was easy and seamless.
However, I was totally disappointed in the price they got for my car. Blue book was $ 10,000, I could have got $ 6000 from the dealer but they sold it for $ 4000. Less money for KQED and less money for my donation than I expected.

5 stars for programming — 1 star for member services
I’ve listened and watched PBS programming on a regular basis for the past 20+ years and finally made the decision to make a donation to give something back. Mind you I’m not a wealthy person but felt that my mind had been enriched and I wanted to do something to repay that. During one of their regular fundraising cycles I decided to give an ongoing monthly donation (the earthquake preparedness gift was really the tipping point). When I called up the volunteer was very friendly and explained that I could get the gift for a $ 15/​month donation — no mention EVER about a minimum time frame.
Due to recent cash flow issues I decided to discontinue my donation. My first call was met by a recording stating that no one was available between like 12−2pm due to lunch hours, a little inconvenient but ok. I called back and after a brief wait my call was answered and I asked that my donations be suspended. The person on the other end immediately got an attitude and said that I was obligated to donate for a year since I had received a gift. I let her know that I was not informed of this when I signed up for the donations and in the middle of me explaining that I would probably be donating again in the future I just couldn’t afford it right now, she cut me off and with a REALLY snooty attitude tells me she’ll stop the automatic donation and do I need anything else. I was really flabbergasted by her attitude and said no that would be it and thanked her before I hung up.
Suffice to say I will not be renewing my membership. KQED you can thank your office help for this and I strongly urge you to get people that are a little more thankful for people making donations no matter the length or amount (my $ 165 could have easily gone a lot further buying earthquake preparedness supplies at my local sporting goods store but I chose to donate it to you).
If I do decide to donate again in the future it will go to my local PBS station, not the biggest… which is quite frankly where it should have gone in the first place.

Thank you for engaging me and educating me…
Devoted.

Car Talk on the weekends? Are they serious? Didn’t that show go off the air a few years ago? So they put on a program of re-​runs about cars that are probably nearly obsolete now? The programming directors may want to take a look at our neighbors to the south — KCRW in LA — the best music in the country — indie, world beat, jazz, you name it. The programming at KQED seems to be based on sheer laziness. Love the morning news, the Commonwealth Club audio, and Terry Gross. Other than that, there is a lot of room for improvement.

I’m with Chris and probably other removed reviews — Forum is a wonderful program, but every time it comes on I hope and pray it’s led by Scott or Dave or someone else filling in. Mr. Krasny, you’ve created a great legacy, now step aside with your smarmy pointless comments, and utterly irrelevant personal anecdotes, and let good insightful interviewers handle it. I just cringe every time you feel compelled to get the guest’s «bona fides» «on the record,» commend them on doing «yeoman» work, or direct a question to them because it’s in their «wheel house.» I know you’re an English professor, but let’s just all agree the 21^st century is best met with a 21^st century vocabulary.

My donation at KQED was not as Tracy C.
Unfortunately, I love NPR, but will have to be brutally honest about their VEHICLE DONATION program. I would never use it again.
1. The tow company, Aaces Towing in San Bruno, that KQED used to contact me about the vehicle pick up was very rude on the phone. Their dispatch woman treated me like a criminal trying to bail my car out of the impound. She called and harassed me for not being where I said I would be, but it was before the meeting time had occurred. C’mon I donated a car that sold for $ 2000, be nice.
2. I was sent a letter after donating my vehicle that stated I should have received my donation gift by that time. There was no gift received.
3. I called and asked about this «gift» mentioned in my letter. The person on the phone kindly offered to let me choose a gift from the Fall Fund Raising Drive. This person also warned me it could take up to TWO months to receive the gift.
4. I waited, more than TWO months.
5. I found out that the gift mentioned in the thank you letter was a license plate frame. Please save the $ and environment and don’t bother giving cr*p out.
6. Then I found out that an auto donation is not eligible to receive a gift. It’s too bad not one of these people who I interacted with within the KQED VEHICLE DONATION program new that little piece of information, until today. Huge waste of time.
BOTTOM LINE: SELL your vehicle and give KQED a portion of it during their collection drive; or donate it somewhere else where they are more organized.

My jam!
Everything you need to know.

I love KQED. I love all the programs but especially Forum, All Things Considered, The California Report, and Fresh Air.
Given the state of radio these days, I even keep KQED on during their pledge drives, as they often have interesting guests and the announcers have such soothing voices.
I was happy to pledge at the $ 30 a month rate this year. It is well worth it.
There was a small snafu and delay in receiving my «thank you gift,» but once the details were sorted out, KQED shipped my item in one day! Thank you, to all who work or volunteer for KQED. You are a beacon of sanity in an increasingly insane society.

This review is solely for the NPR affiliate in SF known as KQED and not NPR itself. Please, please, do yourself a favor and take a couple of weeks off from KQED and check out KALW and KPFA.
The oil and medical industry have infitrated this key news market and utterly perverted it. The only reason that folks here might imagine that their news programming is excellent is that they have never been introduced to a balanced, truly in-​depth analysis of the news that focuses without the pressures of powerful corporations’ interests on local and international issues.
KQED’s editorial stance is unappologetically neo-​liberal and does the typical dance of narrowing the issues into meaningless upbeat, glossy drivel. It turns my stomach. One reviewer here pointed out that Indiana’s NPR coverage is way less infiltrated by corporatism, and he’s singin’ my tune.
I love the programming, but this is a news station, and it stinks, so… one star.
Exception: California Report, uniformly excellent.
Please check out Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, she’s won multiple Pulizers and digs deep and ranges wide to uncover the news. And the music selection on KALW –and KPFA is amazing — a musical education is waiting for you there. The programmers taste is excellent and their programming is a great mix of news and music.
Warning: Listening to NPR affiliate KQED news in SF will rot your brain. I used to be a big fan until I discovered KALW and (especially) KPFA.
And expect to have your delicate middle-​class sensibilities thoroughly shaken up. That’s what it feels like to get informed! This world is messed up, from top to bottom, with power iniquities, corruption, rigging and the marginalization of the voices of the victims of power. Shake off the smug haze and get informed!

I turn to KQED when there’s a dearth of good music on the other radio stations.
Every now and then, KQED’s programs are informative and even entertaining. But, more often than not, I find its overtly biased coverage hard to stomach.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the people at KQED are as pliant and unscrupulous as the coin-​operated politicians. But it’s apparent that KQED serves to further the agenda of its underwriters on both ends of the political spectrum.
For example, when covering the conflicts in the Middle East, KQED tends to take a right-​wing (pro-​Israel) stance and, when analyzing economic issues, it has an unabashedly left-​wing (pro-​Keynesian) bent.
If it were a private enterprise, I would have no problem with KQED’s lopsided broadcasts. But, as a tax-​dollar-​funded media outlet, it ought to be fair, objective, and nonpartisan.

There is no other establishment who contines to enrich my life in the way KQED does. I wake up to it every morning, and listen to it all weekend morning. I feel informed, and stay entertained. There are some old programs I could do without– even with my Minnesota roots, PHC, which used to broadcast from my alma mater, makes me roll my eyes and turn the channel sometimes.
I appreciate the California Report (I once heard my much feared boss from my last job giving an environmental report from Vietnam, and the sound of her voice coming over my radio shot me straight out of bed).
I love weekend edition. I stay in bed a full hour longer cuddling my kids and listening to the puzzler on Saturdays, I’d think heaven would be like that.
Wait Wait Don’t tell me cracks me up. And who wouldn’t like Car Talk? And then there’s Selected Short– short story readings. Sometims its very disturbing, sometimes just fun.
I even like the pledge drive. It’s like Impromptu theater. I’m a member so it doesn’t make me feel guilty. With all the misleading «news» out there it’s always nice to have NPR, and the need is real.
Some of the local KQED-​y things drive me nuts– self congratulatory interviews with local icons and buddy buddy interviews with celebrities I could do without, but I’m well aware that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, not even mellow me.
When you do donate to the pledge drive, the quality of gifts you get are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! So if you do listen, there is no reason not to be a member.
I wish they had performance today, which was really fun for me when I used to listen to KPBS in San Diego, but that’s what pod-​casts are for.

KQED is an informative radio station. Back in the day, public radio stations, in places like New Mexico and Oregon, offered extensive musical programming. One New Mexico station had hours of Native American music called «Singing Wire»;an Oregon station based out of Eugene had world music as well as the Grateful Dead.
KQED is virtually music-​free except for interview segments. They did a great interview earlier this year with LA’s Dengue Fever about their «Electric Cambodia» compilation that weaves together Cambodian ‘60s psychedelic/​surf rock. They’ll interview indie artists, including and especially the pretentious ones. PRI’s «The World» has the best music overall (it’s broadcast out of Boston) BBC’s World Service has the news from a European perspective.
Fun shows:
PRI’s «The World» for the music
Car Talk
Wait wait don’t tell me
Selected Shorts
Studio 360
Forum with Michael Krasny
Morning Edition
That money/​business show
Check please, Bay Area! (reviews restaurants)
What’s not so fun:
Pledge drives
Prairie Home Companion (what’s odd is that it was worse back in the ‘90s)
Fresh Air (depends on who’s getting interviewed)
Simply on the basis of music, I’d rather listen to KPFA. KQED is OK.

Three stars for being NPR and a nice alternative to everything else on the FM dial, but I agree with the reviewer who wishes this station could have its own version of KCRW’s «Morning Becomes Eclectic» (or just steal their version).
That would help this particular NPR station reach out to a newer, younger cadre of listeners without abandoning its roots.
Instead, it’s all news/​talk, like a really smart AM station. Still good stuff, but it wouldn’t hurt them to mix it up a little.