KVCR garners $15 million grant to elevate community programming and student success

On August 12th, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes presented a $15 million state grant to KVCR to enhance its local TV, radio, and digital programming and opportunities for students at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC). 

“I know the education SBVC provides to our community and its students. This is why I’m so proud to officially announce a $15 million allocation of the State budget to the San Bernardino Community College District to expand KVCR’s educational programming, media career training, and local journalism initiatives,” said Reyes. 

Since 1962, the public media organization has been a leader in spotlighting community news. Recently, San Bernardino Valley College’s Film, Television, and Media Department (FTVM) students successfully produced and packaged a 6-episode TV show called Rhythm Lounge.

“This investment will improve our communities quality of life and increase opportunities for our youth by expanding KVCR in-studio training for students headed into journalism and media careers. SBVC is one of the few community colleges in the nation that operates both an NPR radio and a PBS-TV affiliate. It’s vital to keep advocating and expanding this asset in our community,” concluded Reyes. 

Mariana Lapizco, an SBVC student who has benefitted from an FTVM-funded KVCR internship, said learning from the organization’s professionals equips her to be highly prepared for her next endeavor – an acceptance into USC’s film program and a career in media. 

“I started SBVC as a business major because my family told me to pursue a secure major. But last fall, I entered into the IE 48 Hours Film Project, a challenge where you write, shoot, and edit an entire short film in 48 hours, and that was my clicking moment,” said Lapizco. 

After the film contest, she asked herself why she was not pursuing film full-time; now, she is both a film and business major. 

“I decided to apply for this internship last spring, and it has been life-changing ever since. Working with professionals in my internship has given my peers and I the confidence to continue striving for our dreams. It has allowed us to get our hands on high-tech equipment, preparing us for a future in the film industry. In addition, KVCR is a great platform for communities across the Inland region as we highlight social justice issues that affect us all,” concluded Lapizco. 

Like many in the community, the college’s Chancellor Diana Rodriguez expressed the importance of public media organizations and strong leaders like Reyes. 

“When Reyes was elected, she first asked me what I could do to help our students? What can I do to help our community? Then, when I became chancellor last year, she asked me the same thing. So I thought about those questions for a long time, and then I answered, KVCR,” said Rodriguez. 

The San Bernardino Community College District owns the news organization, which has affiliations with PBS and NPR. 

“KVCR struggled financially for several years, and its future was uncertain. While we knew we would always have KVCR, we were unsure of its programming. Can you imagine our children turning on PBS and Big Bird was gone? Can you imagine turning on the radio in the morning and NPR News not being there? I couldn’t bear the thought of that, and as always, the Majority Leader stepped up for the Inland Empire and fought in Sacramento to bring $15 million to help us here at KVCR,” concluded Rodriguez. 

To learn more about KVCR, visit kvcrnews.org.