Mission

KWMR is a vital resource for building and sustaining community, standing ready to serve in times of emergency, airing locally relevant information and entertainment to listeners, creating a forum through which every voice can be heard. Our station offers instruction and experience in radio production and broadcasting skills to members of all ages.

Values

Inclusion • We believe that the fabric of our community is stronger when all of its members have the opportunity to express their diverse interests, concerns, and points of view.

Empowerment • We believe in providing educational opportunities that enable community members to build new skills and gain valuable experience. We promote an exchange of ideas that enriches people’s lives.

Mutual Support • We believe in fostering connections among the people of West Marin in order to strengthen appreciation for the community and support among neighbors. Communication and local self-sufficiency during an emergency are important in a small, remote community.

Independence • We believe it is important that communities take responsibility for understanding the issues that affect them. Locally controlled media have the ability to provide viewpoints and information unavailable elsewhere.

Living in Place • We believe that the West Marin community benefits from ongoing dialogue about our region’s environmental, economic, and social issues. Such dialogue develops our understanding of the place where we live and deepens our commitment to sustaining it.

Exchange • We believe that West Marin has much to teach and learn from other communities worldwide. We value the interplay of ideas among people seeking to live in harmony with each other and the Earth.

Vision

Our vision for West Marin Community Radio is:

• KWMR will be an important part of our richly diverse community. Our Board of Directors (listed below) will reflect this diversity by its community representation.
• We will ultimately serve all the communities of West Marin, while maintaining appropriate scale and thorough accountability to our local community.
• Our member and listener base will continue to grow and represent a high percentage of people within our listening area.
• KWMR will be considered a permanent part of the West Marin community culture.
• Our radio station will be known for its high-quality, relevant and vibrant programming.
• Our organization will build a strong financial base with a fully supported staff.
• We will be recognized as creators and distributors of high-quality radio programming.
• We will offer a strong educational program, providing instruction and skill development in various aspects of radio broadcasting.
• Our station will be linked to local schools, working with students and teachers to create innovative ways to enrich classroom curriculum with radio.
• We will build and maintain a library and archive of the voices of West Marin, available to all as a reliable community resource.
• KWMR will develop working partnerships with non-profit organizations in West Marin, using radio as a vehicle for enhancing their work.
• KWMR will serve as a model for and will openly share information with other community radio stations.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

KWMR’s Board adopted a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement in Summer, 2021. You can read it here: KWMR Equity Statement.

KWMR also joined fellow West Marin nonprofits in Summer, 2022 to voice our support in a West Marin Nonprofits Equity Statement.

Diversidad, Equidad y Inclusión

La Junta Directiva de KWMR adoptó una declaración de diversidad, equidad e inclusión en el verano de 2021. Puede leerla aquí: Declaración de equidad de KWMR.

KWMR también se unió a otras organizaciones sin fines de lucro de West Marin en el verano de 2020, para expresar nuestro apoyo en una Declaración de equidad de organizaciones sin fines de lucro de West Marin.Nos unimos a otras organizaciones de West Marin para expresar nuestro apoyo en Una Declaración.

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PRESS COVERAGE OF KWMR:

2004: West Marin Community Radio KWMR-FM
Sep 14, 2005: Weaker signals create stronger community ties / Two low-wattage radio stations boast loyal listenerships
March 24, 2011: ‘Allo, Paris Calling (redux)
Sept 7, 2011: Totally Tricked-Out Communications Van Repurposed from Greenpeace to Boost Local Radio Station’s Disaster-Response Capacity
May 22, 2014: With new frequency, radio reaches 
San Geronimo Valley towns (Paywall)
Dec 15, 2014: Frances McDormand, Marin’s Media-Shy Star Lends Support to Coastal Radio Station (Paywall)
Sep 27, 2017: Radio stations with a sense of community
Aug 28, 2019: Homeward Bound
Apr 3, 2019: Western Swing: Zen and the Art of Pt. Reyes Station
Jan 2, 2020: Longtime West Marin KWMR radio program director to step down (Paywall)
Sep 10, 2020: As Fires Ravage California, Public Radio Station KWMR Rises To The Occasion.
February 10, 2021: Children and families at heart of new radio show (Paywall)
March 8, 2021: Quaint Point Reyes radio show reads great books on the air
Sept 4, 2021: Beyond Wildfire Drought and Misery is a Marin County Escape (Paywall)
February 28, 2022: Joan Ganz Cooney Center Announces Local Station Youth Content Grant Projects
July 20, 2022: Bolinas woman retires longtime KWMR show (Paywall)
July 1, 2023: Novato organizer connects to his Latino community through new radio show (Paywall)
April 24, 2024: Local radio celebrates 25 years on air (Paywall)