What Happened to Local TV at KQED?
Bridget Barrett, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, KQED
Bring Back Local TV at KQED
We are the union-represented employees of KQED. Once known for groundbreaking local shows like Spark and Jacques Pépin, KQED now produces only 6½ hours of local TV per year. The rest? Bought from other producers.
Last year, KQED even moved union jobs to a non-union facility in New York—violating our contract. An arbitrator agreed.
Your donations built public TV in the Bay Area. Now, funds are diverted to podcasts with no TV presence, and none of KQED’s 105 journalists work in television.
We believe KQED’s mission includes strong, local storytelling on TV. If you agree, make your voice heard.
Tell KQED: Bring back local television and invest in union jobs that serve our community.
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Bridget Barrett, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, KQED
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[Your Name]
As a supporter of KQED, I’m deeply concerned about the station’s shift away from local television production. For decades, KQED was a vital platform for Bay Area voices—telling our stories, reflecting our diversity, and engaging meaningfully with the community.
Today, much of the programming feels like a rebroadcast of national PBS content. While valuable, it lacks the local relevance that once set KQED apart. What happened to the commitment to covering our region’s culture, challenges, and achievements?
At a time when local trust and connection are more important than ever, I urge you to reinvest in original, community-rooted storytelling. KQED’s strength has always come from its people—dedicated, talented, and mission-driven staff who care deeply about public service.
Please listen to their voices, and ours. The Bay Area deserves to see itself on its public broadcasting station once again.