Hear We Go

Tasha Pinelo

CPR One Year Anniversary Open House
Saturday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
2117 Dana Ave.
Find out more.

Gathering Space

Jake Speed & The Freddies  
12– 12:45 p.m.

Members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
1:15 – 2 p.m.

ANNIE D
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.

Madcap Puppets
4– 4:45 p.m.

Performance Studio

Wild Carrot
12:15 – 1 p.m.

Cincinnati Opera
1:30 – 2:15 p.m.

Preston Charles III
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.  

Trinity Lê
4 – 4:45 p.m.

Board Room

OK Whaddya Know
12:30 – 1:15 p.m.

Roni’s Dance Company
1:45 – 2:30 p.m. 

Peraza Music Workshop
3 – 3:45 p.m.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
4:15 – 5 p.m.

Fully embracing the middle of their name, Cincinnati Public Radio is holding a free open house to celebrate the one-year anniversary of thee opening of the Scripps Family Center for Public Media.

“Our new home in Evanston has dramatically enhanced and expanded CPR’s role,” says Richard Eiswerth, president and CEO / general manager of Cincinnati Public Radio (CPR). “In this first year of operation, we’ve hosted more than 100 public events, welcoming more than 10,000 people. There is no other public venue like this in Evanston, and we’re proud to be part of this diverse and historic Cincinnati neighborhood.

The celebration on Saturday includes live music from local musicians (and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra!), family-friendly programs from Madcap Puppets, Antonio Violins, and Classics For Kids, and performances from Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Guests can also enjoy refreshments fromCream + Sugar Coffeehouse, El Cardenal Taqueria, Fosters Foodies, and Marty’s Waffles

The first anniversary milestone comes in the midst of the collapse of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which ceased operation in January after Congress voted to cut federal funding to the organization. That funding was a key part of small and rural public media station budgets. Though the CPB was a small percentage of the CPR’s total budget, it covered critical operational costs such as music performance rights and national news distribution.

“We have been humbled and amazed at the depth and breadth of public support since the elimination of CPB,” says Eiswerth. “We’ve heard from major donors, long-time supporters, and those who may have been listening for decades but never contributed. They all recognize the value and importance of a source of unbiased, factual international, national, state, and local news — alongside compelling and inspiring musical offerings, with a heavy emphasis on Cincinnati-area performances.”
Eiswerth points out that two great huge changes — the loss of federal funding and the move to the new headquarters — have energized local supporters.

He also thinks that CPR’s staff and board have been inspired to meet the challenge to become a truly local, community-centered public service.

Despite the potentially daunting loss of federal funding, Scripps Family Center and enthusiastic local supporter, offered CPR the chance to continue to look forward and think bigger.

“We are presently neck deep in developing a new strategic plan that, we hope, can lay out our direction for the next three to five years; although, as recent events have demonstrated, it can be a bit presumptuous to assume to anticipate what these next three to five years will entail,” says Eiswerth. “We do know, and we will plan, to expand our news and music offerings, engage more partners across the media, business, and information sectors, and bring much more of the public into our building and onto our airwaves.”