As the media center for Alaska Native and Native American voices, Koahnic Broadcast Corporation (KBC) delivers music programming, news and popular shows to a broad listenership in Southcentral Alaska, with special attention given to Alaska Native peoples and other ethnic minorities.
“Koahnic” – which means “live air” in the Ahtna Athabascan dialect – was founded in 1996. Through award-winning programs like “Native America Calling,” “National Native News” and “Indigefi,” KBC brings Native voices to Alaska and the nation.
KBC pursues its mission through operation of three projects:
- National programming, a selection of radio programming broadcast by public and Tribal radio stations across the country;
- KNBA 90.3 FM, the first Native radio station located in an urban market; and
- Meetings, which are held biannually at KNBA’s offices in Anchorage. KBC’s community advisory board meetings are open to the public.
In recent years, KBC has expanded its programming to include Rising Indigenous Voices Radio (the RIVR), a youth-oriented online radio stream that mixes cultural and educational content with music that appeals to teens and young adults. In 2017, KBC/the RIVR was one of four youth and education charities chosen as a recipient of funds from the CIRI Golf Classic.
KBC and its subsidiaries won several 2019 Native Media Awards, including two awards for Alexis Sallee for Indigefi’s “Definition of Resilience” project and three for reporter Antonia Gonzales, including for her coverage of the 2019 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention.
For more information, visit koahnicbroadcast.org and KNBA.org.
