Introducing: Be the Lifeline, a campaign to build sustainable community support for BPR

Hi, BPR CEO and General Manager Ele Ellis here. When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina last fall, our community experienced firsthand just how essential public radio truly is.

For days — or even weeks — we were the only voices that some could hear after the storm.

And we heard the same phrase over and over again: “BPR was a lifeline.”

This summer we lost our federal funding, permanently stripping us of support we relied on for decades. We need to build a new foundation of community support to sustain BPR’s award-winning journalism, music and cultural programming and emergency coverage.

This is the moment where Western North Carolina decides whether public radio will continue to thrive here. You can ensure that it does. Be the lifeline.