New satellite studio expands local news coverage and student opportunities in Tahoe region
KUNR Public Radio has officially opened a new satellite studio on the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe campus, marking a significant step toward expanding news coverage and student journalism opportunities in the Tahoe Basin.
The studio, located inside the Prim Library building, is already active. KUNR reporter Maria Palma is now reporting directly from Incline Village, covering topics ranging from proposed environmental legislation to wildfire preparedness and the growing concern around harmful algal blooms in Lake Tahoe.
“Having a local studio means we can show up more often, respond faster and tell stories with more depth, and that’s what public media is all about,” said Maria Palma, KUNR’s Lake Tahoe reporter. “At a time when public media is under threat, being present in places like Tahoe shows our commitment to keeping people informed and connected.”
Support from the University helped make the studio and office space a reality. In addition to housing the station, the University is funding the full-time reporter dedicated to the Lake Tahoe region for the first two years.
“Thanks to this studio in the Prim Library building, our reporter Maria Palma will be able to help fill a news desert in North Lake Tahoe by providing public service news and information for all of our listeners,” said Brian Duggan, general manager of KUNR. “This studio will also be a home base for Reynolds School of Journalism students who will have opportunities to report about Lake Tahoe, too.”
The new space also anchors the Lake Tahoe News Project, a student internship program focused on multimedia reporting. Through the project, students at the Reynolds School of Journalism gain hands-on experience reporting on critical topics including the environment, local government, education and energy—both for broadcast and digital platforms. Coverage is available in English and Spanish.
The studio’s opening represents a deepening of KUNR’s presence in the region and a strategic effort to expand coverage in a part of the state often underserved by broadcast outlets.
KUNR Public Radio is a nonprofit, non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station licensed to the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The station has broadcast from the University’s Reno campus since October 7, 1963, and became an administrative unit of the Reynolds School of Journalism in 2018.
To hear KUNR’s latest stories from the Lake Tahoe region, visit kunr.org or tune in live.
– @unevadareno –
The University of Nevada, Reno is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. As a Nevada land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.