Dear friends and listeners,
Some places are impossible to forget.
West Texas has a way of claiming you. Whether it’s the place you were born, the place you landed by chance or the landscape you carry in your heart long after you’ve left. For twenty years, Marfa Public Radio has been one of the ways this far-flung community stays connected to the place we love.
From the beginning, this station has existed because people in this community believed it should.
Now, as we mark our twentieth year, we stand at a turning point. Public radio stations across the country have lost the federal funding that has long helped sustain independent journalism and community service.
But moments like this clarify our purpose. The work ahead is not simply about preserving what Marfa Public Radio has been. It is about building what we can become.
Together, we are building the next chapter of this station.
We are developing a youth journalism program, giving young people across West Texas the opportunity to learn how stories are made, how to conduct interviews, record sound, and weave together reporting that reflects the world from their point of view.
We are building new partnerships with arts and cultural institutions across the region, helping amplify the voices of the artists, historians, musicians, and storytellers who shape life in the high desert and Permian Basin.
We are strengthening the station’s financial foundation, working with advisors, funders, and community supporters to ensure that Marfa Public Radio remains a responsibly managed and sustainable institution for decades to come.
The next chapter of Marfa Public Radio will be written the same way the first twenty years were: by people who believe West Texas deserves a strong, independent voice. Whether you listen, share stories, or invest financially, you are the reason this signal reaches across West Texas.
Twenty years ago, a small group of people believed that West Texas deserved a voice of its own. Because of the support of this community, that belief became Marfa Public Radio.
Now the question isn’t whether this station matters, it is how strong we will choose to make it.
With your support, the next generation of listeners, reporters, musicians, and storytellers will inherit something extraordinary: a public radio station rooted in the high desert, sustained by its community, and dedicated to the stories of West Texas.
Twenty years strong. The next chapter starts now.
With gratitude,
Anne Pitts Marozas
Executive Director, Marfa Public Radio
P.S. As we begin this next chapter, we want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to share your perspective. Your ideas, experiences, and listening habits help shape the future of Marfa Public Radio programming. Take the Audience Survey today.
