Pacifica Radio is an American network of six independently operated, non-commercial, listener-supported radio stations known for its progressive/liberal[1][2] political orientation. Launched in 1949 with service in Berkeley, California, it is the world's oldest listener-funded radio network.[3]
It is also a program service supplying over 100 affiliated stations with various programs, primarily news and public affairs.[citation needed] The first public radio network in the United States, it is operated by the Pacifica Foundation, a non-profit corporation with national headquarters adjoining station KPFA in Berkeley. Programs such as Democracy Now! and Free Speech Radio News have been some of its most popular productions.[citation needed]
The Pacifica Radio Archives, housed at station KPFK in Los Angeles, is the oldest public radio archive in the U.S.,[citation needed] documenting more than five decades of grassroots political, cultural, and performing arts history. The archive includes original recordings of interviews with John Coltrane, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, and Langston Hughes, among many others.
The Pacifica Radio Archives feature in their own 30-minute slot on BBC Radio 5 Live's Up All Night programme, at 3.30 am UK time on Mondays.