KEXP Gets Big Donation, Among Largest In Public Radio History

SEATTLE, WA - An anonymous donor recently surprised Seattle's KEXP radio station with a $10 million donation, which is believed to be one of the largest gifts to a public radio station in U.S. history.

The donor, known only by her first name, Suzanne, recently died. KEXP will place a bulk of the gift into its reserves. The station will also use the money for educational programs for young musicians and others interested working in the music industry.

Kevin Cole, a DJ and KEXP's head of content, will play music in Suzanne's honor Monday beginning at 3 p.m. The show will also be broadcast live on KEXP.org.

"Making this gift was Suzanne’s way of helping to secure a bright future for KEXP’s mission to make lives better through music,” Cole said in a press release. “We intend to honor her legacy in every step we take in stewarding these funds. Suzanne’s love of music, her support for artists, her sense of philanthropy and service to the community, and the joy she found in exploration and discovery will live on in the programs and services that are made possible through this amazing and generous gift."

KEXP was founded at the University of Washington in the 1970s as KCMU. In 2001, the station changed its call letters to KEXP after the completion of Paul Allen's Experience Music Project (now called MoPOP). The station plays a variety of alternative and indie rock, plus themed programs like Shake the Shack (surf, rockabilly, and country) and El Sonido, which focuses on Latin alternative music.

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