Our Story
Austin Community Radio, Inc. operating as KAZI 88.7 is the oldest community station in Austin. The station is a listener-supported, non-commercial community radio station, staffed almost entirely by volunteers who work together out of a sense of commitment and concern for our community.
Our mission is to reach and provide educational programming and information with special emphasis on media access for the African-American community and other groups previously unserved by existing radio stations in Austin.
KAZI was the dream of the late Dr. John Warfield, professor of African-American Studies at the University of Texas. With generous funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and loaned tower space from LBJ-S Broadcasting, KAZI began transmitting on August 29, 1982.
Although KAZI was launched with the aid of public funding, it currently survives entirely on donations from listeners and support from commercial sponsors. The station also receives monies from the City of Austin for the broadcast of the weekly City Council meeting.
KAZI remains a strong force in the Austin Community with its unique mix of R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Gospel, Blues, Reggae, Zydeco, Talk, Community Information, Independent News and more… KAZI also takes pride in supporting and promoting local artists as well as national artists on small independent labels.
Since 1982, KAZI has been serving Austin and the surrounding communities. The station maintains a family atmosphere with a volunteer staff that loves what they do, which keeps the listening audiences always wanting more.
