Joe Riley

President & CEO

Prior to joining KWBU in 2009, Riley served at Maine Public Broadcasting Network as Vice President Director of Television and at Nashville Public Television as Director of Local Programming and Production, and had earlier been Director of Production at KUAC in Fairbanks, Alaska. Raised in South Carolina, Riley holds a bachelor's degree in English from Furman University.

Ways to Connect

FAQ: Build the Base & Bridge the Gap

By • Dec 18, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us, socially and economically. Thanks to our Build the Base campaign, we were able to get through the spring in the black. And this year, we’ve received emergency funding in the form of a forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loan and a supplemental grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Not only are we working to build the base, we must also bridge the gap.  

 

BUILD THE BASE and BRIDGE THE GAP

KWBU’s Summer Web Campaign

By • Jun 29, 2020

June 29th through July 1st we begin celebrating 20 years of public radio and NPR in Waco. 

This is a web campaign with a goal of $10,000.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve asked our phone volunteers to stay at home for this pledge drive (we miss them!).

We’re asking you to make your pledge on line.

It’s easy – just click here!

Power Morning 2020 Update

By • Feb 28, 2020

Well, we’ve never had a POWER MORNING quite like this. When we came in Thursday morning, all the phones in the building were down.

Some pledges came in online, but the phones are so important for making our goal. We paused at 7:30 and returned Friday morning with working phones.

To all who were patient and called in, those who pledged online, and those who made contributions toward the drive in the days leading up to POWER MORNING – THANK YOU!

As of now, pledges total $50,320. If you didn’t get a chance to give, you can still pledge your support online at www.KWBU.org – pledges that come in through the weekend will be counted toward our goal. Your gift will help us reach our $60,000 goal.

Thanks to Kelly Craine, Amy Davis, Derek Smith, and Ashley Thornton who volunteered their time in the pledge studio, encouraging you to join them in supporting KWBU.

Thanks to our phone volunteers: Brenda Bashaw, Christy Crosby, Kristi Carrillo, Mary Goolsby, Victoria Rectenwald, and John Ucci.

Thanks to Marilyn Tittle with Sassy Indulgence for providing snacks to keep us energized.

And thanks to all who have pledged their support. You have the power to keep NPR and public radio alive and growing in Waco and the Heart of Texas!

Super Tuesday - March 3, 2020

By • Feb 8, 2020

KWBU will air special programming Tuesday night.

At 7pm there will be a LIVE Texas Standard Election special followed by Super Tuesday Special Programming from NPR at 8pm.  

Special - KWBU 2020

By • Jan 3, 2020
Joe Riley

With Downtown Depot  on holiday hiatus,  KWBU's Joe Riley and Brodie Bashaw took this opportunity to talk about the 20th anniversay year of the station, how things are going and what lies ahead for 103.3, Waco Public Radio.   Downtown Depot will return January 17th.


Central Texas Leadership Series: Vince Clark and Wendell Hudson

By • Dec 13, 2019
Brodie Bashaw

On this edition of the Central Texas Leadership Series, KWBU's Joe Riley sits down with Vince Clark, Head Men's Golf Coach and Professor of History at MCC and Wendell Hudson, retired MCC Athletic director. The two talk about what has shaped their leadership styles and friendship.  This conversation was recorded August 23, 2019 in the KWBU Studio.  This program originally aired September 13, 2019.  


Special Program - KWBU State of the Station

By • Sep 27, 2019
Brodie Bashaw

At KWBU, we've promised to keep you informed on how the station is doing.  You may have heard some of the details through the "Build the Base" campaign that began in June. On September 6th we recorded this roundtable conversation featuring representatives from KWBU's staff and board of directors. 

Board member Maxey Parrish of Baylor's journalism department moderates the discussion. Joining him are Ben Lacy, chairman of the board, Jason Cook, also a board member, representing Baylor University; and station president Joe Riley. 

Business of Health Care: Healthcare Informatics

By • Sep 13, 2019

Healthcare Informatics is defined as the intergration of healhcare sciences, computer science, information science and cognitive science to assist in the management of healtcare information.


Business of Health Care: APPs Offer Quality Care

By • Sep 6, 2019

Primary cared medial services can be provided not only by physicians, but increasingly by a range of nonphysician practioners.  


Business of Health Care: Crowdsourcing

By & • Aug 30, 2019

Healthcare is becoming a new frontier in crowdsourcing.


KWBU's 2019 Spring Membership Campaign

By • May 2, 2019
(Kateleigh Mills/KWBU Radio)

How is KWBU doing?

Well, on-air - great! KWBU provides Waco with NPR News, statewide and regional stories, plus programs from and about our community, not to mention talk, entertainment, and classical music.

But financially, it’s a different picture. KWBU’s board of directors just passed our FY 2020 budget, and this coming year is the tightest we’ve seen since 2010 – the year KWBU-TV ceased operations.

Here’s a quick picture of our situation:

KWBU’s receives funding from several primary sources:

Baylor Connections - President Linda Livingstone

By • Jan 11, 2019

Colleges don’t maintain an unambiguously Christian educational environment by accident. Baylor University President Linda Livingstone shares the ways Baylor nurtures that mission through purposeful programs, classes and practices, both historically and in the present, in this Baylor Connections.


Baylor Connections - Dr. Wes Null

By • Jan 4, 2019

Baylor’s accreditation was officially reaffirmed last month by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) for the next decade. What factors lead into a successful accreditation effort, and what does it mean for the university? Dr. Wes Null, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Institutional Effectiveness, explains on this Baylor Connections.


Business of Health Care: Hospital Pricing

By & • Dec 14, 2018

The huge range in cost associated with a procedure from one hospital to the next has little to do with the level of quality of service a hospital may provide.


Central Texas Leadership Series: Barbara Mosacchio

By • Dec 14, 2018

This episode of the Central Texas Leadership Series, a conversation with Barbara Mosacchio - Executive Director of the United Way of Waco.  Nan Holmes hosts.  


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