LAFAYETTE PARISH — A beloved public radio station in Acadiana is asking for community support as it braces for potential cuts to federal funding.
KRVS, home to Radio Acadie, has launched a campaign to raise $25,000 toward a new endowment. The station says the effort is part of a larger plan to safeguard its French and Creole programming after a directive from President Donald Trump’s administration put future public media funding in jeopardy.
KRVS receives an annual grant through National Public Radio that helps fund its local shows and cultural coverage. The Trump administration's proposal to defund public broadcasting would significantly impact stations like KRVS that rely on that support.
"It would put a big dent in our ability to deliver the programs that our listeners count on," said Cheryl Devall, general manager at the station.
Supporters have already contributed $8,000 toward the $25,000 fundraising goal. Devall said that money will act as seed funding for a much larger vision: building a $5 million endowment to ensure the station’s long-term survival.
"That initial endowment is seed money," she said. "We want to build an endowment of 5 million dollars."
With a full-time staff of four and a small group of part-time contributors, KRVS produces over 70 hours of original content each week. Its programming—including Bonjour Louisiane and La Nation Creole—reaches deep into rural Acadiana, connecting listeners to Louisiana’s French and Creole heritage.
"We work with a small team, with people receiving very small stipends to produce programs," Devall added.
Megan Constantin, assistant general manager, said the shows provide more than just entertainment—they affirm identity and preserve language.
"Hearing their language was really validating to them—that their language was not just a slang, but a real language. And it's worth being on a traditional media like radio," she said.
KRVS was one of the first radio stations in the state to broadcast in Louisiana French and Creole. Today, it remains one of the few where hosts speak both English and Creole on the air, bringing cultural authenticity and community connection to the airwaves.
As the future of federal support remains uncertain, KRVS is counting on its listeners to help keep Radio Acadie alive and thriving for generations to come.
Donations to KRVS can be made here.
