88.5 KQED live
NPR for the Bay Area
88.5 KQED at a glance
About 88.5 KQED
KQED 88.5 is the San Francisco Bay Area's NPR station. It broadcasts as KQED-FM on 88.5 FM, is licensed to San Francisco and is the primary NPR member station for the Bay Area; it is simulcast on KQEI-FM 89.3 for the Sacramento area. On this page you can listen to KQED live online, free.
NPR for the Bay Area
KQED carries NPR's flagship news programs along with programs from PRX, American Public Media and the BBC World Service, and adds its own reporting and talk shows on Bay Area and California issues — politics, technology, housing, the environment and culture. Its slogan sums it up: NPR for the Bay Area.
One organization, radio and TV
KQED-FM is owned by KQED Inc., which also runs KQED television (channel 9). The studios are on Mariposa Street in San Francisco's Mission District, and the FM transmitter sits on San Bruno Mountain.
The call letters
KQED's letters echo "Q.E.D.", the Latin quod erat demonstrandum — "that which is demonstrated" — used at the end of mathematical proofs.
Supported by listeners
Like other public stations, KQED depends largely on contributions from its listeners and support from local organizations.
Listen online
Press play and KQED starts in seconds — Morning Edition on the commute or All Things Considered in the evening, wherever you are.
How to listen
You can hear KQED on the radio on 88.5 FM across the Bay Area, but you do not need a radio at all: this page plays the live stream in any browser, on a phone, tablet or computer. Press the play button at the top, wait a second or two for the stream to connect, and keep browsing while it plays — the player stays on as you move between pages. It is ideal for Morning Edition before work or a weekend of public radio, and it costs nothing: no account, no subscription and no app to install.
Below the player you will find KQED's frequency and home city, the genres it plays, answers to common questions and a list of similar stations, so when you want a change you can jump to another station in the same format or the same area with one click.
- 100% free, no sign-up
- Live stream, 24 hours a day
- Listen from anywhere
- Works on phone and computer
How to listen to 88.5 KQED live
In 3 simple steps, with nothing to install.
- 01Press play
Click the "Listen live" button at the top of this page.
- 02Wait a moment
The live stream starts loading within a few seconds.
- 03Enjoy
88.5 KQED plays right in your browser, with nothing to install.
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Press play on this page to stream KQED 88.5, free and with no app.
Yes. KQED-FM is the primary NPR member station for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Yes. KQED is simulcast on KQEI-FM 89.3 for the Sacramento area.
It echoes Q.E.D., quod erat demonstrandum, from mathematical proofs.
Yes. You can listen to 88.5 KQED live for free here on Radio Stations Hub, 24 hours a day.
Yes. 88.5 KQED plays in your phone’s browser on Android or iPhone — there is no app to install. Just open this page and press play.
Yes. Connect your phone to the car stereo by Bluetooth or cable, open 88.5 KQED here on Radio Stations Hub and enjoy the live stream on the road.
If the stream does not load, wait a few seconds and press play again — some streams take a moment to connect. You can also refresh the page or try another Public Radio, Talk station meanwhile. Radio Stations Hub checks every stream automatically.