Colorado Public Radio Celebrates '50-ish' Anniversary
| RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, December 21, 2022 | 4:28pm CT |
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 Colorado Public Radio |
Colorado Public Radio is celebrating a half century on air, belatedly recognizing 50 years with what it's calling its "50-ish" anniversary. KCFR-FM, the first station that would become Colorado Public Radio, was granted its FCC license in 1970. Plans for a large 50th anniversary celebration in 2020 were upended due to the pandemic.
"The first 50-ish years of CPR's history have been an amazing journey," said Chief Operating Officer Jenny Gentry, who has been with CPR for 38 years. "When I started, we had 17 employees and one station. Now we have multiple services, 10 times the staff and 90% of Coloradans have access to CPR services through our broadcast, plus nearly a million each month through our websites. It has been amazing to see CPR grow from an alternative source of news to the home for news for millions of Coloradans."
CPR was founded in 1970 at the University of Denver and began broadcasting an eclectic news and music format as KCFR (90.1), which is still the Denver-area news station today. In the 1970s, the station started carrying programming from National Public Radio, including "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition," and in the 1980s, programming expanded to other nationwide favorites, including "Fresh Air" and "Car Talk," and classical music. KCFR separated from the University of Denver in 1984 and became a community-licensed public radio station, one of the first stations in the country to make such a transformation.
"Colorado Public Radio" officially formed via a 1991 merger between KCFR and KPRN in Grand Junction, bringing news and classical programs to listeners on either side of the state. Throughout the 1990s, the network grew with translators added in Vail, Pueblo and Montrose.
2001 marked the expansion of news and classical music to their own full-time signals and the start of "Colorado Matters," the interview program from CPR News, which still airs daily. In 2011, CPR launched a new music service, OpenAir, which is now Indie 102.3. There were also significant investments in CPR's digital offerings, newsroom growth and podcast development during this time. In 2018, CPR's founding president, Max Wycisk, retired, and Stewart Vanderwilt came on to lead the organization. In 2019, the news site Denverite became part of CPR, and in 2020, CPR partnered with Colorado College to operate KRCC, expanding its network to thousands of listeners in Southern Colorado.
"We are humbled by the generosity of audiences and donors who have made the last 52 years possible," said Vanderwilt. "Their continued support shows us there is a strong desire for fact-based local news, well-curated music, original podcasts and engaging events in our community. We are excited to continue evolving toward our vision of reaching all Coloradans with informative, inspirational and entertaining content."
