It could be happening. Or not. Rocky Mountain Public Media, home of RM PBS and two audio services, is exploring a merger with two other noncommercial audio entities serving a portion of Colorado.
The announcement from RMPM came on Friday (3/27), and it could pair RM PBS, KUVO Jazz and Alternative Hip-Hop offering “The Drop” with KUNC-FM in the Fort Collins-Greeley, Colo., market and is sibling “The Colorado Sound,” based at KJAC-FM 105.5 in Tinmath, Colo.
The signals of both KUNC and KJAC extend from downtown Denver through Boulder and well to the north, with a city-grade signal booming into Cheyenne, Wyo., and much of Laramie, Wyo. KUVO is a Denver-licensed FM that has “The Drop” on its HD2 signal, and has a signal contour serving Loveland, Colo., to the north, down to parts of Colorado Springs.
As of today, there no formal merger agreement — yet. Rather, the two licensees behind these radio stations and Rocky Mountain PBS entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to explore a potential merger. “This is a process to determine how the two organizations can work together more effectively and efficiently while protecting and expanding local services,” RMPM said.
“KUNC and The Colorado Sound will continue their history of service to Northern Colorado and now have an opportunity for that service and our community connections to grow and deepen,” said Tammy Terwelp, President/CEO of KUNC and The Colorado Sound. “We remain committed to our audience and supporters. This potential merger allows public media to be stronger and more resilient for all.”
Amanda Mountain, President/CEO of RMPM, added, “RMPM has always been committed to strengthening the civic fabric of Colorado. Through collaboration and innovation, we are confident this merger would keep public media centered on the communities we serve while expanding the public trust and connecting Coloradans to each other in ways that build bridges.”
The organizations cited “recent federal funding cuts” as the reason the they are in merger discussions.
