Colorado College has announced a partnership with Denver based Colorado Public Radio operate Public News/Talk 91.5 KRCC Colorado Springs and its network of stations in the state.
CPR will retain the KRCC identity separate from the organization’s News, Classical, and Adult Alternative brands based in Denver. The news departments will be completely integrated, however KRCC will continue to have their own local hosts and anchors. In their news story, CPR states that eventually the two network’s programming schedules will be aligned starting with the addition of CPR’s Colorado Matters show being added to KRCC’s schedule.
Colorado College’s CC Journalism Institute, Colorado Public Radio, and Rocky Mountain PBS will partner to build a new Public Media Center on 720 N. Tejon St. in Colorado Springs to open in Summer 2021.
Colorado College has entered into a long-term partnership with Colorado Public Radio, with the partnership creating a new public media center that will bring together 91.5 KRCC, the Rocky Mountain PBS Regional Innovation Center, and college journalism resources. Together, CPR News and 91.5 KRCC will reach more than 80 percent of Colorado’s population.
91.5 KRCC news will become a part of the CPR news editorial structure and CPR will invest in KRCC’s newsroom to enhance local and statewide news reporting and increase the capacity to produce original digital and audio storytelling content.
“This partnership with CPR preserves 91.5 KRCC’s regional identity and Colorado College’s educational mission,” says President Jill Tiefenthaler. “Listeners will benefit because this collaboration brings more resources to cover the news in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, and KRCC’s news will now have wider distribution via CPR. It also provides valuable learning and internship opportunities for our students.”
“This investment in KRCC will enable the station and CPR to be more reflective of the state, bringing important stories, ideas, and experiences to audiences across Colorado,” says CPR’s President Stewart Vanderwilt.
As a part of this agreement 91.5 KRCC will be affiliated with, and operated by, Colorado Public Radio in partnership with Colorado College and the station will continue to be identified as 91.5 KRCC. CPR is committed to KRCC’s local and regional news presence, sharing it with a statewide audience and having Colorado Springs-based employees. CPR will also make a capital investment to construct and relocate KRCC’s studios. “We’re excited to create a media hub that will include 91.5 KRCC, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and CC’s Journalism Institute,” says Tiefenthaler. “To have all of these under one roof, at what will be a state-of-the-art building at 720 N. Tejon St., creates tremendous possibilities.”
Maintaining the local identity of 91.5 KRCC, while being a part of CPR, is important to the community service goals of Colorado College, CPR, and KRCC. Working closely with KRCC Station Manager Kyle Cunningham, Senior Project Director Erik Nycklemoe will lead the integration and implementation of KRCC’s transition to CPR and their new facility.
