KUNC, Rocky Mountain PBS parents stress benefits of merger

GREELEY — Directors of a pair of nonprofit broadcast entities outlined the benefits of a potential merger Friday, stressing in a news release that their nonbinding letter of intent is “a process to determine how the two organizations can work together more effectively and efficiently while protecting and expanding local services” in the face of recent federal funding cuts.

As first reported Thursday by BizWest, Community Radio for Northern Colorado, which owns news-talk KUNC and KJAC 105.5 FM, dubbed “the Colorado Sound,” has been in discussions since last year with Denver-based Rocky Mountain Public Media, which owns Rocky Mountain PBS, anchored by KRMA-TV Channel 6, plus jazz station KUVO 89.3 FM and low-power urban contemporary-formatted K284CI 104.7 FM, nicknamed “The Drop.”

“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,” Tammy Terwelp, president and CEO of KUNC and The Colorado Sound, said in a prepared statement issued Friday. “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 and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media, added that “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.”

News of the letter of intent comes as KUNC and The Colorado Sound look forward to moving from the space they now lease at 1901 56th Ave. in Greeley into a new $3.5 million state-of-the-art facility under development at 300 E. Mountain Ave. in Fort Collins. The Bohemian Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Fort Collins and founded by billionaire philanthropist Pat Stryker, will provide a new space for the KUNC and KJAC studios and community gathering areas as part of a new 7,000-square-foot, three story building that its real-estate arm, the Bohemian Cos., is building as an expansion of the Armory music venue.

“Thanks to a generous donor, we have secured a no-cost 10-year lease in their new facility in downtown Fort Collins,” Terwelp said, while emphasizing that “Greeley will continue to be an important community of coverage for our newsroom around issues our residents care about. We are embarking on a campaign for new facilities, not shrinking from our challenges, but rising up to meet the operational needs to fulfill our mission of service to our communities.”

If the merger is approved, CRNC and RMPB would share operational-support services such as human resources, finance and fundraising to improve efficiency. No staff reductions would be predicted, and the stations would retain their branding, with locally based editorial decisions, programming and community engagement.

According to the news release, “the stations remain locally owned and supported, and editorial coverage of and service to Greeley, Fort Collins and the broader Northern Colorado area remain the priority for KUNC and The Colorado Sound.” 

It said updates on the discussions are expected to be released later this summer once the review process is complete.

“There’s a lot of due diligence that needs to happen between the organizations,” Terwelp told BizWest Thursday, “but we are trying to move it forward and not let it drag out.”

The potential merger comes in the wake of congressional votes to cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a 60-year-old nonprofit that provided money to 1,500 public television and radio stations but which dissolved in January after the federal cuts.

The loss of $453,000 a year from the CPB forced KUNC to lay off 10 people, about 25% of its staff of 38, last September. In addition to the layoffs, CRNC staff also were furloughed for five days — with the furloughs required to be complete by the end of March — and contributions to their 403(b) retirement plans were ended.

The new building in Fort Collins will include a green room for performers at the adjacent Armory music venue and an expanded bar that will be shared by both buildings, according to documents submitted to Fort Collins city planners.

A long-vacant building on the site — located on the north side of Mountain Avenue just east of Chestnut Street in downtown’s “historic core subdistrict” — was demolished last year to make way for the new project. That building, which Larimer County records show was constructed in 1905, had been home to the Lyric movie theater until 2017, when it moved to 1209 N. College Ave. The property was then purchased by Mountain 300 LLC for $2.3 million. That entity, the applicant for the new office building, has the same address as the Bohemian Cos. and Bohemian Foundation.

Both entities seeking the merger must file applications with the Federal Communications Commission to transfer the stations’ licenses. Most such transactions often include a window for public input before a final decision. The FCC evaluates whether the combined entity would serve the “public interest” and not violate local radio or television ownership caps. The FCC’s review process generally aims for completion within 180 days of seeking public comment.

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