Colorado Public Radio says it will celebrate 50 years on air with a celebration called the “50-ish Anniversary.”
The public radio network said its first station, KCFR (90.1 FM) in Denver, was granted its first license in 1970. While that would technically make CPR more than 50 years old, the celebration was postponed in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus health pandemic, officials said in a statement.
“The first 50-ish years of CPR’s history have been an amazing journey,” Jenny Gentry, the chief operating officer of CPR, said on Wednesday. “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.”
KCFR was founded by the University of Denver, with a format that played an eclectic blend of news and music. KCFR is still serving the Denver metropolitan area, and has been joined by a network of over a dozen stations airing either a news, classical music or adult album rock format. CPR member stations include KVOD (88.1 FM) in Denver, KXRE (1490 AM, 102.1 FM) in the Colorado Springs area, KPRN (89.5 FM) in Grand Junction and KCFP (91.9 FM) in Pueblo.
The network came together through the merger of KCFR and KPRN in 1991, and grew from there. CPR is now considered the fifth-largest newsroom in public broadcasting, with its shows broadcast across traditional radio, digital radio and podcasts. It is the only Colorado-based news outlet with a dedicated correspondent in Washington, D.C.
“We are humbled by the generosity of audiences and donors who have made the last 52 years possible,” Stewart Vanderwilt, the president and CEO of CPR, said. “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.”
