As the Corporation for Public Broadcasting continues its operation wind-down following the cessation of federal funding for public media, the organization is extending a lifeline for a regional public radio collaboration that covers more than 750,000 square miles.
CPB has announced an additional $507,000 investment in the Mountain West News Bureau, funding the operation through June 30, 2028.
Founded in 2017 with CPB support, the Mountain West News Bureau produces original journalism on rural, land, environmental, and Tribal issues, spanning Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The bureau has helped expand reporting capacity in small and mid-sized public media newsrooms across the region, and was officially adopted by NPR as its seventh regional newsroom in August.
Led by Boise State Public Radio, the collaboration includes KUNC in Greeley, CO, Wyoming Public Media, KUNR in Reno, KNPR in Las Vegas, KANW in Albuquerque, and new associate partners Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Phoenix.
The network supports a managing editor, six full-time reporters, and additional part-time staff producing enterprise journalism for broadcast, digital, and visual platforms. The new funding brings CPB’s total support for the project to more than $1 million and will fund a new Digital Editor to expand its multi-platform reporting.
CPB Chief Operating Officer Kathy Merritt said, “Public media plays a vital role in ensuring that communities—especially rural and underserved ones—have access to trusted local journalism. By extending this grant and supporting the growth of the Mountain West News Bureau, CPB is helping strengthen a regional collaboration that continues to deliver essential reporting on issues that shape the daily lives and future of Mountain West residents.”
Boise State Public Radio General Manager Tom Michael added, “This support from CPB strengthens our ability to listen to communities across the Mountain West and bring their stories forward. These are timely stories of families, workers, and neighbors navigating change in the places they call home. By collaborating across newsrooms, we’re ensuring that local voices are heard, respected, and reflected in the journalism that serves them.”
