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Want to show Telluride’s one-of-a-kind non-commercial, non-underwritten local radio station some love? Go to koto.org/donate.

KOTO’s fun-loving staff at this year’s End-of-Season Street Dance. Photos by Melissa Plantz

THE LITTLE STATION THAT COULD

Local radio station KOTO is the community’s beating heart

BY MARTINIQUE DAVIS

In the early 1970s, Telluride locals lived pretty simply, often in poorly insulated houses on main street, paying as little as $35 a month in rent. Colorado Avenue was the only paved road in town and word on the street was that a ski area would soon be built on the slopes above the sleepy, near-abandoned mining town. Down in the box canyon, there wasn’t a single FM signal to be found on the radio dial.

It was during this storied period in Telluride’s history that one of the community’s most beloved institutions was first envisioned. Local

Jim Bedford sent away for Sex and Broadcasting, a no-nonsense manual explaining how to start a community radio station. He learned through the grapevine about a taxi driver from Denver by the name of Jerry Greene who knew a few things about starting radio stations. Together, they got to work, seeking donations, filling out the necessary paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission and securing a corner office in the Miner’s Union building.

On Oct. 3, 1975, KOTO officially took to the air waves.

In the nearly 50 years since, a lot has changed in the community. Yet KOTO has preserved much of the soul ubiquitous to Telluride’s early ski town era, with its eclectic mix of all-volunteer DJs and quintessential community events like the KOTO Ski Swap, Lip Sync and End-of-Season Street Dance.

At the same time, though, the non-commercial, non-underwritten community radio station hasn’t stayed stuck in the past. KOTO is embracing the now and planning for its future, as evidenced by a slew of recent achievements and near-term goals. After a prolific stretch of fundraising, for instance, KOTO recently paid off the mortgage for the “Purple House on Pine,” which has been the station’s home since 1985.

Executive Director Cara Pallone says paying off the debt for the downtown Telluride property has long been a part of the strategic plan of the San Miguel Educational Fund, KOTO’s governing body. Seeing that accomplishment come to fruition has also allowed the organization to set its sights on other lofty goals, including expanding the station’s reach to listeners in the Ridgway area. While details are still in the works, a new translator station will allow KOTO to air the same broadcast but to a much wider audience from new call sign, KOOK. Pallone says reaching more regional listeners fulfills the goal of being a more inclusive organization. “As more people are moving to communities outside of Telluride, but are still working here, it’s like they have one foot in each community and it’s important to serve them,” Pallone explains, adding that plans include covering more Ridgway-based news and providing more Spanish-language programming. Reaching a wider audience will also help the nonprofit organization achieve greater financial stability because, as any longtime listener knows, KOTO exists almost entirely through listener support.

On that front, a recent gift from the estate of KOTO’s co-founder, the late Jerry Greene, will help the station better prepare for its financial future. Greene sadly passed away last year. The station’s staff and board are in the process of creating a legacy fund in his name that will allow future stewards of the station to address any needs that may arise, ensuring KOTO can continue serving its community for years to come.

“I am lucky to be one of the current stewards of this organization,” Pallone says. “KOTO will outlive all of us, and thank goodness for that, because nobody does community better than KOTO.”

KOTO HAS PRESERVED MUCH OF THE SOUL UBIQUITOUS TO TELLURIDE’S EARLY SKI TOWN ERA