Public media is at a crossroads that demands bold action and creative leadership. With recent cuts of more than $1 billion in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, news outlets across Colorado are being forced to reimagine public media for growing communities that deserve trusted, unbiased sources of information.
Where so much national news can leave us feeling isolated, divided and afraid, local public media brings an entirely unique experience to our audiences. We can be friends, helping people navigate through tough moments and celebrate happy ones, learning together and building community that makes us feel less alone.
That is what makes the proposed merger between Rocky Mountain Public Media, KUNC and The Colorado Sound so exciting. We’ve been friends for years, collaborating and innovating together to serve Coloradans. Now, we are taking this strategic step toward building something stronger, and ultimately more sustainable for generations to come.
Together, we can share more stories that matter most to our communities. We can provide more opportunities to gather around music that connects and inspires. And we can build meaningful relationships with more people, helping Coloradans feel better supported and connected not just to their public media, but to each other.
Our combined entity will then become one of Colorado’s largest membership organizations with nearly 140,000 people representing every county in our state. And we owe them to make wise use of their investment, sharing operational costs to protect and expand our local services that people have grown to love over 130 years of combined service.
Our Boards of Directors are expected to approve the merger this summer, and FCC approval is anticipated by the end of 2026. This next step in our combined history will preserve and expand the trusted service listeners and viewers rely upon while maintaining our commitment to independent local journalism.
Coverage will remain focused on issues of importance to Colorado, such as housing costs, water, government, agriculture, growth and community development — all while using local voices and content rooted in each community we serve. Being united, this effort will serve as a force multiplier, allowing us to reach new audiences and cover our region with greater breadth and depth than ever before.
What will change is our ability to do more and do it with strategic changes behind the scenes.
By aligning operations, not newsrooms, the combined organization can reduce duplication, operate more efficiently and reinvest resources into journalism, music programming and community engagement, while maintaining editorial autonomy and distinct local brands. Greater collaboration across teams, from reporting to sponsorships to events, will allow for broader reach and deeper impact than any one organization can achieve alone.
This merger will help us protect the practices that our audiences love the most while strengthening each organization, all to ensure that Coloradans continue to have access to high-quality journalism and great music for years to come on air, online and in person.
At a time when many feel increasingly disconnected, trusted media that is 100% locally owned, operated and supported matters more than ever. By coming together, we can ensure that more Coloradans feel seen and heard as we strengthen the civic fabric of our state together and protect public media for generations of Coloradans to come.
Amanda Mountain, of Denver, is the president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Public Media.
Tammy Terwelp, of Wellington, is the president and CEO of KUNC/The Colorado Sound.
The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy. Learn how to submit a column. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com.
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