Rocky Mountain Public Media (RMPR) is expanding its Colorado footprint. A signed asset purchase agreement gives Denver-based RMPM control of six full-power FM stations from Community Radio for Northern Colorado.
What We Know: RMPM will acquire CRNC’s six full-power FM licenses, including KUNC in Greeley and KJAC in Timnath, which airs The Colorado Sound in a Triple A format. The deal also includes 11 FM translators, intellectual property, social media accounts, and donor and underwriting data. Notably, the transaction involves no cash exchange. Instead, CRNC must repay a $900,000 loan to Mountain 300 LLC before closing. current
What’s at Stake: RMPM already operates Rocky Mountain PBS, jazz station KUVO, and Urban Alternative outlet The Drop 104.7. Adding six FM licenses significantly strengthens its reach across Colorado. The deal also protects jobs — RMPM plans to offer employment to all CRNC employees in good standing at closing. Furthermore, the Triple A format on The Colorado Sound gives RMPM a new programming lane to grow. currentcurrent
What Remains Unclear: FCC approval is still pending, so the transaction is not yet finalized. The two organizations announced in March they were exploring a merger, citing the rescission of federal public media funding as a catalyst. However, a definitive closing timeline has not been publicly disclosed. How RMPM integrates two distinct editorial and programming cultures also remains to be seen. current
What It Means: This deal reflects a broader consolidation trend reshaping public media. Smaller nonprofits can’t survive without federal support. Triple A radio is already a fragile format — and ownership changes make loyal listeners nervous. The Colorado Sound built something real around music discovery and community. That’s not easy to preserve in a transaction.
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David Hill serves as a Music Radio Editor, Columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. A radio lifer with more than 30 years behind the mic, in the control room, and in the program director’s chair, David’s career spans influential stops at brands such as WIYY 98 Rock, WBAL-AM, and 99X. He has worked across multiple formats and ownership groups, including iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, developing talent, breaking music, and navigating every major industry shift from diary to PPM and terrestrial dominance to streaming disruption. When he’s not writing or analyzing the industry, Dave runs The Tune Farm, a marketing firm built to help artists and brands grow audience the same way great radio always has—by creating connection, not just impressions. He can be reached at David@BarrettMedia.com.