SUMMIT COUNTY - There's a chance listeners won't be able to hear Boulder's modern rock station KBCO in Summit County anymore, but so far it's something Summit Public Radio is simply considering.

Summit Public Radio, a translator system, operates the 94.3 frequency in Summit County, which imports KBCO to the High Country.

Last summer, NRC Broadcasting, the parent organization of country music station KSKE in Eagle County, approached Summit Public Radio, asking if it would replace KBCO with Vail-based KSKE's country music so it could reach a wider audience. The board will talk about the proposition in January.



Kicking out competition?

NRC Broadcasting owns Summit County-based rock station KSMT. If KSKE knocks KBCO off the air, NRC would eliminate a competitor in the rock genre.

Steve Wodlinger, general manager of Denver-based NRC Broadcasting's mountain division, says the elimination of KBCO would not affect the money he receives from advertisers because KBCO charges 10-20 times more for a radio ad. However, he said listeners would have to tune in elsewhere. He supports changing 94.3 to KSKE, saying the country station would feature Summit County high school sports and organize fundraisers to help the community.

"We've been responsive to the needs of Summit County, and KBCO is not," Wodlinger said. "It makes sense to rebroadcast new or local stations that serve the needs of the Western Slope population."

Wodlinger believes KSKE's proposal fulfills Summit Public Radio's priority to offer nonduplicate, diverse programming with a station that serves the community.

"If you don't like a song on KBCO, turn it to Krystal 93 because you're going to hear the same music," he said. "KBCO is taking listeners from Krystal. If anything, I'm helping my direct competitor."

But Krystal 93 doesn't view KBCO as a threat that takes away listeners or advertisers.

"We've never felt any kind of pinch from KBCO whatsoever," said Mo Bennett, Krystal 93 general manager. "Formatically, there's definitely some similarities between us and KBCO, but we don't feel any pressure or competition from KBCO because we have such huge support from our listeners and advertisers. They really value us for being local."

Wodlinger intends to propose yet another radio station to Summit Public Radio for the 94.3 signal in the next couple of months but declined to comment further.



Pros and cons of KSKE

The Summit Public Radio's mission is to import music not otherwise available to the community, so the discussion will focus on whether transmitting KBCO or KSKE fits its mission best.

Currently, Summit County has five rock station alternatives, either through direct broadcasting or the nonprofit's translator.

It’s your translator *Summit Public Radio began in 1997 as a group that wanted to protect and expand what past groups had done to bring networkd television and KBCO radio to Summit County. In 1998 it incorporated as a nonprofit. *It now brings KBCO and three National Public Radio (NPR) stations to Summit County. The NPR stations include: KUNC diverse music on 107.1 and 88.3; KVOD classical music on 89.3; and KUVO jazz on 89.7. It also provides NBC, CBS and ABC to antenna television viewers. *“We’re one of the smallest communities in the nation with the greatest number of public radio stations,” said Marsha Cooper, Summit Public Radio president. *Basic membership to support Summit Public Radio (SPR) is $45 a year. Send a check to: Summit Public Radio P.O. Box 6392 Breckenridge, CO 80424 *For more information, visit SPR on www.summitpublicradio.org or call Marsha Cooper at (970) 453-1236.

However, the northern part of the county also receives country music from KSKE already. Only Breckenridge-area listeners cannot receive KSKE, whereas if Summit Public Radio stops transmitting KBCO, no one in the county would receive it.

Because three-quarters of the county already receives KSKE, Summit Public Radio board president Marsha Cooper said she's not sure it makes sense to retune the translator.

Another consideration comes in the form of finances.

Summit Public Radio, a nonprofit, exists because of donations from the community. The Federal Communications Commission prohibits KBCO from financially assisting it because the public radio's translator extends the radio station's reception outside of its protected contour, or border.

However, that may not be the case with KSKE; the country station may not fall within the limits of the FCC's regulations, which would mean the station could aid the nonprofit. In fact, NRC Broadcasting offered financial support and on-air time to talk about Summit Public Radio if it translates KSKE.

"KSKE may have the opportunity to contribute financially to Summit Public Radio, and KBCO cannot, so there certainly is a carrot in looking at KSKE, but it would not drive the decision of the board," Cooper said.

"We'd rather increase our membership base than receive support from an outside source. Summit Public Radio is a community-based organization and should remain so and should not be taken by the prospects of financial support," she said.

If the board decided it needed community comment, it would first survey its approximately 400 members, ask KBCO to survey its listeners and then ask locals to respond.

"Summit Public Radio responds to its listeners," engineer Gary Peterson said.

KBCO vs. KSKE

After KBCO wrote a letter to the editor that ran in the Summit Daily Nov. 20, Peterson received at least 50 calls and 190 e-mails supporting KBCO and only a few calls and seven e-mails supporting KSKE in November.

However, in December KSKE began talking about the possibility of expanding reception into Breckenridge, and listeners began calling Peterson to support KSKE. Meanwhile, calls supporting KBCO tapered off.

"There are so many Summit County listeners that are avid KBCO listeners," he said.

"I told Summit Public Radio that we would be willing to do more for the community if there's a need for it," said Scott Arbough, KBCO programming director.

"We've tried to be involved in Breckenridge. We used to do the cardboard derby at A-Basin and then Copper. We view Summit County and Breckenridge as an important part of the Colorado community. We're in synch with the demographics of the country; we have a young adult approach and live Studio C performances. We'd hate to see Summit County not be a part of what we do."



Kimberly Nicoletti can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 245, or at knicoletti@summitdaily.com.