Erin O'Toole
Host & Senior Producer, In the NoCoEmail: erin.otoole@kunc.org
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and fast-growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation spots. It’s a privilege to find and share the stories and voices that reflect why NoCo is such an extraordinary place to live.
One of the things I love most about public radio is that it embodies and encourages many of the values I hold dear: integrity, civility and curiosity. I’ve been with KUNC since 2009, minus a brief break where I focused exclusively on a Denver-based podcast. I’ve served in a number of roles here: Morning Edition Host, Assistant News Director, and as host and senior producer for Colorado Edition. My work has been recognized by the Associated Press, the Colorado Broadcasters Association, PRNDI, RTNDA, and the Society for Professional Journalists.
I began my career at a country radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I was a traffic reporter, newscaster, sidekick, and finally a morning show host (yes, it’s true that my name was Coyote Kim!). I later relocated to southern California where I served as Morning Edition host and reporter for KVCR in San Bernardino. I was selected as a USC/Annenberg Health Journalism fellow in 2008.
When I'm not at work, you can usually find me hiking with my two dogs, noodling around on my bass, cooking, or enjoying the sunshine and a cold brew on a patio somewhere.
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Your favorite local music venue faces an uncertain future. This CSU professor has some ideas to helpThe music industry has gotten a lot more challenging – not only for musicians themselves, but for the venues where they bring their music to a live audience. A group called the Music Policy Forum meets in Denver this week to explore creative ways to help local music scenes thrive. -
Intense flooding. Record heat. And something called a flash drought. A new report weaves together the story of just how uniquely brutal Colorado's weather was over the past year – and how it connects to climate change. We zoom out for a big-picture analysis. -
An event on Saturday made an unusual offer to some folks accused of minor crimes. It promised people facing arrest warrants that they would not be arrested if they voluntarily talked to prosecutors. We talked to a prosecutor in the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office about why the policy makes sense. -
A documentary filmed in a former Colorado mining town offers a unique look at how Americans can coexist. Creede, USA explores how conservative residents of Creede, Colorado find a way to get along with their free-spirited neighbors. The film will be shown next week at Greeley's Go West Film Festival. -
For nearly three decades, a unique community organization has focused on performing – and preserving – sacred music originally sung by enslaved Africans in the U.S. centuries ago. This weekend, The Spirituals Project choir brings the music to Loveland. -
Democrats won big in yesterday's midterm elections, nationally and in Colorado. We talk through some of the big takeaways of the 2026 Election with KUNC politics editor Kyle McKinnon. -
Women in Colorado won the right to vote in 1893 – nearly three decades before the 19th Amendment that made women’s suffrage the law across the United States. Since today is Election Day, we’re looking at a History Colorado exhibit that explores how it happened – and what women in Colorado did with their new political clout. -
The seven states in the Colorado River Basin are fighting a kind of Cold War over how to divvy up a shrinking water supply. And a new documentary shows just how personal the stakes can be for tribes, ranchers and others who live in the region. -
An unusual company in Greeley has been in the Halloween business for almost half a century. Distortions Unlimited creates uniquely detailed props and creatures for professional haunted houses, movies -- maybe even a yard near you. -
The search for a cure for Alzheimer's disease has long frustrated scientists. But new research out of Colorado State University may offer some new insights – and it involves help from canine companions.
