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KUNC receives CPB grant to launch the Colorado Capitol News Alliance

When Colorado's 2023 legislative session convenes, 51% of seats will be held by women.
Steve Gadomski
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Adobe Stock
Colorado State Capitol.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it has awarded $379,048 to KUNC to lead the newly developed Colorado Capitol News Alliance.

The alliance will bring together a coalition of public and not-for-profit newsrooms in the state. The Colorado Capitol News Alliance will consist of KUNC, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun.

KUNC President and CEO Tammy Terwelp said, “This is one of the most significant projects the CPB has funded in recent years, and we are honored to lead in collaboration alongside other strong news outlets here in Colorado. To bring together what some would call competing news entities to use our individual strengths directly for the public good in tandem, is truly mission-focused on the public we’re committed to serve.”

Beyond producing stories from the state capitol for the partner stations, members of the alliance will also provide state capitol reporting to Rocky Mountain Community Radio (RMCR) stations without a fee to member stations.

This grant will support the hiring of additional resources to cover the Colorado State Capitol and state government entities, with partners collaborating on news reporting, editorial planning, and digital distribution, along with a weekly podcast.

It is one of seven CPB grants announced that will support hiring reporters and increasing the editorial capacity at stations around the country as well as extending the focus from legislative sessions that occur over a few months to year-round coverage that examines policies and their impact on citizens.

“The growth of local journalism is essential to the civic health of our nation,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB. “Public radio and television stations, locally operated, are deeply connected to the communities they serve. Their primary mission is to provide trusted, fact-based reporting on issues of local concern so that people can make fully informed decisions. Public media’s journalism earns the trust of Americans every day, as it encompasses the complexity and integrity necessary to serve our civil society amidst growing mis- and disinformation.”

According to a 2024 Pew Research survey, the majority of Americans, regardless of political leanings, trust local news sources.

The new alliance will increase not only the breadth, but the depth, and distribution of state capitol coverage in Colorado. The collaboration will become one of the largest non-profit state capitol desks in the country, bringing together the best of public television, radio, and digital news to provide comprehensive and reliable news coverage of the Colorado State Capitol. The alliance will be a powerful addition to state government reporting in the United States.

KUNC is NPR News, Colorado Stories, brkunc.org.ng at 91.5 FM and a network of 19 stations and translators around the state--including 91.7 in Denver and west metro; 102.7 FM in Boulder, 88.5 FM in Steamboat Springs, 90.7 FM in Breckenridge, 99.7 FM in Eagle, 90.9 FM in Vail, 88.1 FM in Dillon and 91.9 FM in Grand County, as well on smart speaker, via KUNC mobile app, and streaming at kunc.org