UPDATE: KCPW 88.3 FM has been sold to KUER/PBS Utah. After the FCC approves transfer of the license, 88.3 FM will become a bilingual public radio station serving our region’s growing Spanish-speaking community.
Unfortunately, KCPW lacks the resources to stay on the air during the transition. The station’s last day, October 31, 2023, means that KCPW served the Salt Lake Valley for exactly 31 years. We’re proud of that service, and we look forward to the new programming on 88.3 FM.
—Original release follows below—
KCPW, as you may have read in the press, is getting sold.
The news got out ahead of our own planned announcement, and so it will have caught a number of our listeners, supporters, partners and even some of our own staff off-guard.
There are numerous factors spanning a long period of time that have led to this difficult decision and all of us feel a combination of emotions, including regret, over the fact that it has come to this point. There’s no truncated version of the story to tell here, but the initial purchase price of the station, the recession that followed, and a global pandemic and its aftereffects were all contributing factors.
But here we are.
We are very proud of the many years we were able to contribute a worthwhile, locally-focused service to our community. For most if not all of us, public radio has been a passion, if not a lifelong vocation, and we gave our utmost to make it happen, every day.
We were devoted to providing cautious, carefully-reported, inspiring, in-depth, accurate, and hopefully even useful news and information — even during a global pandemic that impacted our operations significantly. Sometimes, we may have even made a difference in people’s lives.
In many ways, KCPW and Salt Lake City grew up together, and it has been a true privilege to provide that important service to this wonderful community.
To the members, underwriters, sponsors, volunteers, and major gift givers who came through for this organization time and again: you have our unending gratitude.
KCPW’s staff also deserves a special mention for their enduring commitment to providing high quality content despite significant constraints. We are grateful for the leadership and commitment of our long-term station manager, Lauren Colucci. She was ably supported by talented and hard-working staff members Jesse Ellis, Randin Graves, Roger McDonough, Anthony Scoma, Toni Tietjen and Steve Williams.
As a team, they made great radio.
On October 9th, KCPW’s license, as well as the construction permit it holds for a new transmitter, will be put on auction. We don’t know what the outcome of that sale will be, but one way or another it will mark the end of an era for public radio in our region.
Thank you to everyone who played a part in making KCPW the gem that it was. We join you in saying goodbye to this beloved institution.
