New Building to Enhance KRCC’s Capabilities

Radio listeners know that sound effects are essential to a story: They engage the audience, help deliver information, increase production value, evoke emotional responses, and help set the scene and mood.

Unless, of course, they are completely unrelated to the story.

That’s what the KRCC staff has increasingly found in its quarters in an old Victorian house on Weber Street, and why they are eager to move into a state-of-the-art building.

“I have truly loved the building on Weber Street, warts and all, for a very long time. Unfortunately, the warts are really starting to get in the way of delivering the quality news product that the listener deserves — unless, of course, you like sirens, motor-cycles, leaf blowers, etc., in the background during your newscasts,” says Mike Procell, KRCC host of “All Things Considered.”

“Every siren, car alarm, and opening door goes out over the air,” says Abigail Beckman, the station’s “Morning Edition” host. Adds KRCC Station Manager Jeff Bieri, “It has too many creaks and groans for us to do professional broadcasting.”

Construction is nearly complete on a new state-of-the-art public media center in downtown Colorado Springs. Located at 720 N. Tejon St., the Southern Colorado Public Media Center will include KRCC, Colorado Public Radio, Colorado College’s Journal-ism Institute, and Rocky Mountain Public Media’s Colorado Springs Regional Innovation Center.

Last year Colorado Public Radio and Colorado College entered into a collaborative partnership,
and on Feb. 1, 2020, CPR started operating the KRCC group of stations on behalf of Colorado College. In addition to purchasing the new building, CPR’s commitment includes installing a new transmitter and upgrading KRCC’s aging equipment. The cost of creating the Southern Colorado Public Media Center is approximately $4 million; CPR has already secured more than $3 million, including more than $1 million from CPR reserves.

“It’s our hope that the Southern Colorado Public Media Center will enable the participating organizations to educate the next generation of journalists and public media professionals and more fully engage and entertain Coloradans in a way that promotes an informed society, civil conversations, and solution-focused problem solving,” Bieri says. “We are seeking at least an additional $1 million in support for this exciting vision. Your generosity will help Coloradans build bridges among the cultural, economic, and regional differences that shape
and define the Centennial State.”