Reaching All Corners of Colorado with News That Impacts Lives
When Penny Welch moved from Portland, Oregon, to the rural town of Cortez in Colorado’s remote southwest corner 10 years ago, she felt a dramatic difference in the political, cultural, and geographical climate of her new home. Due to a lack of information and news coming from Cortez’s limited media sources, she also felt disconnected from events in the state’s capitol. As a person who likes to be informed about issues happening throughout the state, Penny looked for opportunities to increase her understanding of Colorado’s issues and politics. That’s when she called her local radio station to request that Capitol Coverage be broadcast in Cortez.
Offered by a group of non-commercial public and community radio stations,Capitol Coverage provides daily news reports from sessions of the Colorado State Legislature. With KGNU in northern Colorado serving as its fiscal agent,Capitol Coverage is broadcast to participating stations throughout the state – including KSJD in Cortez.
“It used to be that if I positioned my radio just so, I could sometimes hear a scratchy broadcast of Capitol Coverage from Denver. I called KSJD and asked them to bring it to our community,” says Penny. “Now, I get clear access to news about legislation and discussions that make a difference to how we live: from state tax issues, to public school requirements, to social issues like gay and lesbian topics. My husband and I both feel these are vital discussions to have when it comes to achieving full equality for everyone.”
Capitol Coverage is supported by annual gifts from the Gay & Lesbian Fund, which includes public broadcasting as one of its four program areas. These funds enable KGNU and its affiliates to reach residents hundreds of miles away with critical coverage about state legislative issues. “Connecting citizens with the actions of our elected officials helps listeners gain power through information and engages them more in the democratic process,” says Sam Fuqua, KGNU’s station manager.
Reporting on more than just the legislative bills themselves, Capitol Coverage digs deeper into the topics that affect people’s lives. Whether the subject is water rights, private prisons, foster care, or foreclosure rates, the program offers perspectives that enable people to form better opinions about who they elect into office, how the laws affect their lives, and how they can participate in the decision-making process.
“There is little coverage of these topics in the broadcast media. And if you’re not in the metro area, your local news choices are very limited to begin with – some towns have no daily newspaper or local TV station. By getting informed through our daily radio reports on things that affect their lives, people are beginning to say that state government does matter,” says Sam.
While many people in Cortez already listen to Capitol Coverage, Penny hopes everyone there will see it as a source of balanced, useful information – and a driver for making public opinions heard. “Cortez is one of the poorest communities in the state. No matter what people’s backgrounds are, as voters we all need to be informed and let our representatives and senators know our ideas. Otherwise, we can’t be properly or equally represented.”