"KOTO-FM radio was a communal love child born in the fall of 1975 to a group of adoptive parents and raised and nurtured over the years with a gentle and loving hand."
from Romancing the Radio, by Mavis Bennett

KOTO is one of only seven community radio stations (one of only three broadcasting entities) nationwide that is completely commercial-free AND non-underwritten. Since its inception, it has been of utmost importance for KOTO to be true "community radio" and provide news, information, and entertainment as defined by its members. Being almost entirely listener-supported, KOTO has always raised the majority of its operating costs by hosting fundraising events that are creative, fun and reward the whole community.

Jim Bedford was the man with the mission to form a community radio station in 1974. He formed the volunteer Board of Directors of the non-profit San Miguel Educational Fund with Ken Mondlin, David Sklare, Ed Withers, and John Payne. They recruited Jerry Greene to start the non-commercial radio station. On October 3, 1975, KOTO-FM was legally and officially "on the air," broadcasting a 10-watt signal from 7 to 9 am and from 5 pm until around midnight. Now, KOTO broadcasts around the clock with an effective radiated power of 8,900 mighty watts from our main transmitter on Coonskin Ridge, along with four translators at Pandora, Ophir, Placerville and Norwood.

KOTO's offices and studio have always been located in the heart of town where listeners, supporters and the army of DJs and other volunteers can walk in any time to hang out as part of the KOTO family. The first studio was located in the Miners' Union Building. In 1984, KOTO moved into the newly designed and constructed "house" behind the Miners' Union. KOTO is currently preparing to embark on a capital campaign to purchase its Telluride lot, allowing the station to eventually renovate its studio and headquarters and adapt to advances in broadcast technology.