Mic’d Up

Jim Bedford reflects on the early days & lasting legacy of Telluride’s beloved station.

One of the first things you notice walking up to KOTO at 207 N. Pine Street is a green memorial bench with an inscription across the backrest.

“Without me, none of you would be here!”

Jerry Greene, KOTO co-founder

Jerry, who died in the spring of 2021, loved to announce this at DJ pep rallies — proudly staking claim to one of Telluride’s greatest institutions. He generally got a good laugh from his slightly-buzzed-likely-stoned audience.

But truth be told, if it weren’t for Jim Bedford, Jerry Greene wouldn’t have been here either.

Jim moved to Telluride in 1972, when KOTO was but a twinkle in Telluride’s eye. It would be three more years before this community radio station burst onto the airwaves, largely due to Jim’s vision and Jerry’s technical expertise and understanding of how revolutionary radio could and would be.

“I think I had it in my mind that these things were possible, but Jerry made it seem necessary and made it happen,” Jim recalls.

Both, however, truly believed that Telluride would support a local public radio station. Fifty years later and we know they were not wrong.

“I am constantly surprised at the love and dedication that many afford KOTO,” says Jim, whose nickname is BF, a nod to his old DJ handle BF Deal (that’s “Big Fuckin’ Deal” to you, kid.)

I recently had the honor of recording BF’s oral history and the origins of our beloved radio sanctuary. The interview took place at his home in Montrose with wife Luci and daughters Shine & Bronwyn present. Axel Koch, KOTO DJ and photographer, took a few beautiful portraits. And former KOTO DJ Ingrid Lundahl, whose iconic images have captured the spirit of KOTO over the decades, presented BF with a framed photograph that will hang in the station’s lobby.

After the interview, we popped a bottle of champagne and raised a glass to KOTO. And to BF and Jerry — because without them, none of us would be here.

“Those who imagined that they had made a revolution always saw the next day that they did not know what they had been doing, and that the revolution they made was nothing like the one they had wanted to make.”

Sex & Broadcasting