Resolution of the San Miguel Educational Fund (SMEF) July 1997

WHEREAS SMEF is the owner and operator of community radio station KOTO, and WHEREAS the SMEF board is empowered by its bylaws to carry out and delegate policy decisions regarding the allocation and scheduling of broadcast and production work, and WHEREAS it is the mission of KOTO to provide the highest level of programming to the community it serves, and WHEREAS SMEF believes it is positive to promote the discussion of programming with representatives of the board, KOTO, staff, volunteers and listeners. Now, therefore be it resolved that KOTO establish a  “programming advisory board (CAB)” with the following general powers and procedures:

Make-up and appointment

The board will consist of ___members: 1 from the SMEF board; 1 from the staff (one of whom will be the program director); and the remainder from volunteers and/or listeners.  The CAB will be appointed by the SMEF board.  Terms shall be for a period of 4 years. Volunteer/listener seat openings shall be announced on the community calendar with statements of interest requested.

Powers of the Board

The CAB is delegated the power to:

  1. Discuss and make recommendations to the program director, regarding past, current and future programming.
  2. Review, discuss and make specific recommendations regarding programming policy to the SMEF board, either at the request of SMEF or by the initiative of the CAB.
  3. CAB may develop and make programming awards.

Procedures of the Board

The board shall meet generally on a quarterly basis.  Its  meetings shall be public.

  1. Governing and operation of the CAB meetings shall be determined by CAB.
  2. CAB may, on occasion, use the KOTO airwaves to promote programming discussions and public input.

KOTO Citizens Advisory Board Members

Michael Haberkorn
Janet Humphreys
Tara Carter
Molly Perrault
Carol Dix
Dave Hodges
Ben Kerr
Trish Schilling
Franz Rassman
Angela Watkins

Citizen Advisory Board Meetings

KOTO’s Citizen Advisory Board meets at 6:15 p.m. at the Hotel Telluride and/or via Zoom. Zoom links will be published at the KOTO homepage (koto.org). The public is welcome to join any meeting. Email your comments to [email protected].

  • March 11, 2025
    June 10, 2025
    September 16, 2025
    December 9, 2025

KOTO C.A.B. Meeting Tuesday September 10, 2024 5:30 – 6:50 pm.

9-10-24 Meeting Notes:

KOTO Response to SMEF Request for Recommendations SMEF Can Act on in Response to Listener Survey Results. The results of the KOTO Listener Survey were largely favorable, with most respondents essentially taking the position to “keep up the good work.” However, there were some comments that provided constructive criticism regarding local news coverage and local-sourced programming. Each is addressed separately below.

1) Increase Local News: Many respondents commented that they want more local news and that local news could be more localized.

Background: Presently, KOTO locally produced news airs Monday through Friday at 6PM, with repeat broadcasts the following morning at 8AM. The broadcast, which typically runs 15-20

minutes, focuses on local news, followed by regional and state issues. Local news coverage also includes broadcasts of all Telluride Town Council meetings. Additionally, representatives of

the San Miguel County Board of Supervisors and the Mountain Village Town Council are each provided one hour of air-time per month to present topics of local interest. And, most recently,

KOTO hired a news reporter to cover rural areas, i.e., areas outside of the Telluride immediate area.

Potential Follow-Up Tasks:

1. Increase on-air promotion of local government air-time.

2. Increase coverage of County Board and Mountain Village Town Council meetings to the extent feasible.

3. Work with representatives of the Telluride Historic Museum to produce and air regular (weekly) broadcast features.

4. Other?

2) Increase Local Programming: Respondents commented that they want more local programing, as opposed to national syndicated programming.

Background: Presently, KOTO programming is largely local-based. Of Monday through Friday programming, approximately 20 hours per week consists of nationally syndicated programming, such as NPR morning and afternoon news broadcasts, noon-hour programming such as Democracy Now and The Thomas Jefferson Radio Hour, and various other programming, including Putamayo World Music Hour, This American Life, and the Colorado Playlist.

Potential Follow-Up Tasks:

1. Explore elimination of certain nationally syndicated programming.

2. Explore increasing live local programming, such as live music broadcasts.

3. Other