Remembering KOTO Founder Jim Bedford

June 23, 2026

An elderly man with a mustache, co-founder of KOTO-FM, holds a stack of books and papers—including one titled Sex and Broadcasting—standing in front of a dark wooden door.

KOTO Founder Jim Bedford passed the morning of Saturday, June 20th, 2026. Jim moved to Telluride in 1972, secured an FCC license in 1973, and went live on 91.7 FM in 1975. More than 50 years later, his legacy carries on at KOTO Radio.

About a year ago, we visited with BF to capture the history of KOTO in his own words.

Read & Listen Here

Recent KOTO Blog Posts

  • Poster announcing a raffle for a Santa Cruz Guitar at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival—event details, guitar description, and sponsor logos for KOTO-FM and Santa Cruz Guitar Company. Don't miss your chance to be the Raffle Winner!.

    Congratulations to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Santa Cruz Guitar Raffle Winner!

    June 23, 2026

    KOTO was pleased to partner with Planet Bluegrass and their sponsor - Santa Cruz Guitars - to raffle off a pre-war D18 dreadnought modeled after Tony Rice's guitar at this year's Telluride Bluegrass Festival. We are happy to announce the winner - Jay Williams, of Nashville, TN!

    Congratulations Jay, and thanks for supporting KOTO Community Radio!

  • A vintage black-and-white photo from the Telluride Historical Museum shows sixteen men outdoors, posed with brass instruments and a bass drum, dressed in suits and hats among trees—a true snapshot of Historical Harmonies.

    Telluride Historical Museum presents Historic Harmonies

    March 20, 2026

    Historic Harmonies is a monthly podcast by the Telluride Historical Museum. Each month, staff will choose a different song about American history and dive into the history behind it, covering the history of the song itself, its historical context, and what larger themes the song covers.

    Click through to browse the archive of episodes!