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

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