Aspen Public Radio

What Aspen Public Radio does

Aspen Public Radio is a community-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit public radio station founded in 1981 and headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, with 21 employees serving the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. The station operates as an NPR affiliate broadcasting on 91.5 FM in Aspen and 88.9 FM throughout the broader valley, supplemented by Spanish-language programming via La Tricolor Aspen at 107.1 FM for Hispanic communities across Pitkin, Garfield, and Eagle counties. Core technical infrastructure is FM broadcast combined with digital streaming, smart speaker integration, and a native mobile application launched in July 2024 (built by jācapps) that enables live streaming, on-demand podcast access, Sonic ID Project submissions, and Cultural Events Calendar exploration. The product portfolio extends beyond broadcast to include the Ideas/Speakers/Lectures archive drawn from 15+ cultural institution partners, the daily Local Newscast podcast, Emergency Resources service integrated with the PitkinAlert system, and The Transmitter weekly newsletter.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure with no disclosed membership pricing tiers. Revenue streams include recurring and one-time listener donations, annual membership drives, vehicle donations through CarEasy, gifts of stock, planned giving, corporate sponsorships and business support underwriting, passive affiliate donations via the King Soopers/City Market Community Rewards program, and merchandise sales through a Shopify storefront. The go-to-market motion is community-led, anchored in local journalism desks covering Arts & Culture, Climate & Environment, Education, Government, Health & Wellness, Social Justice, and Women's issues, plus formal emergency broadcast partnerships with Pitkin County Emergency Management and Aspen Fire Protection District. Customer segments are primarily geographic (Roaring Fork Valley residents and visitors) with a secondary Spanish-speaking demographic segment. Strategic positioning emphasizes irreplaceable local journalism, investigative reporting, and emergency information utility in a mountain market underserved by larger commercial media.

Name

Aspen Public Radio

Legal name

Aspen Public Radio

Website

https://aspenpublicradio.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aspen Public Radio is a nonprofit NPR-affiliate public radio station founded in 1981 that serves Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley via FM broadcast, mobile app, streaming, and emergency alert partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

National Public Radio Networks & Member Stations (NPR-style) (MPABADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB), Independent Local Radio Stations (MPABACAD)

Keywords

• Public radio broadcasting
• NPR affiliate station
• Local journalism
• Community radio
• Classical music programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Aspen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership and Donations: Listener-supported membership program with annual giving campaigns, one-time donations, and recurring donation options. Includes vehicle donations, gifts of stock, and planned giving options.
2. Community Rewards Programs: Partnership with City Market/King Soopers Community Rewards program where supporters link their Plus Card to generate donations from everyday shopping.
3. Business Support and Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship and business support programs for local companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aspen Public Radio is a nonprofit public radio station that broadcasts NPR news, classical music, and local journalism over FM frequencies (91.5 Aspen, 88.9 Roaring Fork Valley, and 107.1 La Tricolor Aspen for Spanish-language content). Its products and services are delivered free-of-charge to community listeners via traditional FM broadcast, digital streaming, smart speakers, and a dedicated mobile application.

Product overview

Aspen Public Radio operates as a local public radio station providing NPR News and local journalism to the Aspen and Roaring Fork Valley communities. The core offering is broadcast radio on 91.5 FM (Aspen) and 88.9 FM (Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys), supplemented by a native mobile app launched in July 2024 that enables on-demand streaming and content discovery. The product portfolio includes live radio streaming, daily Local Newscast podcasts, the Sonic ID audio archive library, the Ideas/Speakers/Lectures program featuring community partner events, Emergency Resources for public safety information, a Cultural Events Calendar, The Transmitter weekly newsletter, and Spanish-language content through Noticias en Español and La Tricolor Aspen (107.1 FM). Listeners can also access the station via smart speakers and an FM/emergency radio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Tricolor Aspen: Spanish-language radio station operating at 107.1 FM providing news, alerts and information in Spanish for the Hispanic community in Pitkin, Garfield and Eagle counties

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAspen Public Radio is an NPR affiliate, broadcasting NPR News programming and contributing local content to the NPR network. This affiliation provides access to national and international news coverage.
• Mountain West News BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional news partnership contributing to Mountain West News Bureau coverage, providing expanded regional reporting for the station.
• Rocky Mountain Community RadiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition supporting community radio stations across the Rocky Mountain region.
• Aspen JournalismmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Aspen Journalism for investigative reporting and local journalism coverage, with staff reporter Eleanor Bennett reporting in collaboration with both organizations.
• Ideas, Speakers & Lectures Community PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with over 15 local cultural institutions including Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, Aspen Center for Physics, Aspen Institute Community Programs, Aspen Music Festival and School, Aspen Words, and others to archive and broadcast community lectures and events.
• City Market / King SoopersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Rewards program partnership where shoppers can link their Plus Card to generate donations to Aspen Public Radio with each purchase.
• Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork ValleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerValley-wide resource dedicated to helping communities take action on wildfire risk, partnering with fire and forestry experts, local governments, nonprofits, and businesses for emergency preparedness.
• Pitkin County Emergency ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial emergency broadcast partner providing critical emergency information including severe weather, road closures, missing persons, and evacuations through the PitkinAlert system.
• Aspen Fire Protection DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for wildfire and emergency information, providing access to live wildfire cameras, risk maps, and evacuation guidance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NPR (National Public Radio): National public radio network and Aspen Public Radio's content affiliation partner. As the upstream programming source and shared brand owner, NPR is a strategic incumbent rather than a direct competitor but shapes content and audience expectations.
• Colorado Public Radio (CPR): Statewide public radio network based in Denver covering Colorado with news, classical, and indie music programming. Operates CPR News, CPR Classical, and Indie 102.3, making it a broader incumbent that competes for donor attention and listener share across Aspen Public Radio's territory.
• iHeartMedia Denver: Large commercial radio operator with stations across Colorado including in mountain regions. Competes for listener share and advertising/sponsorship dollars in Aspen Public Radio's territory with a fundamentally different business model (commercial vs. nonprofit).

Direct peers

• KDNK Community Radio: Carbondale-based community public radio station also serving the Roaring Fork Valley. Direct geographic overlap with Aspen Public Radio across Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, and surrounding communities, with similar nonprofit, member-supported model and NPR-adjacent programming.
• KVNF Public Radio: Community public radio station based in Paonia, Colorado, serving the North Fork Valley and parts of the Western Slope. Direct peer in mission, size, and Rocky Mountain community radio coalition membership.
• WBEZ Chicago: Mid-to-large public radio station and NPR affiliate with a comparable nonprofit membership model, deep local news investment, and digital expansion strategy. Representative of larger, more urban public radio peers that Aspen Public Radio could scale toward.
• KBUT (Crested Butte): Community radio station in Crested Butte serving Gunnison County and parts of the Roaring Fork region. Comparable mountain-town public radio operation with member-supported model and local programming focus.
• KUNC (Northern Colorado): NPR-member public radio station serving northern Colorado with comparable nonprofit membership model, local news focus, and Mountain West News Bureau participation. Similar size and operational structure to Aspen Public Radio.

Emerging players

• Mountain West News Bureau: Collaborative regional reporting initiative funded by Colorado public radio stations and other partners. Aspen Public Radio is a contributing member; comparable coalition-based public-media model for sharing investigative content across states.
• Aspen Journalism: Nonprofit investigative local news organization in Aspen that collaborates with Aspen Public Radio reporter Eleanor Bennett. Operates in the same donor/reader market with overlapping editorial mission but distinct delivery (written vs. broadcast).

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/aspenpublicradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/AspenPublicRadio
• Instagraminstagram.com/aspenpublicradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspen-public-radio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aspen Public Radio