(record scratching) I still get that warm feeling whenever I'm playing vinyl.

(record starting) It is a richer, warmer sound than CDs or cassettes.

God help me.

(rock music fading out) Grateful Steve here, and I'm here to play you two hours-worth of that rich, warm sound that only vinyl can produce.

And you heard it all right here because you are listening to KRFC 88.9 F.M.

on your radio dial.

KRFC is located in downtown Fort Collins It was part of KCSU with Colorado State University until the late 90s, when Colorado State University wanted to move forward and have KCSU just be a student-run radio station.

There were a lot of community members that were disenfranchized.

They didn't have a station anymore.

So this group of people got together and said, “We're going to get a license.” I do want to pass the weather along to you, because button-up that overcoat today.

And then its been 22 years since.

Were in our 22nd year.

Our mission is to support local Colorado artists.

Monday through Friday, 6 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

the DJs have to play 50% newer music, 50% older music.

And each hour, they have to play those two Colorado artists every hour.

It's called the “NoCo Flow.” We're really lucky in Colorado in general, I think, because we have such a rich music and radio environment.

All of our radio stations play different roles, and our role is about music and about community.

Out of everybody that we have on the team.

it's probably about 7% paid staff and at least 90% to 93% volunteers.

and at least 90% to 93% volunteers.

We have 138 volunteers with KRFC right now.

About 75 of them are on the air.

About 75 of them are on the air.

And Billy Joel finished our first set of the morning “You May Be Right.” What do you mean, “I may be right?” I'm right.

I just passed, last month, a thousand shows over 22.5 years, and I still get just as much a kick out as I did then.

I had no radio background, but my lovely wife had a 21-year career full time in the radio business.

I was the first person on the air in 2003, which was really fun.

I remember flipping the switch, and and turning the first song on and it was very, very moving.

It is definitely not cheap to run a radio station, We did have the Corporation for Public Broadcasting grant.

That would come to us each year.

In 2025, we had just around $109,000 that came to KRFC from CPB.

When CPB was active, they covered all of the music licensing.

Heading forward, this is something that we're going to have to take on head on, and this definitely could be something that affects radio stations with the amount of music they play and where they're getting their music from.

It's personal.

Thats what I like about it.

Its so important these days, to actually be connected to something, to be part of something It really fills a need in us as human beings, I think, and adds to our happiness and our health.

Powered by volunteers who care about community.

KRFC 88.9 F.M.