Bird calls accompanied by swarming bees.
Boulder-based KGNU 1390-AM and 88.5-FM air some most unconventional programming, so when my Saturday morning fare of “Honky Tonk Heroes” sounded like an Amazon jungle, I thought I was hearing just another offbeat show.
Turns out the community station’s 25-year-old AM transmitter simply ran out of gas five weeks ago, and management was forced to use a lame, low-powered replacement temporarily.
But they fired up a new 5,000-watt signal with a digital transmitter last week, and it’s all-clear again. “I’m so heartened that we have a nice, clean signal,” said Marty Durlin, the station’s general manager for 19 years. “When we made the decision to expand (to Denver), we felt we couldn’t do it halfway.”
KGNU is devoted to treading the radio path less taken. There’s programming from country music to political and social commentary.
Everyone is welcome. “We do an orientation once a month at the studios in Boulder,” said Durlin. “We offer radio training. What we’ve done for the past 28 years, we’ll try to work that person into the programming. It’s based on the idea that people should have and make and control their own media.”
In addition to a better AM signal, KGNU is increasing its physical presence in Denver. The AM staff and studio are now housed at 700 Kalamath St.
Mutual admiration
It’s more the Unusual Couple than the Odd Couple, but rocker Todd Mohr and talk-show host Jay Marvin have become pals.
Mohr, front man for Big Head Todd and the Monsters, is such a fan of the left-leaning Marvin’s show on KKZN 760-AM that he’s turning up on air 6 to 10 a.m. Wednesday to play his guitar and be Paul Shaffer to Marvin’s David Letterman.
Mohr called Marvin’s show several weeks ago, and the two hit it off.
Around the dial
Comic Tom Green reportedly signed to do a late-night show on ManiaTV, the Denver-based, 24-hour Internet music site. ManiaTV execs declined comment … KMGH-Channel 7 weatherman Mike Nelson dishes lemonade for a good cause, fighting pediatric cancer as part of Alex’s Lemonade Stand from noon to 1 p.m. today at Gunther Toody’s, 4500 E. Alameda Ave. … Preserving national forests against pollution, political pressures and development is the focus of “The Greatest Good,” narrated by Charles Osgood (8 p.m. Thursday, KRMA-Channel 6) … Denver radio/TV veteran Thomas Nolan is the new general sales manager for Entravision’s three Spanish-language stations, KMXA 1090-AM, KJMN 92.1-FM and KXPK 96.5-FM … Quotable: “Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology.” John Tudor
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
