SAN LUIS VALLEY – Local radio station KRZA will be hosting its Spring Fund Drive on April 1-10 with hopes of raising more money and awareness to keep the historical station on the air.  

The radio station began having financial trouble in August of 2025 when funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting cut funding by 50%. The radio station had hopes that would turn around but when their annual allocation of funding was set to come in November of 2025, funding was cut completely.  

“We have amazing support. When the funding was cut, we reached out to local media outlets and grant funders. The response was amazing. We received enough operating funds to make it through the end of this year, but we are not out of the water yet,” said General Manager Gerald Rodriguez. “We are doing everything we can to make sure this resource stays live.” 

According to the history of the station, “KRZA Community Radio signed on the air officially in October of 1985. Getting to that point was a 10-year odyssey, and a tribute to the determination of the community. Originally conceived in the mid-70’s, KRZA was the brainchild of a collective of women in the San Luis Valley who felt the need for an outlet that would serve the area’s Hispanic community. It took ten years to get the funding, licensing, and know-how necessary to bring KRZA to the airwaves.” 

The radio station did receive historical designation at the beginning of 2025 but operating costs continued to be hard to cover. “We were so thankful for the historical designation but it doesn’t come with operating money to help us keep the lights on. We had to cut staff down to the bare minimum and we had to cut some of our programming. We just want to keep getting the word out.” 

The radio station received help through resources like 9News, Rocky Mountain PBS and several others who stepped up and helped make sure the station could keep operating through the end of 2026. 

“KRZA is a precious gem and resource for so many of our listeners who do not have access to digital news outlets or the internet. We are a community voice and we are one of not many still out there.” 

KRZA is dedicated to maintaining its role as a connecting force in the community. 

For more information or to learn about ways to help, visit www.krza.org or by listening to 88.7FM.