KBDI Founders Break Ground, 1979
Originally known as KBDI Channel 12, PBS12 is a unique civic resource and one of the country’s first alternative public television services. PBS12 provides important local, national and international programming services specifically curated for our on-air and online audiences.
These visionaries wanted to broaden the discourse in local television. Founder John Schwartz “felt television should be put in different kinds of hands; it’s not fair to enunciate only one point of view.” They wanted to provide a real alternative, even to the still somewhat new PBS service of other public stations.
In 1977, the small group founded the Front Range Educational Media Corporation (FREMCO) and applied for a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a station on channel 12.
In 1979, FREMCO was granted a license to serve the Front Range and on February 22, 1980, KBDI – the new station’s call letters – began broadcasting.
Salvaged from the leftovers of other stations, KBDI’s equipment – which sat on milk crates – was fairly old and makeshift, including cameras that were just hand-held camcorders wired to a switcher. Too hot in summer and too cold in winter, the staff and volunteers put up with the cramped, uncomfortable setup with optimistic tenacity.
KBDI Broomfield Studio
Adjusting Early Equipment
“In those days, the station had to keep a transmitter engineer in a little travel trailer at the transmitter site,” remembers Kirby McClure, who worked at the station from 1981-2015. “The engineer not only maintained the transmitter, but also had to turn it on and off each day. At one point, the guy went to Hawaii for his vacation, and when he returned to work at that high elevation (after spending a week at sea level) he got deathly sick and had to be evacuated by helicopter to the hospital!”
Other memories of early challenges include stories about moths eating into the wiring at the transmitter (which knocked the station off the air for a few hours), and using an old-fashioned meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the transmitter (if the thermometer hit “poultry,” fans were brought in to cool the system down).
Early Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain Transmitter
Teletunes Logo
Still from Homemovies Intro
In 1981, a full six months before the debut of MTV, KBDI launched FM-TV. Later renamed Teletunes, the series featured progressive, alternative music and became one of the longest-running music-video programs in the country. According to one fan site, “watching Teletunes was an integral part of the Colorado Generation X experience.”
Another innovative, if low budget, series that achieved a cult-like status was Homemovies. Long before public access TV or shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos, Homemovies offered an outlet for the area’s amateur filmmakers. The program’s hosts, Nick Frazier and Bill Hammel, were known for their creative antics while introducing the videos and helped to create a program that spawned an entire generation of home video content.
View of Downtown Denver from the Five Points Media Center Roof. Photo credit: Ken Hendricks
As the fledgling station gained traction along the Front Range, it became nationally recognized for its accessible, unpretentious, and unexpected approach to public broadcasting. As the smaller of two PBS stations in the area, KBDI differentiated itself by devoting a large portion of its schedule to innovative programming from independent filmmakers, international sources, and in-house productions – programs not included in the mainstream PBS service. Named general manager in 1984, Ted Krichels had been the primary decision-maker at Channel 12 since its founding. Under his guidance, the station became a vehicle for experimental, even controversial programming.
In addition to producing local public affairs series such as Colorado Inside Out and Colorado Inside Out Live (later renamed Studio 12), Channel 12 was one of the country’s first public stations to produce and air programs about gay rights, racism, gun control, First Amendment issues and other contentious subjects – often choosing to air the controversial programs in primetime, and trusting its viewers to draw conclusions for themselves.
In 2003, well ahead of the federal mandate requiring all TV stations to switch to a digital signal by February 17, 2009, KBDI began offering digital programming on three multicast channels: Channel 12.1 served as a digital version of KBDI’s primary channel; 12.2 presented the Documentary Channel, a program service that featured non-fiction films from around the world; while 12.3 featured MHz Worldview, a service offering international news and drama from five continents.
Since 2009, the station has acquired new, more-sophisticated transmission equipment as well as new arrangements for cable and satellite carriage – enabling the growth of the station’s reach beyond the Front Range of Colorado to expanded service in the Boulder valley, Summit Country and the entire Aspen/Glenwood Springs area.
Today, the station serves 85 percent of the state’s population. Transmitter improvements and digital carriage on cable and satellite systems are extending the station’s reach in almost every direction across the state.
Viewers who would like to check which channels are available in their area (and where to find them on their dials) are encouraged to check the station’s zip code locator.
In 1992, Colorado Inside Out (CIO) was created to provide in-depth analysis of the weekly events affecting Colorado. Over the years, this roundtable discussion has been hosted by Ken Hamblin, Peter Boyles, Raj Chohan, and its current host, executive producer Dominic Dezzutti. Regular panelists include Patricia Calhoun, Editor of Westword and an original panelist, David Kopel, Research Director at the Independence Institute, Eric Sondermann, a political analyst and a weekly columnist at Colorado Politics, Natasha Gardner, Articles Editor at 5280 and a growing list of various journalists, pundits and activists throughout Colorado.
In the early 2000’s, Colorado Inside Out debuted what became a very successful tradition – its “Time Machine” episodes. In these Emmy-winning specials, the CIO cast tapes the program as if it were a different year in Colorado’s history. Using costumes and special effects, the host and panelists assume historical personalities and discuss the issues of the day from a particular year in the distant past.
In 1997, Colorado Inside Out Live debuted as Colorado’s only live call-in program that gave viewers a chance to join the conversation. Hosted by Peter Boyles, CIO Live tackled various topics each week, unafraid to feature vociferous debates and proud to examine the kinds of issues other media outlets would not cover.
In 2007, Colorado Inside Out Live became Studio 12 and new hosts Tamara Banks and Steffan Tubbs alternated hosting duties each week. During its 7-year run, Studio 12 won an Emmy and other numerous awards, and its hosts offered viewers a first-hand look at issues from all over the world, including coverage from Sudan, Haiti, Iwo Jima, Iraq, Uganda Nicaragua and Rwanda. Studio 12 also won numerous awards for its in-depth analysis and the unique perspective it offered viewers throughout Colorado.
Since 1996, PBS12 has been proud to offer the most in-depth election debate coverage in Colorado. Every election season, PBS12 has offered a full slate of candidate and issue debates.
In 2004, the station joined with CBS4 and the Rocky Mountain News to create Colorado Decides. This election series continues today, now in partnership with CBS4 and The Colorado Sun, offering debates and analysis throughout each election season, as well as live coverage from CBS4 on election night.
During its early years, the station gained a wide following among progressive music fans with its groundbreaking music video series Teletunes. Today, PBS12 is celebrating its longstanding history with local artists and performers in Sounds on 29th – a live performance and comedy series that showcases some of Colorado’s finest acts.
“We kind of wanted to return to our roots,” commented Sounds on 29th producer Heather Dalton in a 2013 interview. “But instead of looking at a national level, which Teletunes had done, we had so much incredible local talent that we decided to focus our efforts on the local scene.
In 2015, the station premiered a new magazine series called Street Level. With 8 micro-seasons now under its belt, the award-winning series features neighborhoods and towns from around Colorado, looking at food, arts and community stories told from the street level. Seasons have featured various locations throughout Denver, Glenwood Springs, Leadville as well as specialty seasons exploring Colorado’s start up phenomenon and stories focusing on Denver from the points of view of diverse community influencers.
“Designing a strong future,” Ms. Johnson commented at the time of her appointment, “will require a foundation that incorporates the best of what we’ve built our reputation on. Our ability to engage audiences through mobile media and expansion within digital platforms simply illustrates that we know how to use new technology. Our unique niche is that we are not afraid to maintain an open door to new perspectives and cultural change.”
Throughout her tenure, Ms. Johnson has championed digital improvements and has expanded the station’s international content. Most notably, Ms. Johnson oversaw the expansion of international service on the station’s auxiliary channels.
In 2015, channel 12.2 was converted to feature both a slate of some of public television’s favorite programs, along with 12 hours each day of FNX, First Nations Experience, a public television content stream offering documentaries, dramatic series and arts programming that reflect the lives and cultures of Native American and indigenous people around the world. In 2016, an additional auxiliary channel was added to the lineup featuring a 24/7 feed from NHK World Japan. which presents news, documentaries and specialty programs focused on Japan and Asia. In 2020, after the creators of MHz Worldview ceased distribution, a new international news feed was introduced on the channel lineup on 12.3 – Deutsche Welle (DW), a 24/7 news and documentary service from Germany. This new service expands an already robust line up of international fare for all of the station’s viewers.
In the spring of 2019, Ms. Johnson also led the implementation of CPT12 Passport (now rebranded as PBS12 Passport), a new membership benefit to all station members who have contributed at least $60 annually. This benefit offers viewers the opportunity to watch over 1500 hours of PBS content from any device at any time. Members can now binge watch past seasons of their favorite hits like Masterpiece and find new specials from the entire PBS library.
In February 2020, Colorado Public Television rebranded as PBS12. “We’re thrilled to make PBS a more integral part of our brand through our name – for the legacy PBS represents and for the promise it continues to deliver on,” commented Ms. Johnson. PBS12’s close alignment with one of America’s most trusted brands is enhanced by the station’s solid history of airing independent programs with diverse viewpoints. The result is a station dedicated to trust, diversity, community, and curiosity – and even more thoughtful and thought-provoking content.
A new era of leadership was ushered in with the hiring of Kristen Blessman as President and General Manager in October 2021 after the retirement of Kim Johnson. Kristen joined PBS12 after an extensive national search, coming from the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce where she served as CEO.
“I couldn’t be more honored and excited to join the PBS12 team,” shared Ms. Blessman. “There is no more important time than now for public television to play a critical role in bringing our communities together. I’m so incredibly proud to be a part of it.”
As PBS12 begins its next chapter, it remains committed to the values of service that were part of its founding in 1980. While platforms and technology will continue to evolve, the station’s commitment to serving the Colorado community will not. PBS12 will continue to offer valuable content that provides new global and local perspectives.
With its long-standing emphasis on independence and innovation, PBS12 will continue to welcome all opinions, voices, styles and choices as it presents a rich source of content that is unique in Colorado.
