0% complete
$25,000 Goal
Various events and activities KFFR operated in September 2026
Connecting Every Corner of Grand County
Fraser Valley Community Media operates KFFR 88.3 FM and KWTR 89.1 FM, proudly standing as Grand County, Colorado's only independent, over-the-air nonprofit community radio voice. From homegrown music showcases and local arts features to daily ski and water reports, our airwaves serve as a cultural hearth for residents, visitors, and second-home owners alike. More than just entertainment, we are a trusted community lifeline serving as the county's official single point for emergency alerts when wildfire, mountain blizzards, or power outages test our resilience.
Now, we are embarking on our most ambitious chapter yet: going further west to bring KFFR’s signal and community connection out to Kremmling. We need your support on Colorado Gives Day to power our engineering goals, expand our signal westward, and ensure that every voice in Grand County is heard.
KFFR DJs and staff conducting remote broadcasts at Hot Sulphur Days and Kremmling Days (June 2026)
Crossing Mountain Ridges: The Kremmling Translator Project
During a rare FCC window, KFFR submitted a formal application for a translator license in Kremmling. While final approval results are pending with the FCC, our engineering team is gearing up for what comes next. During a rare FCC window, KFFR submitted a formal application for a translator license in Kremmling. While final approval results are pending with the FCC, our engineering team is gearing up for what comes next.
Why Engineering Donations Matter Right Now
Transmitting a reliable FM signal across mountain passes requires specialized, rugged infrastructure:
Translator Equipment & Tower Linkages: Buying and installing the hardware needed to catch, repeat, and broadcast our 88.3 FM signal clearly across the West Grand valley.
Resilient Battery Backup Systems: Grand County faces extreme winter weather, high winds, and fire risks. Upgrading our transmitter sites with reliable battery backups ensures KFFR stays on the air when power fails, delivering critical emergency broadcasts and real-time updates to rural households when they need them most.
Later on, our long-term goal isn't just sending a signal to Kremmling, it’s broadcasting from Kremmling. We aim to establish a local satellite studio so West Grand residents, ranchers, students, and civic leaders can walk in, put on a headset, and share their stories directly. This is not included in this current budget goal, but do know that we are not looking for short-term gains, but for long-term and sustainable systems for county-wide community connections.
West Grand students from Kremmling visit KFFR Studios in Fraser to learn about audio production (Sept. 2026)
Amplifying Youth: Mustang Radio
One of KFFR’s proudest accomplishments is our commitment to local youth. Radio isn't just an analog medium; for a young person, it’s a microphone to the world, a place to build confidence, explore journalism, curate music, and find their authentic voice.
Creating Mustang Radio for West Grand: As we expand west, we are bringing this exact model to West Grand High School. Our vision is to empower West Grand students through Mustang Radio, giving Kremmling youth the tools, training, and airtime to host their own shows, broadcast local sporting events, and stay connected with their peers across the county.
A Lifeline for the Rural, the Elderly, & Emergency Preparedness
In a high-altitude, rural community like Grand County, community radio is far more than entertainment. It is a lifeline.
Emergency Broadcast Resilience: When power goes down or cell towers get overloaded during mountain blizzards or wildfires, over-the-air radio remains the most reliable communication network. With off-grid battery backup power at our engineering sites, KFFR stands ready as a trusted emergency broadcast link.
Connecting Isolated Voices: For our elderly residents, rural ranchers, and folks living off the main highway corridors, KFFR offers companionship, local news, town hall discussions, and event coverage. It keeps our community connected so no one feels left isolated behind a mountain pass.
The new translator must be at a tower site 8km outside of the Kremmling airport
Join Us in Connecting All of Grand County
Grand County is one community. Whether you live in Winter Park, Fraser, Tabernash, Granby, Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs, or Kremmling, your voice matters. Help us complete our engineering goals, power our emergency backups, bring Mustang Radio to life, and cross the mountain divide to Kremmling.
Donate to KFFR on Colorado Gives (December 9th) and help us broadcast every voice, everywhere in Grand County!
Two volunteer DJs co-host a show interviewing an author about beaver rehabilitation over Zoom (Sept. 2026)
The mission of Fraser Valley Community Media/KFFR is to support local culture and public safety through independent community access radio that connects Grand County residents and visitors to one another and the world.The mission of Fraser Valley Community Media/KFFR is to support local culture and public safety through independent community access radio that connects Grand County residents and visitors to one another and the world. Within this mission, FVCM has identified the following organizational goals and processes that achieve this mission:
KFFR supports the local economy by serving local artistic groups, artists, non-profits, educational institutions and businesses. The station airs a robust weekly community calendar and interviews people involved with local music and cultural events. KFFR partners with municipalities and organizations to offer live, remote broadcasts from concerts and events. KFFR provides affordable outreach opportunities to local businesses and groups through on-air underwriting and social media support.
KFFR empowers local youth through internships, classroom partnerships and broadcast training.
KFFR connects the local community to each other and the world by airing the news program Democracy Now on weekdays, and providing emergency response information, avalanche reports, weather, road conditions and breaking news every day.
KFFR seeks every opportunity to put underserved voices on-air through its volunteer DJ program, youth internships, and recruitment in its board of directors and community advisory board.
Fraser Valley Community Media (FVCM) was founded in 2007 to apply for a full-power, noncommercial educational (NCE) FM radio license by Denis Moynihan. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) announced an application window for NCE radio licenses in early 2007, and this was described as a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity. The application process was competitive, and the FCC determined that FVCM's application was the strongest among a group of four from the region.
FVCM became operational with full-power transmission on a temporary tower in April, 2015, and sought a Special Use Permit (SUP) from Grand County to erect a broadcast tower that would support KFFR's transmission in Winter Park. The Grand County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved FVCM's SUP application on February 6, 2018 and KFFR started to serve Winter Park and the Fraser Valley.
FVCM continues to grow steadily, increasing its annual operating budget by 20–30% each year. The organization now maintains six months of payroll reserves, reflecting strong fiscal health. Funding comes from individual memberships, business underwriting, municipal partnerships, and grants. The most recent membership drive raised over $60,000, with $8,000 allocated to improving signal reliability and redundancy.
Organization name
Fraser Valley Community Media
other names
KFFR 88.3FM
2007
Tax id (EIN)
26-1250067
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities, Public & Societal Benefit, Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Youth Development, Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
PO BOX 2227Grand County, CO, US