KCME (88.7

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is an independent, listener-supported

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radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

, serving the

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010. Colorado Springs is the second-most populous c ...

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. It is owned by Cheyenne Mountain Public Broadcast House, Inc., and airs a

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

. Its slogan is "Local. Classical. Cultural". KCME's studios and administrative offices are at 1921 N. Weber Street in Colorado Springs. Its main broadcasting tower is on

Cheyenne Mountain Cheyenne Mountain is a triple-peaked mountain in El Paso County, Colorado, southwest of downtown Colorado Springs. The mountain serves as a host for military, communications, recreational, and residential functions. The underground operations c ...

. KCME may be heard worldwide via internet streaming o
www.kcme.org
KCME also broadcasts in the

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

digital format.

Jazz 93.5

KCME programs a wide variety of jazz on its HD-2 subchannel, which also feeds a

translator station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

, 93.5 MHz K228EM. It is branded as Jazz 93.5, and is a sister station of KCME. Originally KCME aired jazz on Saturday mornings and Saturday evenings during the first 26 years it was on the air. In the 1990s, KCME also had Jazz during the overnight hours in the summer months. KCME dropped jazz programming in 2007 to focus on its main classical music programming due in part to

Colorado Public Radio Colorado Public Radio (CPR) is a public radio state network based in Denver, Colorado that broadcasts three services: news, classical music and Indie 102.3, which plays adult album alternative music. CPR airs its programming on 15 full-power ...

's classical service having a translator in Colorado Springs which was eventually closed down. In addition, both CPR Classical and KCME broadcast the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

on Saturdays, previously sandwiched for many years between the jazz blocks on KCME. When HD technology made it possible, KCME created a full-time jazz service on its HD-2 subchannel in late October 2017, coupled with a translator station. Jazz 93.5 is also heard worldwide via

internet streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

o
www.jazz935.org
Its slogan is "In the Moment".

History

KCME

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

for the first time on December 24, 1979, on its original frequency of 88.1 MHz. It was founded by Charles M. Edmonds, who also served as the president and chief engineer. The station's

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

is made up of Edmonds' initials, C.M.E. KCME's offices and studios were on Minnehaha Avenue in

Manitou Springs Manitou Springs is a home rule municipality located at the foot of Pikes Peak in western El Paso County, Colorado, United States. The town was founded for its natural mineral springs. The downtown area continues to be of interest to traveler ...

. In 1990, KCME moved to its current dial position at 88.7 MHz.Broadcasting Yearbook 1991 page B-55
/ref> Another station replaced KCME at 88.1, KTPL, a

Christian radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

outlet in nearby

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The ...

. In the mid 1990s, KCME's studios and offices moved to facilities in Colorado Springs, although the station is still identified on the air as "KCME, Manitou Springs."

Satellite stations

KCME maintains several

satellite station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

s for its classical programming: Full powered KMPZ in Salida (200 watts), along with translators K208DP 89.5 MHz in Nathrop (100 watts) and K216EF 91.1 FM

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

(100 watts) and 89.5 in Cripple Creek, Colorado. In July 2008, KCME was invited by Summit Public Radio and TV, Inc. to relay its signal to Summit County (Breckenridge, Dillon, Frisco and Silverthorne) on 89.3 MHz.

References

External links

KCME websiteJazz 93.5 website
* * {{coord, 38.744, N, 104.862, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title

CME CME. or cme, can refer to any of the following: Organizations * Canadian Military Engineers, the military engineer branch of the Canadian Forces * Central European Media Enterprises * Central Music Company (CME), Beijing, China * Christian Met ...

Classical music radio stations in the United States Manitou Springs, Colorado NPR member stations Radio stations established in 1977 1977 establishments in Colorado