KSUT-FM

KSUT-FM is the principal signal identity of Four Corners Public Radio and KSUT Tribal Radio. The service began in Ignacio in 1976 as a 10-watt community station created to communicate with members of the Southern Ute community. Its early signal barely reached Ignacio; its programming included Ute-language material, cultural affairs, community news, personal messages, traditional Native American music, and popular music.

Growth and service

In 1984, KSUT’s board voted to expand the station’s audience and programming. The service became affiliated with National Public Radio and American Public Radio and added broader public-radio and music programming. In June 1998, KSUT separated the original tribal service from its expanding regional public-radio service by placing them on two signals. Tribal Radio retained Native American programming and community events; Four Corners Public Radio serves a wider regional audience.

KSUT broadcasts from studios in Ignacio. The organization describes itself as an independent nonprofit governed by a board of directors; it explicitly distinguishes that governance from tribal ownership. Its current network serves communities in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah through several transmitters.

Current service record

• Origin: Ignacio, Colorado; signed on in 1976 as a 10-watt tribal community service.
• Regional expansion: NPR and American Public Radio affiliation in 1984; two-signal service launched in 1998.
• Studio location: Ignacio, Colorado, on Southern Ute lands.
• Selected present-day frequencies: Four Corners Public Radio: 90.1 FM (Durango/La Plata County), 106.3 FM (Cortez/Mancos/Montezuma County), and 91.1 FM (Silverton). Tribal Radio: 91.3 FM (Ignacio/Southern Ute and Jicarilla Apache lands), 89.7 FM (Farmington and northwest New Mexico), and 100.9 FM (Towaoc/Ute Mountain Ute lands). These are network frequencies, not a complete transmitter list.

2024 CBA Awards: Awards of Excellence: Best News Feature, Report or Series, “Historic Durango train switches from coal to oil in an eco-friendly move to reduce wildfire risk,” and Best News Coverage of a Single Event, “Youth heavy metal concert in Ignacio brings in an all-Indigenous lineup of bands” (both Clark Adomaitis); Best Station Website, KSUT Four-Corners Public Radio Website (Mark Duggan). Certificates of Merit: Best Sports Feature, “New film Rez Ball showcases Indigenous-designed sports apparel from Shiprock, New Mexico” (Clark Adomaitis), and Best Station Website, KSUT Tribal Radio Website (Crystal Ashike). Official CBA 2024 results.

2023 CBA Awards: Awards of Excellence: Best News Feature, “One woman’s journey with The Vagina Monologues” (Clark Adomaitis and Adam Burke); Best News Coverage of a Single Event, “Durango High School’s Black Student Alliance heads to Atlanta” (Clark Adomaitis); Best Sports Feature, “Durango School District 9-R trains P.E. Teachers on traditional Native American games” (Clark Adomaitis); and Best Station Website, KSUT Four-Corners Public Radio Website (Mark Duggan). Certificates of Merit: Best News Feature, “One Overdose Turned Teens Into Activists” (Clark Adomaitis and Adam Burke), and Best Sports Feature, “Durango 9-R School District provides programming for bilingual students” (Clark Adomaitis). Official CBA 2023 results.

Sources and further reading

• KSUT Public Radio, “About KSUT” — station history, 1984 and 1998 service changes, governance, studio location, and regional reach.
• KSUT Public Radio, “History” — interviews and archival reporting about the 1976 launch and later development.
• KSUT Public Radio, “Where to Tune In” — current frequency list for the two services.

Catalog note: “KSUT-FM” is used here as the archive’s station identity for a multi-signal public-radio organization; individual frequencies identify relays within the network.