KBUT expresses gratitude

Editor:

I wanted to express an inexpressible amount of gratitude to this community on behalf of the staff, board of directors, and DJs at KBUT. Our Summer 2026 Pledge Drive ended on Aug. 7 and was yet another huge, surprising, validating, heartwarming success. After the nationwide loss of federal funding for public broadcasting a little over a year ago, we faced an uncertain future with 26 percent of our operating budget gone in an instant. The Summer 2025 Drive showed us how valued we were by the community in those circumstances, but we didn't know if, a year later, with that story absent from the headlines, we could count on that same level of support.

The Summer 2026 Drive was, for me, the moment of truth: was $100,000 too large an ask? Did the Gunnison Valley really have our backs, not just last year, but into the future? You did, to the tune of $130,000 (and counting) in donations. It wasn't just a huge sigh of relief, it was proof that our community loves the station as much as we do. As we look forward to our 40th anniversary on December 12, 2026 (stay tuned for announcements on that huge party), it's a comfort and a blessing to know that we can count on our listeners. We very literally can't do it without you. 

So thanks to everyone who gave gifts large and small, all the businesses and individuals who donated food, the phone op volunteers, the musicians who gave of their time and talent, the DJs, the staff, the Board of Directors, everyone who made it happen. Hundreds of people pitch in all year to make a radio station that our community values so much; it's not just two weeks in the summer and two in the winter. We're Community Radio for the Gunnison Valley all year, and this community's generosity ensures that the magic will continue year after year, hopefully for another 40, and another 40 after that. 

Jackson Petito

Executive Director, KBUT