By Sara Atencio-Gonzales, The Paper. – For 60 years, KUNM has been more than a radio station. It has been a place where New Mexicans discover new music, hear familiar voices, stay informed and connect with communities beyond their own. From Native American songs and Sunday morning gospel to local journalism and national news, the University of New Mexico’s public radio station has built an identity that is difficult to squeeze into a single genre.
Now, as KUNM celebrates its 60th anniversary, the people behind the microphones are reflecting on six decades of change, community connection and the music that has kept listeners tuning in.
For General Manager Jeffrey Pope, the station’s greatest strength lies in the people who make it possible. “What makes public radio special is our connection to the community,” says Pope.
That connection has been growing since KUNM’s earliest days. The station traces its beginnings to 1960, when it operated as KNMD, a campus radio service transmitted through electrical wiring at UNM. It expanded into FM broadcasting in October 1966, eventually adopting the KUNM call letters.
Initially focused on classical and jazz music, the station embraced underground rock and freeform programming by the late 1960s. Its signal expanded with a move to Sandia Crest in 1976, and KUNM joined National Public Radio in 1978.
Over the decades, its programming has evolved, but its commitment to providing a platform for community voices has remained central. Few people understand that better than Ron Bryan, a host of “Singing Wire” who has spent 37 years at KUNM.
Bryan, who is Diné, explains that his involvement began with curiosity after hearing Native American music on the station. Bryan reached out about volunteering and was eventually introduced to the program.
What began as curiosity became nearly four decades of sharing Indigenous music and traditions with listeners. “Singing Wire,” which airs Sunday afternoons, features Native American music ranging from traditional songs to contemporary sounds, including reggae, blues and pop.
For Bryan, the freedom to select music is an important part of what makes KUNM special. “You know, a lot of it’s handed down, and it’s just music or clips that you’d never find anywhere else,” says Bryan.
That freedom also attracted Cecilia Webb, who has hosted the Sunday morning gospel program “Train to Glory” for more than 28 years. Webb’s journey to KUNM began after she moved to Albuquerque and repeatedly heard the show’s former host asking for volunteers.
After four months of listening to the announcement, Webb finally decided to send in a cassette recording of herself hosting a program. She was given an opportunity to take over the show and has remained ever since.
“The fact that you can bring and select your own music,” says Webb, describing what she appreciates about KUNM. “I don’t know of any stations where you can do that, and I love the freedom of that.”
Webb’s program features traditional and contemporary Black gospel music, including performances by local church choirs and national recording artists. Webb has watched the technology behind radio change dramatically, from vinyl records and cassette tapes to CDs and online streaming.
Those changes have also transformed the station’s reach.
Bryan remembers when listeners traveling through New Mexico sometimes needed to find higher ground to receive KUNM’s signal. Today, streaming allows his program to reach listeners far beyond the state. “We’re talking to the world,” says Bryan.
Webb has experienced that expansion firsthand, hearing from listeners in countries including Germany and the United Kingdom.
Although technology has opened new doors, she misses some of the face-to-face connections that once came with the station’s fundraising drives. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers gathered in phone rooms to answer calls and interact with listeners. Much of that process has since moved online.
Still, Webb says the audience remains essential to the station’s success. “I’m passionate about it, but I’m so grateful to the listening audience because without them, we would not be here,” says Webb.
While longtime volunteer hosts preserve KUNM’s musical traditions, its newsroom has undergone an evolution of its own. News Director Megan Kamerick first joined the station as a pledge-drive volunteer in 2005. She later volunteered on several programs before becoming “Morning Edition” host in 2015 and eventually news director in 2021.
Kamerick remembers a station that felt deeply connected to its community, although its newsroom was considerably smaller. “It seemed like a community, a little chaotic community,” says Kamerick.
Since then, Kamerick has watched KUNM expand its professional journalism operations, covering issues including education, public health, poverty and environmental concerns. “It has become a more professional newsroom,” says Kamerick.
The newsroom has also navigated difficult periods, including the pandemic, staff departures and the loss of federal funding.
Now, Kamerick hopes to expand reporting capacity while strengthening partnerships with other New Mexico news organizations. KUNM is also experimenting with short-form video, YouTube and social media to reach audiences whose listening habits have changed. “We’re trying to meet people where they are, for sure, because we know this is all changing,” says Kamerick.
Pope sees those changes as opportunities rather than signs that radio is fading away. “This is the golden age of audio, the golden age of radio,” says Pope.
For Pope, the challenge is ensuring KUNM’s programming remains accessible, whether listeners tune in through a traditional radio, a podcast or an online stream. But the station’s future also depends on financial support. With federal public-media funding eliminated, KUNM is relying on community contributions and other funding sources to continue its work.
The anniversary arrives at a moment when celebrating the past and investing in the future are closely connected. And what better way to celebrate a station built around music than with a concert? A music-filled 60th Birthday Party has been organized by Albuquerque’s Amp Concerts and community members are invited to join in the celebration this Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Albuquerque Museum.
Pope explains that the decision reflected KUNM’s longstanding relationship with New Mexico’s arts and music communities. “It’s a great way to invite people into their experience of KUNM,” says Pope.
For longtime hosts like Bryan and Webb, the anniversary is also an opportunity to think about the people who will eventually take their places behind the microphone. Bryan hopes future generations will continue sharing the music, traditions and cultural knowledge that have defined Singing Wire. Webb hopes “Train to Glory” will continue long after her time at the station ends.
Their dedication reflects something that has endured through 60 years of changing technology, programming and audiences: the belief that radio can bring people together.
As Kamerick looks toward the future, she hopes KUNM continues offering not just information, but something equally important. “Joy is important,” says Kamerick. “People like joy too.”
KUNM will celebrate its 60th anniversary Saturday, Oct. 17, at the Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater (2000 Mountain Rd. NW). Doors open at 4 p.m., with performances by Cadillac Bob & The Rhinestones, Red Light Cameras, Paul Pino & The Tone Daddies and DJ Three Deuce Luce. Tickets start at $20, with a suggested $60 donation (one dollar for each year!). For more information, visit the AMP Concerts website at ampconcerts.org/.
If you go…
KUNM turns 60!
- Saturday, Oct. 17 at 4 p.m.
- Albuquerque Museum Amphitheater (2000 Mountain Rd. NW)
- Tickets start at $20
