Radio 1190’s new lobby in Carlson Gym features more than 6,000 vinyl records and 15,000 CDs. (Photo by Quinn O’Donnell)
Radio 1190 comes ‘back from the dead’ once again
By Quinn O’Donnell
Over the past century, CU Boulder’s student radio station has survived budget battles and nearly a year of remote broadcasting after COVID-19.
But in January 2026, construction at the University Memorial Center brought its biggest threat yet: They were asked to move out or go off air completely.
Facing strict Federal Communications Commission requirements, not only could students not afford to go dark during the UMC’s HVAC overhaul, but they also had no desire to.
“There were ways to get around the problem, but none were as good as just having a radio station,” said Josh Sheppard, Radio 1190’s faculty adviser.
After months of hauling gear across campus, the station now broadcasts from the basement of Carlson Gym.
“We never felt like the station was in danger of being shut down,” said Iris Berkeley, the station’s general manager. “The scariest part was realizing there might not actually be enough hours in the day to reopen in time for Spring 2026 semester start.”
In the 10 months leading up to the UMC shutdown, they completed what was projected to be a three-year project, raised money to pay for the nearly $750,000 renovation, and moved all 6,000 vinyl records, 15,000 CDs and every piece of audio equipment that made 1190 a home.
Unlike many collegiate broadcasting programs that restrict airtime to media majors, Radio 1190 is open to any CU student with no experience needed.
Radio 1190’s Juliana Krigsman, Rian Korb and Mars Williams work a table at the CU CMDI Student Involvement fair in September 2026. (Photo by Quinn O’Donnell)
“I stumbled into the station one night, and ever since then it’s really been a defining part of my college experience,” said Nicholas Merl, a senior who joined the station his freshman year and now serves as its news director.
For Merl and the other student volunteers, Radio 1190 is more than a place students learn how to use a microphone.
“We are a makerspace, an innovation lab and a community center that happens to have an FCC license,” Berkeley said.
As a student-run station, Radio 1190 is “not beholden to corporate overlords,” Berkeley said.
That independence shapes both the station’s news reporting and its student-curated shows.
“We have the freedom to do whatever we want within FCC rules,” said ShaeAnne Miner, a Radio 1190 DJ.
On her show “Mixed Media,” Miner and her co-host take a different piece of media and curate a playlist for it. One week it was “Wuthering Heights,” the next “Heated Rivalry.”
After dwindling to a handful of members during the pandemic, the station has rebounded to more than 150 volunteers. This year it has been recognized for 12 awards so far, including honors from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.
But for the students behind the microphone, their recognition is more than a resume builder. It is proof that, even in a world dominated by streaming, student radio is still an important creative outlet that’s not going anywhere.
“Since we almost came back from the dead, we are still reminding people we exist,” Berkeley said.
Settled into the Carlson Gym basement with new audio booths, broadcast equipment and hand-built shelves for their CD collection, the station has everything it needs to keep broadcasting.
As for what the new station still lacks, Merl had only one request: “carpet.”
