Over the past two years here at NoCo FM, we've had a wonderful time working our way through this streaming and podcasting landscape. We take great pride in telling stories that weren't being told by mainstream outlets, exposing you to incredible independent music, embracing overlooked and underserved communities that aren't represented in media the way they should be, and just having fun being silly and hopefully entertaining you along the way.

And we're not about to stop now. In fact, we're bumping things up a level.

When we created this platform, we chose the name NoCo FM because it represented who we are and our pride in our home of Northern Colorado. But the name... has some issues. As we've been out and met listeners and fans, we learned something interesting about our own name. People think that either a) our programming is made only for people who live here, or b) that our channel can be found on the terrestrial airwaves.

As we have grown, we've brought on programs produced by people who live in places that are distinctly not Colorado. Namely: 2 Dudes and A Chick in California, Feminist Hotdog in New Jersey, and Rolling Misadventures in the Pacific Northwest. That's right, our little homegrown network is now a nationwide enterprise.

The name was a great way to get things started, but as time has gone on, NoCo FM has made less and less sense. It doesn't represent where we are now or, more importantly, where we're going.

So. All of this long-winded diatribe is a way of saying that after a months-long process, we are moving forward with rebranding the company, and over the next few days, you'll see NoCo FM embrace its new identity and its future as Loudspeaker™.

Does this mean that we've had a change of heart, and this new name is a sign of a shift in direction? Far from it. What this means is that not only are we re-committing to our existing mission, but we are building upon it and expanding!

Beginning on October 1, 2020, NoCo FM officially becomes Loudspeaker, and you'll start to see the new name and logo across all media over the next several days. But this isn't just a simple name change. Also starting on October 1st, we'll be expanding from one streaming internet radio channel to THREE! In addition to our existing station will be a second channel devoted to playing non-stop music, with much of it emanating from Colorado; and a third channel that features our talk programs and also showcases great podcasts from around the world. So no matter what you want to listen to, we've got you covered.

In the coming days and months, we'll also be welcoming new programs to the network that feature important voices and stories. We'll also be rolling out an educational program to help people learn how to podcast and tell their own stories.

So as you can see, we're just getting started. Thanks for being along for the ride. Viva la Loudspeaker!

Chris Lanphear
Executive Director

(P.S. Stay tuned on 10/1 for a spooky announcement to celebrate the new brand in style and raise money for a great cause!)