Bringing local radio back

“I came up with the crazy idea of a radio station,” he says. KIKO was loved by the community and losing it was “a big impact point for the community.””

Phil Stewart, Director of Bullion Plaza Museum

For nearly seven decades, hundreds, if not thousands, of residents of Globe-Miami and surrounding areas tuned in to KIKO.

Due to decisions by the station owner, it was abruptly taken off the air in December 2024. With the loss of KIKO and the uncertainty around the future of “The Silver Belt” and “Copper Country News,” concerned citizens knew something needed to be done to bring continued news to the area.

Phil Stewart was one of those residents. As director of the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum and president of its board of directors, he started considering options.

“I came up with the crazy idea of a radio station,” he says. KIKO was loved by the community and losing it was “a big impact point for the community.”

Thus, Bullion Plaza Radio was born. Stewart found support in the local branch of Resolution Copper, which embraced his idea. They’ve funded the station, covering costs for the start-up equipment and monthly internet fees.

Bullion Plaza Radio began “quietly broadcasting” at the end of October, followed by a soft-opening in mid-November.

They have not yet begun an advertising push, Stewart says, though the station is starting to get advertisers, and the plan is to use that income to support the Bullion museum and make it a self-sustaining organization.

As an internet radio station, Stewart points out that they don’t have to follow Federal Communications Commission restrictions, though they are still following the FCC code out of decency.

It’s less expensive to broadcast online, he says, and if they had attempted an actual radio station, the barriers and hurdles would have been “insurmountable.”

He also says that by reducing the cost and financial risk, while reaching a larger audience, he hopes the station can share stories with the globe.

The initial broadcasts have focused on local information, which he hopes are compelling enough to attract people to come visit the area.

There currently are two shows streaming on the station, in addition to music around the clock. The morning show with radio broadcaster James Barter (known as JB, of KIKO radio fame) runs 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday. The broadcast is done from Bullion Plaza and consists of local news and music primarily from the 1960s and 1970s.

“We’re using the same format as we used at KIKO,” JB says.

He says everywhere he goes, people ask him where KIKO went, so he’s glad to be back, and he says the show may expand to three hours at some point — the same as it was at KIKO.

Another show is Desert Dial-Up with Big Jim and Slightly Smaller Dave, featuring James Mills and Dave Lindblad. It livestreams every Sunday morning 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The show is sponsored by Meading of the Minds and broadcasts from the meadery on Sullivan Street.

“Rock. Laugh. Repeat. Broadcasting chaos from the desert” is their Facebook tagline.

They cover a variety of topics, ranging from ‘90s memories to most annoying snowbird stories, and they encourage participation from their listeners.

“We’re starting to get out there and act like a radio station,” Stewart says. “We’re having fun with it.”

He says they hope to expand broadcasting to include local sports in the future. The station has a partnership with the Miami Unified School District, he adds, and Superintendent Dr. Richard Ramos has been very supportive. 

Once the gym at Miami Junior Senior High School is repaired, Stewart hopes to broadcast from there.

There are big plans for Bullion Plaza Radio, he says, and this is just the beginning.

“We’ll never be a KIKO,” he adds, “but maybe we’ll get close.”