Carl Bilek

Colorado Matters Executive Producer

@CarlBilek[email protected]

Carl joined Colorado Public Radio in 2018. He brought with him nearly 30 years of experience in the broadcast news industry, all of which was spent covering news in Denver.

Professional Background:

Most recently, he was National Director of Content at the E.W. Scripps Company, where he helped manage the "Now" show for stations across the country.

Carl has extensive experience in leadership roles for local newsrooms. He was formerly the acting news director and executive producer at KMGH, and was also the news director at KWGN.

Awards:

After 25 years of service dedicated to excellence, Carl was inducted into the Silver Circle of the NATAS Heartland Region in 2017. He also received four regional Emmy Awards for his work on special projects at KMGH, and was a part of the station's leadership when it won the Emmy for both news excellence and station excellence.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in marketing from Metropolitan State University of Denver

April is one of the driest on record so far in Colorado

This April is one of the driest on record so far, dating back to 1880, according to Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson. He joined us for our regular conversation about the interplay between weather and climate in Colorado. And, as the wildfire danger continues, so does the outlook for warm and dry weather. Plus, Nelson explains why it’s been so windy recently.

Reflections about coming ‘Back from Broken’

In the words of CPR’s Vic Vela, “When we can meet each other with empathy and compassion, we can find hope.” That’s at the heart of his podcast “Back from Broken.” It’s about people who’ve emerged from the hardships of addiction, mental illness, or physical injury. The third season is now available.
Jo Ann Allen

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow helps bid farewell to CPR’s Jo Ann Allen

CPR All Things Considered Host Jo Ann Allen retires Friday. Sort of. She will continue her independent podcast “Been There Done That.” We dip into the latest episode in which she reflects on journalism and her own career with friend and former colleague Rachel Maddow, of MSNBC. Then, Jo Ann spends a few minutes with Ryan Warner reminiscing about her radio-filled childhood.
Mike Nelson

The convergence of weather, climate, and wildfire risk

The two month anniversary of the Marshall Fire in Boulder County is almost here and we still don’t know how it started. Today, though, a closer look at why — the conditions that turned it into a fire storm and what the spring and summer may hold. Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson has been a leader in bringing climate change to local TV weather forecasts and he’ll join us regularly on Colorado Matters for conversations about weather and climate.

As rules change, the do’s and don’ts of when to wear masks

This week, some mask mandates are starting to disappear in Colorado, including in cities like Denver and Glenwood Springs and in Adams and Arapahoe counties. But questions remain about where and when people should continue to wear masks. We put those questions to Dr. May Chu, who is a clinical professor in the department of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Ball Aerospace Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope reaches its final destination a million miles away from Earth

SA’s $10 billion mission that could transform our knowledge of the universe achieved a critical milestone this week. The James Webb Space Telescope reached its final destination and entered into an orbit around the sun. The telescope is now about a million miles away from Earth. It launched into space a month ago. That’s when we spoke with Makenzie Lystrup about the mission. She’s an astrophysicist from Colorado-based Ball Aerospace, which built the telescope’s unique optical system.

Tremaine Jackson reflects on coaching, racism, and social justice

He was the first Black head football coach at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. And after just two successful seasons, Coach Tremaine Jackson is moving on. His tenure coincided both with the pandemic and the protests over police brutality — issues that made it into locker rooms and onto playing fields. Jackson is moving on to Valdosta State in Georgia. He spoke with Nathan Heffel from his new home there to reflect on his time on the Western Slope.
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‘Triggers’ explores life’s challenges when decisions can mean life or death

The new mini-movie, “Triggers” kicks off a weekend of community outreach and conversation in Denver and Aurora. Halim Ali is executive director and president of the non-profit, “From the Heart Foundation.” He’s also one of the organizers of the “Youth Gun Violence Awareness and Suicide Prevention Wellness Weekend” which will engage adults and youth, especially young men, “to know that it’s okay not to be okay, that it’s okay to seek help … that it’s all right to say that they’re hurting before they take a step in the wrong direction where there is no coming back from.”