Ryan Warner

Colorado Matters Senior Host

[email protected]

Ryan Warner is senior host of Colorado Matters, the flagship daily interview program from CPR News. His voice is heard on frequencies around the state as he talks with Coloradans from all walks of life — politicians, scientists, artists, activists and others. Ryan's interviews with Colorado's governor now span four administrations. During his tenure, Colorado Matters has consistently been recognized as the best major market public radio talk show in the country. He speaks French, geeks out on commercial aviation, adores and tolerates his tuxedo cat Bob, and owns too many shoes.

Professional background:
Ryan came to CPR from WGCU in Fort Myers, Fla. He was the founding host of that station's daily call-in talk show, Gulf Coast Live. Ryan served as assistant news director and local host of NPR's "All Things Considered" and filed stories for NPR during Hurricane Charley in 2004. Ryan previously hosted "Morning Edition" on WYSO Public Radio in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and co-created a weekend news magazine there. Prior to that, he served as news director of KOPN Community Radio in Columbia, Missouri. For two years, Ryan left public radio to report and anchor weekend news at KTIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Sioux City, Iowa.

Education:
Bachelor's degrees in political science and French, University of Missouri-Columbia; Master's degree in broadcast journalism, Boston University.

Awards:
Ryan has won numerous awards from Public Media Journalists Association for his interviews. He's also been honored by The Associated Press. Westword named Ryan the Best Talk-Radio Host for 2021, and the editors of 5280 Magazine voted him Top Radio Talk Show Host of 2009.


Contact:

Bluesky: @ryanhasaquestion

Instagram: @oddryhepburn

Asset Forfeiture, Retro National Parks Posters, Hunter S. Thompson’s Widow

Houses, cars, duffle bags full of money: These are all examples of property seized in alleged crimes. And law enforcement shares in the profits when the stuff’s sold under a controversial federal program that’s just been suspended. We’ll hear what that means for agencies across Colorado. Then, a Nederland photographer who studied with Ansel Adams is making retro-sytle posters for all 59 national parks. And, from the archives, an interview with the widow of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. She wants to open their home near Aspen to visitors.

Short Story Authors Craig Childs, Kent Nelson And Antonya Nelson

Short story writers may be have to be brief, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot to say. Today, we listen back to some of our favorite interviews with writers of short prose. Craig Childs lives in Western Colorado and wrote a series of essays about communing with animals. Kent Nelson, of Ouray, talks about why he enjoys writing female characters. And then, hear how novelist and short story writer Antonya Nelson can reveal the world about her characters in just a sentence.

Sexual Predators In Youth Sports, True-Crime Writer Harry Maclean, Tofu Caldrons

To weed out sexual predators in youth sports, two state lawmakers want to require background checks for people who coach, but critics question if screening would do much good. Then, if I ask you to think of artifacts from Colorado’s history, would you picture a tofu cauldron? Also, Denver true-crime writer Harry Maclean thinks people are too quick to separate themselves from animals and how it influences his view of murder. And, 2015 was a big year for classical music in Colorado, with the first new recording from the Colorado Symphony in years.

Rain Barrels, Climate Change And Kidney Disease, The Best Tunes Of 2015

Today, a wedge issue that whipped state lawmakers into a frenzy last session — we’re not talking about abortion or gun control, but about collecting rainwater. It’s part of our “Zombie Bills” series. Then, a mysterious kidney disease is killing farm workers in Central America, and a CU researcher says climate change may be a factor. Then, the best new music out of Colorado this year, according to our colleagues over at OpenAir.

Women In Combat, Art Through MS, Tales Of Buffalo Bill

Three Colorado women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan talk about the challenges and opportunities of a major military policy shift: opening all combat roles to women. Then, a Denver artist who learned she had multiple sclerosis after waking up with distorted vision learned to let her affliction guide her creative vision. And, an 1800s diary sat in obscurity at the Denver Public Library until an archivist picked it up and found tales of Buffalo Bill Cody.

Rape Victims Forced to Recant, Condos And Housing Costs, Saying ‘Enough’ At Parties

What happens when rape victims are coerced into recanting? We have the story from ProPublica. Then, state lawmakers who want to spur development and bring down housing costs have tried — with no success — for years to make it harder for condo associations to sue over construction defects. Also, some history: Denver had its first electrically-lit Christmas Tree in 1914 in the yard of a local electrician. And, holiday parties can lead you to have one too many and we have some advice on saying “that’s enough.”

Canon City Sexting, One Last Turn As Scrooge, Daniels And Fisher History

Prosecutors won’t charge Canon City High students who shared sexually explicit photos, and we speak with that district’s superintendent about how the school moves forward. Then, Philip Pleasants, an actor who has played Ebenezer Scrooge for nearly 40 Christmases, will take the stage in that role for the last time this year. And, only the clock tower remains, but the Daniels and Fisher Department Store on 16th Street in Denver used to be the place to be. We speak with the author of a new book on the landmark.