Centennial, Sept. 11, 2025 — Colorado Public Radio announced longtime Morning Edition host Mike Lamp will retire Friday, Sept. 12, after a remarkable 44-year career in radio and television journalism.
Lamp has been a trusted voice on CPR since 2000, guiding early risers across Colorado with calm, steady reporting and a welcoming presence. The morning drive is one of the most listened to times of day, with more than 100,000 people tuning in to hear Lamp’s coverage, per recent Nielsen ratings.
His path to journalism began in high school, where he fell in love with working on the student newspaper, picking up newsroom jargon and chasing stories. Lamp originally studied print journalism in college but soon realized his true calling was broadcasting.
“I think what really drove home to me the power of radio and the way a single human voice can really grab you and put you at the scene was the clip they played in every first-year broadcasting class: Herb Morrison describing the landing and ‘Oh, the humanity!’ – the destruction of the Hindenburg,” Lamp recalled.
His first paid job was an overnight shift at a country music station in Flagstaff, Arizona. From there, his career spanned commercial radio, television and eventually public broadcasting. After nearly four years at public radio station KNAU in Flagstaff, he joined Colorado Public Radio in the spring of 2000.
Over the past 25 years, Lamp has helped guide listeners through difficult news, including the September 11 attacks, the Aurora theater shooting and multiple devastating wildfires.
“I have felt good about being someone who wasn't panicked, who was able to say how things were and not necessarily more than that,” he said. Through heavy moments, he added, “you hope that you are a voice of stability and the opposite of panicking or frantic.”
“Mike will be missed in the mornings on CPR News,” said Kevin Dale, executive editor of CPR News. “His steady, calm, authoritative voice welcomed listeners into the day for 25 years. He is curious, understands how people might need to be eased into the day and, even so, when the news demanded it, he was powerful and to the point. That combination of skills is rare. We'll miss him, and we know our listeners will too.”
Lamp recently reflected on the unique rhythm of early-morning news work in a conversation with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.
Colorado Public Radio will air a special tribute to Mike Lamp the morning of Friday, Sept. 12.
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About Colorado Public Radio
Colorado Public Radio is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization delivering meaningful news, music, and cultural experiences to everyone in Colorado using the power of the human voice in all its forms. Roughly 95 percent of CPR’s funds come from the private support of listeners, businesses and foundations. For more information, visit www.cpr.org.
- CPR News delivers in-depth, insightful and impartial news and information from around the world, across the nation and throughout Colorado, examining its relevance to our state and connecting it to our community.
- CPR Classical takes listeners on an in-depth exploration of thoughtfully curated music – with an emphasis on Colorado’s classical community – providing context to a broad range of meaningful and compelling works from past to present.
- Indie 102.3 takes listeners inside the world of new and independent music – exposing them to up-and-coming artists and highlighting Colorado’s local music scene.
- Denverite is an online news source dedicated to Denver's curious and concerned.
- KRCC is a public radio station in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving Southern Colorado. KRCC is operated by Colorado Public Radio in partnership with Colorado College.
