A funny thing is happening to Denver radio this week.

As terrestrial radio struggles with dwindling audiences, lagging advertiser interest and widespread layoffs, Colorado Public Radio is launching a new indie rock radio station — almost out of nowhere.

You heard right — there’s a new public radio station in town. OpenAir will debut at 6 a.m. Monday on 1340 AM and online at openaircpr.org. A full- time staff of five (soon to be six) will launch the station with mostly new music rarely heard in the metro area outside of Radio 1190 or KGNU.

It’s a gutsy play by Colorado Public Radio, but based on the success of the nationally branded NPR Music and like-minded local stations KEXP in Seattle and the Current in Minneapolis, it’s one CPR believes will pay off.

“Radio is dying, and rock ‘n’ roll is dying, so who in the world would want to do this,” asked OpenAir program director Mike Flanagan with a beguiling grin. “But we don’t see it that way. For radio to be dying off, shame on them. It’s their own fault.

“Public radio is cool in that it’s supported by those who listen to it. And if they don’t like what you’re playing, they won’t support you.”

You won’t see many new commercial radio outfits opening doors these days, and you’ll see even fewer pushing the musical agenda of OpenAir. Judging from conversations with the staff and a perusal of their CD drawers, they’ll play everything from newcomers Crooked Fingers to legends like Bob Dylan, buzz band Mates of State to mainstay Tom Waits, trendsetting We Were Promised Jetpacks to classic Curtis Mayfield.

But OpenAir will focus primarily on new music. Expect 40 percent current music, 40 percent from the last 15 years, and 20 percent of “the stuff that really stuck,” according to Flanagan. “The best of the Beatles, the Stones, Leonard Cohen.”

The current argument over the station’s debut song says a lot about the staff’s ultimate vision for OpenAir.

“Mike really wants ‘Colorado,’ by Paper Bird, for obvious reasons,” said Alisha Sweeney, the station’s morning-show host and assistant music director. “We’re Colorado Public Radio, and we support local music, and this is a great local band we feel like everybody needs to hear.

“But for me, I really want to play Arcade Fire’s ‘Wake Up.’ Everybody will be waking up, and it’s the morning show — plus the Arcade Fire is (CPR president)Max’s (Wycisk’s) favorite band. So I wanted to pay homage to the man who made this station possible.”

Just how is CPR making OpenAir possible? The initial operating budget comes from CPR’s Opportunity Fund, a reserve built from listener bequeaths in recent years. After its launch, OpenAir will raise its money the same way CPR’s other two stations do it.

About 6 percent of CPR’s funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the federally funded private nonprofit, according to Sean Nethery, vice president of programming for CPR. The other 94 percent comes from the community — roughly 38,000 members, 400-plus businesses who underwrite the programming and several dozen foundations that support its efforts. So yes, OpenAir will eventually host three annual pledge drives.

But it helps OpenAir that so much of the infrastructure was already in place — most important, the signal.

Longtime CPR listeners will remember that 1340 AM used to be a simulcast for CPR’s news station, KCFR, currently found at 90.1 FM. (CPR also has a classical music station, KVOD, at 88.1 FM.) There was already a technical, organizational and financial staff to take on a third station, and after hiring Flanagan from the University of Colorado’s college-radio powerhorse, Radio 1190, they had a start on the creative side.

Flanagan has assembled a staff packed with people he’d worked with at Radio 1190, including 33-year-old Sweeney, who worked at the student station for nine years. OpenAir producer Corey H. Jones and Web director Brandee Castle both have ties to 1190, as does the station’s 24-year-old music director, Jessi Whitten, who is finishing her last two classes at CU-Boulder.

“After I finish Music Appreciation and History of Jazz in December, I’m graduating and moving down to Denver,” said Whitten, who started volunteering at 1190 five years ago. “A lot of the things I’ve had in my head that I’ve wanted to play out aren’t possible on college radio, especially because it spits you out when you graduate. I’m just thrilled that I have a place to go with all these dreams in my head — and actual resources to work with.”

It’s a proven staff, Flanagan said. It’s also an incredibly young group.

“I pulled the old radio trick of bringing all my cronies,” Flanagan said. “But all my cronies are in their 20s.”

But even with a fresh-faced staff, a trendy music format and loads of local buzz, OpenAir faces significant challenges — primarily its 1,000-watt signal, which is sent out from an antenna on Ruby Hill in south Denver.

Listening to music on the AM band takes patience, and the staff understands that. Those with digital radio receivers should be able to tune into an FM-quality signal on 1340. But the closest audiophiles will be able to get to a clear sound is likely on the station’s Internet stream, at openaircpr.org or via the NPR News app for iPhone and Android.

“Ideally we would be on FM, certainly,” said Nethery. “In 2001, we bought three AMs for a little more than $5 million, and at the time, an FM sold for $80 million. But over the years, an opportunity came up and we got another FM. We were always looking to get the news from AM on FM, and we’d like to eventually do the same thing with OpenAir.”

Added Flanagan: “I’m sure there are spotty places. And the signal is a drawback. But everybody gets their hand, and this is what we were dealt. . . . But we’re going to be on the radio, and radio is still quite magic to me. So that’s a really cool thing, and we’re also expecting lots of listeners online and on phone apps.”

Dylan to Deerhoof

A visit to OpenAir’s Denver Tech Center headquarters last week found a familiar group working together, buzzing about in tight office quarters with everyone sporting their own headphones. Sweeney, Jones and Castle share a large office with file drawers of CDs. A quick peak into the “D” drawer reveals multiple records from Deerhoof, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake.

Flanagan’s office features a generic Tech Center view balanced with framed record covers of the Velvet Underground’s eponymous 1969 release and the Stones’ “Their Satanic Majesties Request.” Upstairs is Studio 1B, OpenAir’s home and the place where Sweeney has been spending the last week — 5 to 10 a.m. daily — recording practice versions of her show.

“There are still some kinks being worked out, but it’ll be great by Monday,” Sweeney said last week. “I can’t wait to go live. Even though it’s been, like, 5 in the morning, I’m so excited in there. It feels so great when the playlist comes up in the morning — I’m in there air-drumming and clapping along with the songs.

“I love this music. Everybody’s going to love this music. It’s how I feel right now. It’s dorky. But it’s fun.”

Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com; twitter.com/rvrb

The radio guide

AMKBNO, 1280Spanish music/news/talk 303-733-5266

KCOL, 600Fox News Radio 970-461-2560

KLZ, 560Conservative Talk 303-433-5500

KHOW, 630 Talk 303-713-8000 Talk-line: 303-713-8255

KLTT, 670 Christian Talk 303-433-5500

KNUS, 710 News/Talk 303-750-5687 Talk-line: 303-696-1971

KKZN, 760 News/Talk 303-713-8000

KOA, 850 News/Talk/Sports 303-713-8000 Talk-line: 303-713-8585

KPOF, 910 Christian Music 303-428-0910

KRWZ, 950Oldies 303-321-0950

KRKS, 990 Teaching Christian Talk 303-750-5687

KMXA, 1090 Spanish Music 303-721-9210

KLDC, 1220 Christian Gospel 303-433-5500

KCFR, 1340 Nat. Pub. Radio 303-871-9191

KGNU, 1390 News/Diverse Music 303-449-4885

KEZW, 1430 Big Band/ Nostalgia 303-967-2700

KCKK, 1510 Sports talk 303-297-1510

KEPN, 1600ESPN 303-321-0950

KBJD, 1650 Spanish Christian 303-750-5687. Talk line: 303-283-0635

KDDZ, 1690 Disney 303-783-0880

FMKXDP, 87.7 Spanish Sports Talk 720-248-4000

KVOD, 88.1 Classical 303-871-9191

KGNU, 88.5 News/Diverse Music 303-449-4885

KUVO, 89.3 Latin/ Jazz/Blues/News 303-480-9272

KCFR, 90.1 Nat. Public Radio 303-871-9191

KLDV, 91.1 Contemporary Christian 800-525-5683

KJMN, 92.1 Spanish Music 303-721-9210

KWOF, 92.5 Country 303-832-5665

KTCL, 93.3 Alternative 303-713-8000

K229BS, 93.7 Sports Talk Radio 303-297-1510

KRKS, 94.7 Christian Talk 303-750-5687

KPTT, 95.7 Latino Dance 303-713-8000

KXPK, 96.5 Spanish music 303-832-0050

KBCO, 97.3 Adult Alternative Music 303-444-5600

KYGO, 98.5 Hot New Country 303-321-0950

KQMT, 99.5 Progressive Classic Rock 303-967-2700

KIMN, 100.3 Adult Hits 303-832-5665

KOSI, 101.1 Adult Contemporary 303-967-2700

KJHM, 101.5 Adult Rhythmic 303-872-1500

KXWA, 101.9 Contemporary Christian 303-702-9293

KDSP, 102.3 Sports Talk 720-248-4000

KRFX, 103.5 Classic Rock 303-713-8000

KKFN, 104.3 Sports Talk 303-321-0950

KXKL, 105.1 Oldies Rock 303-832-5665

KJAC, 105.5 Rock 720-248-4000

KALC, 105.9 Top 40 303-967-2700

KBPI, 106.7 Album-oriented Rock 303-713-8000

KDHT, 107.1 Top 40 303-872-1500

KQKS, 107.5 Hip Hop 303-321-0950