KCSJ-AM

KCSJ signed on in August 1947. Its call letters came from the Chieftain-Star Journal, the Pueblo newspaper operation that once owned the station. It became a major full-service local station, carrying network shows, music, news, farm reports, sports and community programming.

By the 1960s and 1970s KCSJ mixed middle-of-the-road music with substantial local service. It evolved toward adult contemporary and talk in later decades and had moved to a full news/talk approach by around 2000.

Historical staff: Broadcasting directories document a deep local staff. A 1953 listing included Douglas D. Kahle, Robert L. Clinton, Larry Gordon, Dale Redlingshafer, Cliff Hendrix, Bill Paxton and Esther Witt. A 1957 directory listed Ray J. Williams, Daniel Durniak, Cliff Hendricks, Howard Myers, Marion Pennington and John Douglas among station leadership and department heads.

Paired / sister stations: In the 1990s KCSJ was co-owned with KYZX and KNKN. Pueblo Broadcasters sold KCSJ, KYZX and KGHF to Bahakel/Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters in 1999. KCSJ later became part of the Clear Channel/iHeart Southern Colorado cluster with KCCY-FM, KVUU, KKLI, KIBT, KPHT, KBPL and KUBE.

Sources: Broadcasting Yearbook (1953, 1957 and later editions); FCC records; Broadcasting & Cable transaction coverage; published history of KCSJ.