KTCL (93.3 FM), branded Channel 93-3, is a commercial alternative rock station licensed to Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and serving the Denver metropolitan area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from the company’s Denver cluster. The station’s HD2 subchannel carries punk rock programming.
History
The 93.3 MHz facility began broadcasting in Fort Collins in 1965, initially as KFMF. It became KIIX-FM in 1970 and adopted the KTCL call sign in 1975. The station aired progressive music in the 1970s and developed a modern rock format in the mid-1980s, when it was known as The Adventure and later World Famous KTCL 93.3. In 1995, a joint sales arrangement with KBPI and KRFX accompanied a shift toward a more pop-oriented direction. The station later adopted the Channel 93-3 brand and became known for early airplay of Colorado acts including The Fray, Flobots, 3OH!3 and Tickle Me Pink.
KTCL became part of the Jacor/Clear Channel Denver group and moved from Northern Colorado into the Denver market. Clear Channel changed its name to iHeartMedia in 2014.
Ownership
- 1965–1996: Early ownership changed during the station’s Fort Collins years; the full licensee chronology is not established by the sources consulted.
- By 1996–1999: Jacor Communications, which took operational control and integrated KTCL with its Denver stations.
- 1999–2014: Clear Channel Communications, following its acquisition of Jacor.
- 2014–present: iHeartMedia, following Clear Channel’s corporate rebranding.
Technical information
- Frequency: 93.3 MHz FM
- Transmitter power: 71,000 watts ERP
- Height above average terrain: 346 m
- FCC facility ID: 68684
- Licensee: iHM Licenses, LLC
- Official website: ktcl.iheart.com
Studio locations
Former: KTCL’s studios were originally in Fort Collins, where the station began as KFMF in 1965. The station later moved into the Denver market and became part of the Jacor/Clear Channel cluster. The specific Fort Collins studio street address has not been verified. Current: 4695 S. Monaco Street, Suite 400, Denver, CO 80237.
Address sources: Channel 93-3 official contact page; Wikipedia, “KTCL”; Colorado Broadcasters Association, Denver iHeart address listing.
Historical record note: The 93.3 MHz facility’s Northern Colorado lineage is preserved separately in the archive under KFMF-FM. Contemporary broadcast records document the Fort Collins operation before the station became KTCL, helping distinguish the facility’s history from its later Denver-market identity.
Sources: Broadcasting Yearbook, 1969 (contemporary Fort Collins listing); Wikipedia, “KTCL” (station history and technical summary); Channel 93-3 official website; Broadcasting, January 27, 1975 (call-sign change); FCCInfo, facility 68684 (station applications and history).
Awards & Recognitions
Documented awards, honors, and finalist or nomination recognition associated with this station or broadcaster.
- 2017Station of the YearColorado Broadcasters Association Awards of ExcellenceRadio Station of the Year — Metro MarketCBA Awards of Excellence archive
- 1992WinnerWestword Best of DenverBest Commercial Radio StationKTCL-FM, DenverWestword Best of Denver 1992
STATION FILE
FROM THE TIMELINE
Moments in KTCL-FM History
KIIX-FM becomes KTCL 93.3
In 1975, the 93.3 FM facility serving Fort Collins changed from KIIX-FM to KTCL. The station developed a progressive/freeform identity that eventually evolved into the modern-rock sound for which KTCL became known.
KTCL evolves into modern rock as The Adventure
During the mid-1980s, Fort Collins-based KTCL 93.3 evolved toward modern rock and became known as The Adventure. The station's eclectic alternative identity predated the explosion of alternative rock as a mainstream radio format in the 1990s.
1993: Bret Saunders joins KTCL-FM
1993 — In late 1993 he joined Fort Collins alternative station KTCL-FM for morning drive, where his quick humor and unusually broad knowledge of music developed a loyal following.
KTCL enters joint sales arrangement with KBPI and KRFX
In 1995, KTCL became part of a joint sales arrangement with Denver rock stations KBPI and KRFX. The arrangement came during a period of rapid consolidation in Denver radio and coincided with KTCL adjusting its music direction as KBPI emphasized newer rock.
1996: Alf Kremer joins KTCL-FM
May 1996 — After beginning in college radio in 1988 and working his first commercial overnight shift in Farmington, New Mexico, Kremer joined KTCL-FM in May 1996.
Clear Channel buys KIIX 600 and KTCL
In 1998, Clear Channel Communications agreed to acquire Fort Collins stations KIIX 600 and KTCL 93.3 in a transaction reported at $6.1 million. The deal brought the longtime Northern Colorado stations into the rapidly expanding Clear Channel group.
Seven Denver stations consolidate into a new Tech Center complex
Jacor began planning a consolidated Denver Tech Center facility in October 1998 for KOA, KHOW, KTLK, KHIH, KRFX, KBPI and KTCL. The old studio lease expired in September 1999, creating a firm construction deadline. During the project, Clear Channel acquired Jacor.
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