The 1510 AM facility began August 22, 1957 as KUDY, a Littleton country station. It became KMOR in 1960 and KDKO at the end of 1964.
KDKO’s defining era began in the late 1960s as the station shifted to rhythm and blues and soul, serving Denver’s growing Black community. By 1967 it was known as “Denver’s Soul Radio.” James “Dr. Daddio” Walker became one of its most important voices and later its owner, using KDKO as a platform for music, community information and civic engagement.
KDKO remained a major institution in Black Denver radio for decades. The station ultimately left the air in the early 2000s; the 1510 frequency subsequently became KNRC and later KPLS.
Lineage: KUDY → KMOR → KDKO → KNRC → KPLS.
Sources: Colorado Public Radio — James “Dr. Daddio” Walker; Westword — Remembering Dr. Daddio; Westword — KNRC and the former KDKO facility; 1510 AM chronology and source list.
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