KGKG-AM

KGKG-AM, the 1340 kHz station in Salida, Colorado, now identified in the Heart of the Rockies Radio group as “The Valley 102.9.” Its AM service is paired with an FM translator; the present group listing links listeners to the Valley stream.

History: Salida Museum records trace the station to 1948, when it began as KVRH with 250 watts. Early station facilities included a log-cabin studio and a tower on the mesa west of Salida. In 1959, local broadcaster Bill Murphy bought the station and made it a continuing source of local news, sports, and community information. He carried the FIBArk whitewater festival from 1960 through 1999 and supported local clubs, charities, scouting, and 4-H. The museum describes KVRH-FM as a later, related service; this entry follows the AM facility and keeps that FM record separate.

In 2000, the museum’s account says KVRH AM/FM and KBVC passed to Three Eagles Communications and Headwaters Media. The AM facility adopted the call sign KGKG in 2017. Today the operator’s public-file directory identifies “The Valley 102.9” as one of its services.

Ownership, format chronology and technical data

• Call-sign and facility lineage: KVRH from its 1948 sign-on through June 2017; KGKG from June 29, 2017.
• Ownership: Bill Murphy acquired KVRH-AM in 1959 and operated it for about four decades. In 2000, KVRH AM/FM and KBVC were acquired by Three Eagles Communications and Headwaters Media. Current FCC-derived station records identify Headwaters Media, LLC as the KGKG licensee; the station is operated within the Heart of the Rockies Radio group. The group announced a proposed sale to Highwater House Media in August 2024, but a completed transfer has not been verified. Official group material and a 2026 trade publication continue to identify Gary Buchanan and Three Eagles in station operations.
• Format chronology: KVRH adopted news/talk in 2009, adult standards later that year, and classic country in 2011. After the call change, KGKG adopted “The Valley 102.9” and an all-1980s hits format on January 1, 2021.
• Current signal: 1340 kHz AM, 1,000 watts unlimited; paired with 102.9 MHz translator K275CR.
• Current official website and stream directory: Heart of the Rockies Radio Listen Live, which lists The Valley 102.9 among its active services.

Studios and addresses

• Former KVRH studio: A log-cabin studio built at the station’s 1948 launch; an exact street address is not given. The original tower stood on the mesa west of Salida.
• Current shared group studio and office: 7600 County Road 120, Salida, Colorado 81201. The operator describes Salida as the production studio for its stations and publishes this address for the group.

Additional sources: Heart of the Rockies Radio, group history, studio and current ownership; Heart of the Rockies Radio, August 2024 proposed sale announcement; Radio World, August 2026, Gary Buchanan’s description of current Three Eagles operations; Regional station directory listing KGKG and K275CR.

Sources: Salida Museum, “Heart of the Rockies History” (Spring 2024); Salida Museum, Bill Murphy and KVRH exhibit (Fall 2024); 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook, KVRH listing; FCC call-sign history, facility 1019; Heart of the Rockies Radio, station and public-file directory.