KRGS was Rifle’s AM station for 55 years, from its 1967 sign-on as KWSR until a transmitter failure in 2022. If you grew up in Garfield County, this was the hometown sound.
History
The station went on the air June 9, 1967, at 810 kHz, managed by Jimmy Seany, a former Denver TV promoter. In the mid-1970s a contest controversy put its license renewal at risk. After the community spoke up for the station, it got a one-year license and a $200 fine.
Ownership changed several times over the years. Western Slope Communications bought the station for $30,000 in 1994. It became KRGS on April 21, 1994, and moved to 690 kHz in 1995. The format went from country (1994) to oldies (1997) to ESPN sports radio. KRGS went silent in July 2022 when its transmitter failed, and the FCC cancelled the license on July 24, 2024. Its FM sister was KZKS.
Call sign timeline
- KWSR: 1967 to 1985
- KDBL: 1985 to 1987
- KWWS: 1987 to 1989
- KKGD: 1989 to 1994
- KRGS: 1994 to 2022
The signal
- 690 kHz AM (810 kHz until 1995), licensed to Rifle, Colorado
- On the air June 9, 1967 to July 2022; license cancelled July 24, 2024
- FCC facility ID 71960
Sources
STATION FILE
FROM THE TIMELINE
Moments in KRGS-AM History
KWSR signs on in Rifle
June 9, 1967 — Rifle got its own radio station when KWSR signed on at 810 kHz, managed by former Denver TV promoter Jimmy Seany. The station later became KRGS.
Rigged “Turkey Shoot” puts Rifle’s KWSR license at risk
1974–1976 — Rifle's KWSR (later KRGS) faced losing its license after claims that management rigged a “Turkey Shoot” contest by picking winners ahead of time, including an advertiser. An FCC judge first denied renewal, but after the community protested, the station got a one-year license and a $200 fine.
KWSR becomes KDBL
KWSR becomes KDBL: the 690 AM station in Rifle changed its call letters from KWSR to KDBL in 1985 (exact day not yet confirmed).
KDBL becomes KWWS
KDBL becomes KWWS: the 690 AM station in Rifle changed its call letters from KDBL to KWWS in 1987 (exact day not yet confirmed).
KWWS becomes KKGD
KWWS becomes KKGD: the 690 AM station in Rifle changed its call letters from KWWS to KKGD in 1989 (exact day not yet confirmed).
KKGD becomes KRGS
KKGD becomes KRGS: the 690 AM station in Rifle changed its call letters from KKGD to KRGS on April 21, 1994.
KRGS goes silent after transmitter failure
July 2022 — Rifle's KRGS 690, by then an ESPN Radio affiliate, went off the air when its transmitter failed. It never came back, and the FCC cancelled the license on July 24, 2024, ending 55 years of AM radio from Rifle.
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