PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Bob Freeman

    Bob Freeman was a Colorado Springs radio sales executive who rose to run KKCS in the ’90s. If a local business bought time on KKCS or KIKX 102.7 back then, there’s a good chance it went through him.

    Selling the audience

    In 1995 Radio World quoted Bob as general sales manager of KKCS AM/FM in a discussion of radio pricing. He described the station’s decision to raise advertising rates and sell clients on the value and buying power of its audience rather than compete mainly on price.

    KIKX and the Centennial Boulevard shop

    A mid-’90s market directory lists Bob as general sales manager of KIKX 102.7, working under general manager Bob Gourley and program director Charlie Cassidy. KIKX and KKCS shared an operation at 5145 Centennial Boulevard.

    General manager, then San Diego

    By early 1997 Bob was running KKCS. Radio Ink listed him among nominees for its Radio Wayne General Manager of the Year award, and that January Radio & Records reported he was leaving KKCS AM/FM to become general sales manager of KFSD in San Diego.

    Sources

  • Mel Rauh

    Mel Rauh was a Colorado Springs engineer who kept KKCS and KIKX on the air through some busy years. If you listened to either station in the early ’90s, his work is the reason the signal came through.

    Chief engineer

    The 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists Mel as chief engineer of KKCS AM, then licensed to Walton Stations of Colorado and based on Centennial Boulevard. By 1994 his job covered the combined KIKX/KKCS operation, run by Wiskes/Abaris Communications under a local marketing agreement, with all stations sharing the 5145 Centennial Boulevard building under general manager Bob Gourley, program director Charlie Cassidy and general sales manager Jerry Grant.

    Behind the scenes

    When stations merged operations and changed hands, it was engineers like Mel who combined studios, kept several transmitters running and made sure listeners never noticed the shuffle.

    This is a short page built from contributor information. If you worked with Mel or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Gwen Rhea

    Gwen Rhea was a Colorado Springs radio news professional who served as news director of KKCS AM/FM in the early 1990s. If you got your local news from KKCS back then, she ran the newsroom.

    News at KKCS

    The 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists Gwen as KKCS’s news director during its traditional-country era. The Walton Stations operation at that time included KKCS 1460 AM and 101.9 FM, with Bob Gourley as general manager, Charlie Cassidy as program director, Dave Shepel as music director and Mel Rauh as chief engineer.

    Her job was the local-information side of the station: newscasts and coverage of events affecting the community, an important piece of full-service radio that’s easy to overlook next to the music and the personalities.

    This is a short page built from an industry yearbook listing. If you worked with Gwen, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Dave Shepel

    Dave Shepel was the guy deciding which new country songs made it onto KKCS in the ’90s. If you listened to KKCS in Colorado Springs back then, the music mix came across his desk.

    Music director at KKCS

    Dave shows up as KKCS music director by 1991, when a country-music trade ad quoted him in that role. In 1992 he was among the programmers at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, and the 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists him as music director under program director Charlie Cassidy. As late as January 1997, the KKCS team was still Charlie as PD and Dave as MD.

    What a music director does

    Music directors listen to the new releases, work with record labels and help decide which songs become part of the daily sound. For most of the 1990s, that was Dave’s job at KKCS.

    This is a short page built from contributor information. If you worked with Dave or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Charlie Cassidy

    Charlie Cassidy programmed KKCS in Colorado Springs for a long stretch, from the late ’80s into the late ’90s. If you listened to country on KKCS back then, you were hearing his playlist.

    Arriving at KKCS

    Charlie came to KKCS in May 1987 after seven years in country radio. By November Billboard made him its PD of the Week as program director and afternoon personality. He worked to broaden the station without losing its core country audience: fewer unfamiliar songs, more listener feedback and a bigger presence at local events. He told Billboard the station’s cumulative audience had doubled in his first four months.

    Staying power

    The 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists him as program director of KKCS AM/FM under general manager Bob Gourley, with Dave Shepel as music director. The 1995 Country Radio Seminar directory has him programming KKCS-AM, KKCS-FM and KIKX-FM from the group’s Centennial Boulevard studios, and trade reports still called him KKCS program director in 1997, an unusually long run in an era of frequent change.

    Sources

  • M. Theotis Etchason

    M. Theotis Etchason was a member of the management and promotions staff at KKCS AM/FM in Colorado Springs during the station’s traditional-country era in the early 1990s. If you ever went to a KKCS event or tried to win tickets to a country show back then, his department was behind it.

    Promotions at KKCS

    The 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists Etchason as promotions manager for KKCS. The Walton Stations operation at the time included KKCS 1460 AM and 101.9 FM, with Bob Gourley as general manager, Jerry Grant as general sales manager and Charlie Cassidy as program director.

    As promotions manager, Etchason worked on the public-facing side of the station: the contests, appearances, events and community activity that extended KKCS beyond its studios and transmitters. For a locally oriented country station, concerts, artist relationships and listener events were a major part of the identity.

    Documented role: KKCS AM/FM promotions manager

    This is a short page built from a trade directory listing. If you worked with Mr. Etchason or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Jerry Grant

    Jerry Grant ran sales and then the whole station at KKCS in Colorado Springs. If you remember the day two KKCS morning hosts played Dixie Chicks songs for hours against orders, he’s the manager who had to explain it to the press.

    Sales at KIKX and KKCS

    The 1993 Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook lists Jerry as general sales manager for KKCS AM/FM under general manager Bob Gourley. A 1994 Radio Business Report market profile again has him as general sales manager for the combined KIKX/KKCS operation on Centennial Boulevard, when Wiskes/Abaris ran KKCS through a local marketing agreement.

    General manager

    He later moved into the top job. The M Street Radio Directory 2002–2003 lists him as general manager and sales manager of KKCS, by then on North Chestnut Street, and industry ownership material identifies him as general manager of the KKCS AM/FM properties for Walton Stations.

    The Dixie Chicks stunt

    In May 2003, KKCS morning hosts Dave Moore and Jeff Singer played Dixie Chicks music for hours despite a station ban, and Jerry told reporters they were suspended for several days afterward. The episode drew national coverage during the broader controversy over country radio and the group, making it one of KKCS’s most widely reported moments outside Colorado Springs.

    Sources

  • Neil Cohen

    Neil Cohen worked in the KIXK/KKCS radio operation in Colorado Springs in the early 1990s. If you heard “The Max” on KIXK back then, Neil was part of the team behind the promotions you were hearing.

    From promotions to sales

    In May 1993, Neil moved from promotion director at KIXK to account executive at sister station KKCS. Chrissy Adsit, who had been a promotions assistant, was promoted to take over his old job at KIXK.

    This is a short page built from one trade-paper item. If you worked with Neil or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Maria Stevens

    Maria Stevens started as a morning-show intern at Colorado Springs station KIXK, “The Max,” and worked her way onto the air. If you were up at night with The Max in 1993, you may have heard her.

    From intern to nights

    In June 1993, Maria moved into the night shift, replacing Dave Hawkins, who had left for crosstown KKFM to become production director.

    This is a short page built from one trade-paper item. If you worked with Maria or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Dick Holler

    Dick Holler was chief engineer at KILO in Colorado Springs in the late 1980s. If you listened to KILO back then, Dick was one of the people keeping the signal clean and on the air.

    Keeping KILO on the air

    The Broadcasting Yearbook lists Dick as KILO’s chief engineer in 1987, 1988 and 1989 as part of the station staff.

    The 1987 and 1988 directories also list a Richard Holler as chief engineer at KCMN in Colorado Springs. We’re keeping the two entries separate for now, since the records don’t establish that they’re the same person.

    Sources