PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Craig Coffey

    Craig Coffey is the guy who made a lot of Colorado Springs mornings a little less painful. If you woke up to My 99.9 in the early 2000s, you heard him, and if you watch FOX21 in the morning now, you’ve probably seen him too.

    From cruise ships to KVUU

    After college, Craig worked as a cruise director before getting into radio, and by the late 1990s he was on the air at Mix 102.3 in West Palm Beach, Florida. He landed at KVUU 99.9 in Colorado Springs around July 1999, hosting nights at first. In March 2000 he moved to mornings with Casey Page and Jim Coda, and the show kept changing shape: Jim, Casey and Craig in 2001, Casey and Craig in 2002, and Coffey and Alisha in the Morning by early 2005. When K-View 99.9 became My 99.9, Craig stayed on as the morning anchor, and Darren McKee joined the show in May 2005.

    The Katrina marathon

    His KVUU years also had some big community moments. After Hurricane Katrina, he started broadcasting from a downtown Colorado Springs restaurant balcony on Sept. 1, 2005, while My 99.9 chased a $99,999 relief goal. Industry coverage reported he stayed up there for more than eight days, taking donations and handing out Mardi Gras beads.

    Seattle, then TV

    In August 2006, after roughly seven years, Craig left for Entercom country station KKWF, 100.7 The Wolf in Seattle, and in April 2007 he was reported temporarily in mornings at sister station KBWF, 95.7 The Wolf in San Francisco. He came home to Colorado Springs in January 2008 and joined KXRM-TV/FOX21 as a morning anchor and executive producer, bringing the easygoing feel of radio to local TV. These days he’s still at FOX21 as an anchor and executive producer.

    Sources

  • Kevin Callahan

    Kevin Callahan ran programming for Clear Channel’s Colorado Springs stations in the early 2000s. If you listened to K-Lite 106.3, My 99.9 or the harder-edged Mother 96.1 back then, he was behind the dial.

    Clear Channel Colorado Springs

    Directories from that period show Kevin as program director of KKLI-FM 106.3 and KVUU-FM 99.9, and Radio & Records referred to him as the cluster’s operations manager.

    Mother 96.1

    Kevin also had a hand in creating and programming KMOM-FM “Mother 96.1.” In July 2001, after looking over local research, he and Clear Channel regional programming VP Rich Hawkins put together the classic-rock format. Kevin came up with the station’s tattoo-style “Mother” logo and talked about its locally programmed, harder-edged feel.

    Where is he now?

    As of July 2026, Kevin is president of Sonic Maple Media. He also directs programming and operations as an executive director at Pamal Broadcasting, with 25 stations located in five markets under his oversight. Before that, he spent 12 years as the West Coast regional programming VP for country radio at Audacy.

    Sources

  • Chris Squire

    Chris Squire joined KVUU-FM in Colorado Springs as an on-air personality in 1984. If you listened to KVUU that year, Chris was one of the new voices coming out of your speakers.

    Coming over from Santa Fe

    Chris came to Colorado Springs from KAFE in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Around the same time, KVUU personality Randy James left for KOIL in Omaha.

    This Chris Squire is kept separate from later Colorado Springs broadcaster Chuck Squire.

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

    Sources

  • Chris Pickett

    Chris Pickett handled operations and programming for Clear Channel’s Colorado Springs cluster. If KVUU 99.9 or KKLI 106.3 was on your dial in the Clear Channel days, he was the person steering what played.

    Colorado Springs

    Before the Springs, Chris had a stop at KCLD in St. Cloud. In Colorado Springs he ran operations for the whole Clear Channel cluster, and he was the PD for KVUU and KKLI as well.

    Beyond the Springs

    Chris then logged 16 years with Clear Channel/iHeartMedia. He moved up into operations management in Tucson, and later took on regional programming leadership across Tucson, El Paso and Las Vegas.

    Sources

  • Jeannine James

    Jeannine James was a programming and music executive at KVUU 99.9 in Colorado Springs during its Hot AC era. If your Springs radio around 2000 was 99.9, her music picks were in your ears.

    Coming to the Springs

    In February 2000, Radio & Records reported that Jeannine left her program director job at KRXS in Salisbury, Maryland, to join KVUU as music director. A year later, Gavin named her among its Hot AC medium-market assistant program director/music director of the year nominees, which reflects an expanded APD/MD role.

    A strong stretch for 99.9

    Her time at KVUU lined up with a strong ratings period: Duncan’s Fall 2000 market report ranked the station first in Colorado Springs among adults in the 25-49 and 25-54 age groups.

    Sources

    • Radio & Records, February 11, 2000 (print)
    • Gavin Report, February 16, 2001 (print)
    • Duncan’s American Radio, Fall 2000 (print)

  • Tori Martinez

    Tori Martinez worked in promotions at KKLI-FM 106.3 in Colorado Springs during the station’s 1990s adult-contemporary era. If you ever tried to be the sixth caller on K-Lite, you were playing in Tori’s sandbox.

    The “Quick Cash” contest

    A November 1995 trade feature credits Tori for KKLI’s “Quick Cash” promotion. You tracked three songs played at 9, 2 and 5, then tried to be the sixth caller the next morning. Name all three songs and artists and you won $106, with Western Pacific Airlines travel certificates added on certain weekdays.

    This is a short page built from a single trade feature. If you worked with Tori or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Heather Martinez

    Heather Martinez was a Southern Colorado radio personality and production specialist who went by a few different names on the air. If you listened in Pueblo or Colorado Springs in the early to mid 1990s, you may have heard her as Heather Austin, Heather Thornton or Heather Martinez.

    Southern Colorado stations

    She was at KKMG/Pueblo in 1990 as Heather Austin, then at KIKX/Colorado Springs in 1991–92 as Heather Thornton. From the mid-1990s through 1997 she was at KKLI/Colorado Springs, where she was identified as Heather Martinez in a 1996 Radio And Production article on creativity and production.

    Her KKLI work included the “Lights Out Love Songs” show, along with production director and assistant production director duties.

    Beyond Colorado Springs

    Heather also worked at KOSI in Denver and later hosted weekends and “Love Songs” at KYXY in San Diego. She built a long career with Westwood One in imaging, format support, promotions and affiliate relations.

    This is a short page built from career records. If you worked with Heather or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

    • 440 International Radio People archive
    • Radio And Production, July 1996 (print)
    • Later professional career records

  • Steve Burrell

    Steve Burrell is a Colorado alternative-rock radio personality and programmer. If you woke up to alt-rock in Colorado Springs in the early 2010s, or you’re a Denver Channel 93.3 morning listener today, you know his voice.

    103.9 RXP in Colorado Springs

    Steve joined KRXP (103.9 RXP) in 2010 and was assistant program director and morning-show co-host through early 2014. His community work there included the Quatropalooza campaign, credited to Steve and Aaron Zytle, which won the Colorado Broadcasters Association’s 2013 Major Market award for Best Community Service Campaign.

    Channel 93.3 in Denver

    In February 2014, Steve moved north to iHeartMedia’s KTCL (Channel 93.3) in Denver as assistant program director and morning host. He’s been a prominent KTCL personality ever since, and the Colorado Broadcasters Association named him both Best Morning Show and Best Station Personality in its 2022 Metro Market awards.

    Where is he now?

    KTCL’s official personality biography lists Steve as its morning host.

    Steve’s surname is spelled Burrell; “Steve Barrell” is a remembered variant.

    Sources

    • Radio Online, February 6, 2014
    • Colorado Broadcasters Association, 2013 and 2022 Awards of Excellence
    • KTCL / Channel 93.3 official personality biography

  • Turk (KKMG)

    Turk was the nighttime voice on KKMG-FM 98.9, Magic FM, in Colorado Springs. If you were a Top 40 fan in the Springs in the late 2000s and you listened after dark, that was Turk.

    Earning the night shift

    Turk first filled in on nights as a part-timer over the summer of 2007. By November 2007, the night shift was officially Turk’s. That put Turk in a key on-air spot at the market’s CHR/Top 40 station, with Tony D running programming.

    Sources

  • Don Schaffer

    Don Schaffer was operations manager for Clear Channel’s Colorado Springs radio stations until he left the job in 2004. If you listened to country, hot AC or rhythmic hits in the Springs in the early 2000s, Don was helping steer the lineup behind the scenes.

    Running the Springs cluster

    The cluster at the time included country station KCCY, rhythmic CHR KIBT, adult contemporary KKLI and hot AC KVUU. In October 2004, Bob Richards was named operations manager, succeeding Don.

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

    Sources