PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Craig Koehn / Chris Brooks

    Craig Koehn, who also goes by Chris Brooks on the air, is a Colorado programmer and jock who has worked just about every corner of the state. If you’ve listened to Springs, Pueblo, Aspen or Summit County radio, you may have heard one of his stations.

    Colorado Springs in the ’90s

    In the early ’90s Craig was music director at KILO 93.9. By September 1992 he was music director at KIKX 102.7 “The Max,” working with program director Tom Fricke as the station launched a CHR/Modern format. That chapter was brief, as KIKX was in country radio by 1993.

    As Chris Brooks

    Using the Chris Brooks name, he was program director and air personality at Clear Channel’s KCCY and KDZA. In 2012, Cumulus hired him as program director and afternoon host at KATC-FM/Cat Country 95.1, citing his promotional energy and knowledge of the Colorado Springs–Pueblo market.

    The mountains

    Later directories list him as program director of KSPN-FM 103.1 in Aspen. Krystal Media also names him as part of the team that launched 93.1 Summit Country, the country service carried on KYSL-FM HD2 and relayed in Breckenridge on K226CI.

    Sources

  • Tom Fricke

    Tom Fricke is a Colorado radio guy who’s worked from the Front Range to the mountains. If you wake up with Krystal 93 in Summit County, you already know his voice.

    Early Colorado stops

    Tom’s Southern Colorado radio work included KATM in the late 1980s. By October 1990 he was at KKMG/Magic FM, where he was promoted to assistant program director and music director, taking over from Trevor Carey when Carey left for KWNZ in Reno.

    The Max

    Tom went on to become program director of KIKX/The Max during its 1993 New Rock era.

    Krystal 93

    Since then he’s built a long run at KYSL/Krystal 93, where he’s hosted weekday mornings for more than two decades. He’s picked up Colorado Broadcasters Association recognition along the way for morning-show, personality and sports work.

    2023 awards

    At the 2023 CBA awards, Tom was credited on KYSL-FM’s Award of Excellence for Best Station Imaging Campaign (“Happy Halloween from Krystal 93”) and for Best Sales Event (“A-Basin Opening Day”). He also shared credit with Phil Lindeman on a Certificate of Merit for Best News/Talk Show Host or Team (“Morning Mayhem With Tom & Phil”), and with Phil and Tauna Lockhart on a digital/social media Certificate of Merit.

    Sources

  • Derek Knight

    Derek Knight is a Colorado Springs radio voice who’s also a comedian, voice-over artist and trivia host. If you ever heard Oldies 92.9 in the ’90s or spent a pub night with “The Dark Lord of Quiz,” you’ve met him.

    Oldies 92.9

    A February 1996 Usenet post is signed “Derek Knight — KSPZ Oldies 92.9, Colorado Springs,” a snapshot of him on the air at KSPZ during its oldies era. Later professional records list him as an on-air personality with Citadel Broadcasting, and his career grew into voice-over, commercial production, creative direction and advertising production.

    Trivia, comedy and events

    Away from the daily radio grind, Derek became a well-known Colorado Springs trivia host with Geeks Who Drink, earning that “Dark Lord of Quiz” nickname, and a 2014 Gazette profile covered his years running local pub trivia. He’s also a stand-up comedian and event entertainer: he was a panelist in live Match Game-style shows at the Millibo Art Theatre in 2025 and 2026, and he and Jessica Schleiger run a Colorado Springs DJ and event-entertainment business built on decades of radio, voice and audio-production experience.

    Where is he now?

    As of 2026, Derek is still active in Colorado Springs as a comedian, event host and DJ, and media-production pro.

    Sources

  • Rich Bryan

    Rich Bryan was a rock-radio guy in Colorado Springs in the ’90s. If you were listening to KILO at midday in the mid-’90s, that was him.

    Middays at KILO

    In June 1996, Rich left a programming job with Westwood One’s rock format to join KILO as assistant program director and midday host. He took on most of the duties of departing personality Chopper Harrison, and music-director chores were split between Rich and program director Rich Hawk. Later that month, he was listed as the station’s assistant program director and music director.

    On to Jones Radio Network

    By July 1997, Rich had moved on to Jones Radio Network as operations manager of its brand-new Rock Classics format. He also hosted the network’s 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern shift. His earlier stops included music director at WSHE in Orlando and programming Westwood One’s Adult Rock & Roll service.

    Sources

  • Bob Ely / Bob Ihle / Cutter

    Bob Ihle is a Colorado Springs radio personality and programmer who also went by Cutter on the air. His last name is pronounced “Ely,” so if you ever heard it said that way on KILO, that’s why.

    KILO in the late 1980s

    In 1988, Bob moved from KRQU in Laramie to KILO in Colorado Springs to work overnights. By May 1989 he had been promoted to music director, and he kept that title through the rest of the year.

    Cutter at KATC

    Later in his Southern Colorado career, Bob became Cutter on KATC-FM, co-hosting the Cutter & Alisha morning show. If you listened to country in the Springs in the 2010s, that’s probably where you heard him.

    Air Force football

    Bob has also been part of Air Force football broadcasts, appearing on pre- and post-game coverage in the early 2010s.

    Sources

  • Catherine Swendsen

    Catherine Swendsen was part of the programming team at KILO in Colorado Springs. If you were a KILO rock fan in the early 1990s, Catherine had a hand in what you heard.

    Music director at KILO

    By July 1992, Catherine had been at KILO for three years when she was named music director, replacing Steve Fratt, who had just left the station. Program director Rich Hawk had good things to say about her work. That put Catherine in a key music-programming job at the Colorado Springs rock station.

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

    Sources

  • Erin Brady

    Erin Brady was the other half of Magic Morning Zoo on Colorado Springs’ KKMG. If you woke up to 98.9 Magic FM in the early ’90s, you probably heard her trading jokes with Jonathan Wilde.

    The Magic Morning Zoo

    Erin and Jonathan had worked mornings together at WWMX/WGOR in Baltimore before landing at Top 40/dance KKMG in early 1992, taking over mornings from Pete May. The station was Citadel-owned, with Bob Proffitt as general manager, Scooter B. Stevens as program director and Chris Baker as director of programming. By spring 1992, KKMG was the top station in town with listeners 18 to 34.

    Spam Weekend

    One of the pair’s goofier promotions was KKMG’s Spam Weekend, where listeners built sculptures out of canned Spam. Jonathan and Erin judged the entries, including “Baby Got Spam,” a rather cheeky likeness of a human backside, and “Planetary Spam,” a model of the solar system.

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

    Sources

  • Jonathan Wilde

    Jonathan Wilde is one of Colorado’s most decorated country morning guys. If you woke up to KYGO in the late ’90s and 2000s, or to The Wolf after that, you probably started your day with him.

    Magic Morning Zoo

    Jonathan’s Colorado story starts in Colorado Springs. A September 1992 FMQB market profile names him and Erin Brady as the morning team on KKMG 98.9’s Magic Morning Zoo. Radio & Records got a taste of their style that summer, when the pair judged KKMG’s Spam Weekend, a contest where listeners made sculptures out of Spam. Entries included one called Baby Got Spam and a model solar system dubbed Planetary Spam.

    KYGO and The Wolf

    He spent time at KPLX in Dallas and then arrived at KYGO in Denver in 1998. With Kelly Ford he built a long morning partnership that comedian Steve Mudflap McGrew eventually joined. The group stayed together for nine years, and the morning team took home CMA personality honors in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Late in 2006 he switched to country rival 92.5 The Wolf, beginning in afternoons; he later went back to mornings at what became KWOF, ultimately as both program director and morning host.

    More Denver mornings, a break and a return

    Other Colorado mornings on his résumé came at KXKL (KOOL 105) and KOSI. He left KOSI in June 2017 and was away from radio for almost seven years, then came back in 2024 as Johnny Wilde with iHeartMedia, anchoring the morning show on KXBG Big 97.9 in Northern Colorado. You could also catch him in early afternoons on KWBL 106.7 The Bull in Denver, and on weekends on KRFX 103.5 The Fox.

    He’s an Arkansas State University graduate whose first radio job was at KISR, a station in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Bios list him as a three-time winner of the CMA Major Market Personality of the Year award, a Marconi nominee and a three-time ACM nominee.

    Sources

  • Maria Anderson

    Maria Anderson was on the KIKX air staff during the station’s New Rock era in Colorado Springs. If you tuned in to The Max in 1993, Maria was part of the team you heard.

    The Max airstaff, 1993

    Maria is listed on the 1993 KIKX/The Max programming and air team alongside program director Tom Fricke, music director and midday personality Craig Koehn, and Pete May. It’s a snapshot of the station shortly before another format change later that year.

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

    Sources

    • Colorado Radio Archive: KIKX timeline research
    • 1993 radio industry station directories (print)

  • Val

    Val was a Southern Colorado country-radio personality on KCCY, Y96.9. If you listened to country in Southern Colorado around 2009, Val may be a voice you remember.

    Cooking with the radio crowd

    In 2009, Val and Willie were on the KCCY on-air team in a community culinary competition that paired local radio personalities with chefs. Their group won Most Original Dishes.

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

    Sources

    • Colorado Springs Gazette: radio-personality culinary competition coverage (2009) (print)