PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Bill Osborne

    Bill Osborne wore two hats at KSSS 740 in Colorado Springs. If you listened to KSSS in the late 1960s, Bill was both the guy running the newsroom and the guy keeping the transmitter humming.

    News and engineering

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Bill as both news director and chief engineer, which put him in charge of the station’s news and its technical side. The same listing names John H. Borgen as general manager and Chuck Wane as program director.

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

    Sources

  • Chuck Wane

    Chuck Wane was program director of KSSS 740 in Colorado Springs in 1969. If you tuned in to KSSS in the late 1960s, Chuck was the one deciding what went on the air.

    Programming KSSS

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Chuck as program director during the station’s Northwest Publications era. The same listing shows John H. Borgen as general manager and Bill Osborne as news director and chief engineer.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t have the full length of Chuck’s time at the station. If you worked with Chuck or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • John H. Borgen

    John H. Borgen was the general manager at KSSS 740 in Colorado Springs in 1969. If you tuned in to KSSS back then, he was the one running things behind the scenes.

    Running KSSS

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists John as general manager during the station’s Northwest Publications era. His local team included program director Chuck Wane and Bill Osborne, who handled both news director and chief engineer duties.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t have the full length of his time at the station. If you worked with John or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Jack Bouchie

    Jack Bouchie was music director at KPIK 1580 in Colorado Springs in 1969. If you were a country fan in the Springs back then, Jack had a hand in the songs you heard.

    Country music on KPIK

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook names Jack as KPIK’s music director. The listing shows country-and-western programming as a major part of the station’s weekly schedule, which makes KPIK one of the Springs’ early country stations. The yearbook is a snapshot, so it doesn’t tell us how long Jack held the job.

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

    Sources

  • Norm Tester

    Norm Tester mixed radio programming with country music in 1960s Colorado Springs. If you listened to KPIK back then, you heard Norm’s fingerprints on the music, and maybe on a record or two.

    Music director, then program director

    In January 1966, Norm was reported to be moving to KPIK as music director. By 1969, the Broadcasting Yearbook listed Norm as the station’s program director.

    Making records

    Norm was also a recording artist. A 1967 country release got a review in the trades.

    Sources

  • Donald L. Drennan

    Donald L. Drennan was a partner and general manager of Western Broadcasting Company in Colorado Springs. If you listened to country radio in the Springs in the late 60s, Western Broadcasting was the company behind two of the stations you could tune in.

    Western Broadcasting

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Donald in those roles and shows the company owning KPIK 1580 and KPIK-FM. Both stations leaned country, which made the pair an early AM-FM country combination in Colorado Springs. The listing confirms his role in 1969 but doesn’t tell us how long he owned or managed the stations.

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

    Sources

  • D. P. Pinkston

    D. P. Pinkston was an owner of KPIK 1580 and KPIK-FM in Colorado Springs in the late 1960s. If you were a country fan in the Springs back then, D. P. was one of the people behind the dial position you tuned to.

    Western Broadcasting Company

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists D. P. as a partner in Western Broadcasting Company, which owned the two country-formatted stations.

    An early full-time country FM

    KPIK-FM became one of the market’s early full-time country stations. It was sold separately in 1978 and later became KILO.

    Sources

  • Tom Little

    Tom Little was a Colorado Springs broadcast engineer at KYSN 1460 during its Top 40 era. If you listened to KYSN in the early 70s, Tom was the one making sure it actually came out of your speaker.

    Chief engineer at KYSN

    A 1973 market directory lists Tom as KYSN’s chief engineer. The same entry names John Lambert as general manager and Gregor Vaule as program director, which puts Tom on the team responsible for the station’s technical side. It’s a point-in-time record, so it doesn’t tell us how long he stayed.

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

    Sources

  • John Potter

    John Potter was program director at KPIK 1580 in Colorado Springs in the early 1970s. If you listened to country on KPIK back then, John was the one shaping the lineup.

    Programming KPIK

    The 1973 Starship Radio market directory lists John as KPIK’s program director. It also mentions his earlier work at KRTY, in the career notes for KPIK morning personality Dennis Walker. The listing is a single snapshot, so it doesn’t tell us how long John held the job.

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

    Sources

  • Everett Murray

    Everett Murray was a Colorado Springs radio sales executive at KPIK 1580. If you heard a local ad on KPIK in the late 60s or early 70s, Everett’s department was the reason it was there.

    Selling KPIK

    The 1969 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Everett as KPIK’s commercial manager. Four years later, a 1973 market directory has him as sales manager, so the station’s commercial leadership stayed steady across those years. Both snapshots put him at KPIK during its long country era under Western Broadcasting, though neither tells us his full tenure.

    This is a short page built from two directory listings. If you worked with Everett or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources