PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Arthur “Bus” M. Oaks

    Arthur “Bus” M. Oaks was a sales and management veteran at KVOR and Z93 in Colorado Springs. If you heard those stations in the ’70s, the ads you heard were sold on his watch.

    Running sales at KVOR and KSPZ

    A former employee who worked at KVOR 1300 and KSPZ 92.9 from 1973 to 1978 remembers Bus as assistant general manager and sales manager, and says everybody called him “Bus,” not “Buds.” By 1980 the Broadcasting Yearbook listed him as vice president of the ownership group behind KVOR and co-owner of KSPZ, the AM and FM sides of a longtime Colorado Springs operation.

    That same former employee thinks Bus may have had earlier radio experience farther east in Colorado, possibly in Lamar, but that hasn’t been pinned down yet.

    Remembering Bus

    Colorado Springs cemetery records list Arthur “Bus” M. Oaks as living from 1913 to 1981, and a 2026 family obituary for his son Charles names his father as Arthur Bus Oaks.

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

    Sources

  • Donald Harding Jr.

    Donald Harding Jr. was president of KYSN Broadcasting Company, the owner of KYSN 1460 in Colorado Springs around 1980. If you listened to KYSN’s Top 40 days, Donald was the executive at the top of the company behind the station.

    KYSN Broadcasting Company

    The 1980 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Donald as president of the company, with John H. Lambert running the local operation as general manager. The directory is a snapshot, so it doesn’t tell us how long Donald owned or led the station.

    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

  • Hal Tatel

    Hal Tatel was the name Colorado Springs listeners associated most with radio news, from the late 1960s until the late 1980s. He ran the newsroom at KYSN 1460 while it was a Top 40 powerhouse, and afterward at KVOR.

    KYSN, 1967–1983

    From 1967 through 1983, Tatel was the news director at KYSN, and the station climbed to the top of the local ratings while he was there. The 1973 Starship Radio directory has him as news director next to general manager John Lambert and program/music director Gregor Vaule. By 1980 he was still leading news, now under program director Dan Jackson.

    KVOR, 1984–1987

    From 1984 to 1987 he was news director at news/talk KVOR. Across his 20 years of Colorado Springs radio, he was a vice president of the Colorado Broadcasters Association and collected many awards for both news reporting and community service.

    Some former KYSN air personalities recalled Tatel as a respected newsman, and they have said that he has passed away. If you worked with Hal or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Mark Murray

    Mark Murray was the music director at KYSN 1460 in Colorado Springs. If you listened to KYSN during its Top 40 days around 1980, Mark was one of the people deciding what you heard.

    Picking the music

    The 1980 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Mark as KYSN’s music director, working under program director Dan Jackson and general manager John H. Lambert. That directory is a snapshot, so it doesn’t tell us how long he held the job.

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

    Sources

  • John Douglas

    John Douglas was news director of KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in 1957. If you got your news from KCSJ in the late 1950s, John was leading the newsroom.

    The KCSJ team

    The 1957 Broadcasting Yearbook lists John alongside operations manager Daniel F. Durniak, radio director Cliff Hendricks, program manager Howard Myers and chief engineer Marion Pennington. The station also had an associated television service, so it was a busy shop.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t know the rest of John’s career. If you worked with John or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Marion Pennington

    Marion Pennington was chief engineer at KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in 1957. You never heard Marion on the air, but if you tuned in to KCSJ in the late 1950s, Marion was making sure it came through.

    On the KCSJ staff

    The 1957 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Marion alongside operations manager Daniel F. Durniak, radio director Cliff Hendricks, program manager Howard Myers and news director John Douglas. The listing doesn’t give service dates or any later details.

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

    Sources

  • Daniel F. Durniak

    Daniel F. Durniak was operations manager at KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in 1957. If you listened to KCSJ in the late 1950s, Daniel was part of the team making the station run day to day.

    Running operations at KCSJ

    The 1957 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Daniel with radio director Cliff Hendricks and program manager Howard Myers in the station’s staff directory. KCSJ was locally staffed and operated alongside KCSJ-TV.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t have dates of service. If you worked with Daniel or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Kenneth Reynolds

    Kenneth Reynolds was news director of KGHF 1350 in Pueblo in 1957. If you followed Pueblo news on KGHF in the late 1950s, Kenneth was running the newsroom.

    News on KGHF

    The 1957 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Kenneth with the station’s management and engineering staff. KGHF carried ABC, Mutual and Intermountain network service, so Pueblo listeners got national programming alongside the local news Kenneth’s team put together.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t have dates of service or what came after. If you worked with Kenneth or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • Henry Ankeny

    Henry Ankeny was chief engineer at KGHF 1350 in Pueblo in 1957. If you tuned in to KGHF back then, Henry was one of the people behind the scenes keeping the signal on the air.

    Keeping KGHF on the air

    Henry worked under general manager William C. Stewart and president Gifford Phillips, at a station that carried ABC, Mutual and Intermountain network programming.

    This is a short page built from one directory listing, so we don’t have dates of service or later work. If you worked with Henry or have more to add, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • William C. Stewart

    William C. Stewart was general manager of KGHF 1350 in Pueblo in 1957. If you listened to KGHF for ABC and Mutual programming in the late 1950s, William was running the station.

    Leading KGHF

    The 1957 Broadcasting Yearbook lists William as general manager under station president Gifford Phillips, alongside commercial manager William Mahoney and chief engineer Henry Ankeny. It’s a dated staff record, so it doesn’t tell us how long he stayed or what he did afterward.

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

    Sources