PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: People

  • Marion Cunningham

    Marion Cunningham was chief engineer at KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in the mid-1950s. If you were listening to KCSJ back then, Marion was the one keeping its signal running behind the scenes.

    On the KCSJ staff

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Marion on the station’s staff alongside news director Bob Billman, sports director Ross Beatty and women’s director Mary Smith. It was a technically busy job: KCSJ ran a directional AM signal and had an associated television service. The directory data was corrected to December 15, 1954 and gives no service dates.

    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

  • Ray Whitworth

    Ray Whitworth was commercial manager at KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in the mid-1950s. If you heard a local ad on KCSJ back then, Ray’s sales team was behind it.

    Selling KCSJ

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Ray in the station’s senior staff under president and general manager Douglas D. Kahle, alongside vice president Ray J. Williams. KCSJ’s listing also mentions an affiliated television service and Mutual and Intermountain network ties, so Ray’s sales job covered a busy multi-service operation. The market data was corrected to December 15, 1954.

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

    Sources

  • Ray J. Williams

    Ray J. Williams was a Pueblo broadcasting executive who held leadership roles at KCSJ and KAPP/KAPI. If you listened to AM radio in Pueblo in the 50s, chances are you were tuned to a station Ray helped run.

    From KCSJ to KAPP

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Ray as vice president of KCSJ. By 1957 he was president of the station’s ownership company. A 1960 directory then has him as president and general manager of KAPP 690, the facility that soon became KAPI.

    That ties him to two important Pueblo AM stories: heritage KCSJ 590, and the 690 signal that went on to become the Spanish-language KAPI and later KRMX and KWRP.

    Sources

  • Robert A. Mott

    Robert A. Mott was news director at KGHF 1350 in Pueblo in 1955. If you kept up with the local news on KGHF in the mid-1950s, Robert was the one running the newsroom.

    On the KGHF staff

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Robert alongside farm director Irwin M. Cunningham, general manager Robert D. Ellis and commercial manager William Mahoney. KGHF carried ABC network service and had a range of local staff roles. The market data was corrected to December 15, 1954, and it doesn’t give Robert’s dates of service.

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

    Sources

  • Robert D. Ellis

    Robert D. Ellis was general manager of KGHF 1350 in Pueblo in the mid-1950s. If you tuned in to KGHF back then for ABC programming and local news, Robert was running the show.

    On the KGHF management team

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook places Robert on the station’s management team under company president Gifford Phillips, alongside commercial manager William Mahoney and news director Robert A. Mott. The directory data was corrected to December 15, 1954, and it doesn’t give his full dates of service.

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

    Sources

  • Jerry Rhoads

    Jerry Rhoads covered both the news and the sports at KDZA 1230 in Pueblo. If you followed the local headlines or the local ballgames on KDZA in the mid-1950s, Jerry was your guy.

    News and sports in Pueblo

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Jerry as both news director and sports director for KDZA, which had been on the air since 1947. The market data was corrected to December 15, 1954, and it doesn’t tell us how long Jerry stayed or what he did afterward.

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

    Sources

  • Bob Billman

    Bob Billman was news director at KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in the mid-1950s. If you kept up with the news in Pueblo back then, Bob was the one putting it together.

    On the KCSJ staff

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Bob alongside program director and farm director Cliff Hendrix, chief engineer Marion Cunningham, sports director Ross Beatty and women’s director Mary Smith. It’s a good snapshot of a small-city station that covered news, sports, farm reports and more. The data was corrected to December 15, 1954, and it doesn’t tell us how long Bob stayed.

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

    Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado’s recollection of KCSJ-TV’s first years, written by Bill Baker, names Bob Billman and Ken Reyhons as the station’s two news announcers, delivering live news after the early kinescope programs once the station signed on June 14, 1953. Same station, same era, so this looks like the same Bob, but the recollection gives no title or dates, so treat it as a likely match.

    Sources

  • Douglas D. Kahle

    Douglas D. Kahle was president and general manager of KCSJ 590 in Pueblo in 1955. If you tuned in to KCSJ in the mid-1950s, Douglas was the person at the top of the station.

    Leading KCSJ

    The 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook lists Douglas at the head of KCSJ’s management. The station ran alongside the KCSJ-TV service and carried Mutual and Intermountain network programming. The data was corrected to December 15, 1954, and it doesn’t tell us how long he led the station or what he did afterward.

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

    Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado has a first-person recollection of KCSJ-TV’s early days, written by Bill Baker, that says Doug Kahle and Bob Clinton bought KCSJ radio from the Frank Hoag family, the Pueblo newspaper owners whose Chieftain and Star Journal gave the station its CSJ letters. The two then went after the Channel 5 television license and chose to be the NBC affiliate, and KCSJ-TV signed on June 14, 1953. That channel was later known as KOAA-TV. It fits the president and general manager listing above, though the recollection only calls him Doug.

    Sources

  • Stretch

    Stretch is a Southern Colorado radio personality on KDZA‘s classic-hits service. If you tune in to KDZA on weekends for the hits you grew up on, Stretch is one of the voices on the schedule.

    Weekends on KDZA

    KDZA’s official pages place Stretch in its weekend lineup, with a six-hour program.

    Where is Stretch now?

    As of October 2026, KDZA still lists Stretch on its weekend schedule.

    KDZA serves Pueblo and Colorado Springs.

    Sources

  • Charlie

    Charlie is a Southern Colorado radio personality on KDZA‘s classic-hits lineup. If you’re in Pueblo or Colorado Springs and have the radio on at lunchtime, there’s a good chance he’s keeping you company.

    Midday on KDZA

    Charlie’s midday show includes a locally branded feature called Charlie’s Tea, part of KDZA’s return to a live, local sound.

    Where is Charlie now?

    As of October 2026, KDZA’s schedule has Charlie on from noon to 3 p.m. on weekdays and again on Saturdays, serving Pueblo and Colorado Springs.

    Sources