KCFC-AM

KCFC 1490 carries CPR News in Boulder, and it’s the same frequency that was Boulder’s hometown station KBOL for almost 50 years. It signed on February 15, 1947, as KBOL, with Herb Hollister as president and Russ Shaffer as vice president and general manager. Shaffer bought a majority stake in 1953 and handed management to his son Rusty in the mid-1970s, and Rusty was sole owner by 1985.

After KBOL, the station cycled through KBKS (1994), KBVI (1995) and KWAB (1999), when Working Assets Broadcasting ran progressive talk as “Radio for Change.” It became KCFC in 2001 under Colorado Public Radio, carrying NPR programs and CPR’s Colorado Matters.

Station information

  • Frequency: 1490 kHz.
  • City of license: Boulder.
  • Signed on: February 15, 1947 (as KBOL).
  • Branding: CPR News.
  • Call history: KBOL (1947–1994), KBKS (1994–1995), KBVI (1995–1999), KWAB (1999–2001), KCFC (2001–present).
  • Owner: Colorado Public Radio.
  • FCC facility ID: 70405.

Related

References

Catalog note: Wikipedia gives a February 15, 1947, sign-on; the archive’s KBOL page notes the company was incorporated in 1948. Both dates are kept until a primary source settles it.

STATION FILE

Frequency1490
Best-known brandingCPR News
FormatPublic radio news
City of licenseBoulder
Sign-on1947
StatusOn the air
Former call lettersKBOL, KBKS, KBVI, KWAB

FROM THE TIMELINE

Moments in KCFC-AM History

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2001

Boulder’s old KBOL 1490 becomes CPR’s KCFC

2001 — The Boulder frequency that was KBOL from 1947 to 1994, and progressive-talk KWAB “Radio for Change” from 1999, became KCFC, carrying Colorado Public Radio news.

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