KDZA-AM

KDZA 1230 AM signed on December 29, 1947. Under founder Dee Crouch, the station became a Pueblo institution. In 1964 KDZA made a decisive move into rock and roll and became one of Southern Colorado’s defining Top 40 stations, a role it held through much of the 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s.

Historical accounts credit a long line of local owners and personalities with building “The Rock of Pueblo.” By the early 1990s KDZA was tied to the KATM/KRYT-FM operation. The 1230 station became KKPC in 1993 and spent years in public-radio service.

The KDZA calls returned to 1230 in 2023 with a classic-hits format. On November 11, 2024, the service expanded into Colorado Springs via KQSC 1530 and its 107.3 FM translator, rebranding as 101.9 & 107.3 KDZA. The current operation emphasizes live local personalities and serves both Pueblo and Colorado Springs.

Paired / sister stations: In the 1970s the 100.7 FM facility launched as KZLO, sister to KDZA. In the early 1990s KDZA was associated with KATM and then KRYT-FM. The modern KDZA service is paired with KQSC.

CBA Awards

At the 2025 CBA Awards, KDZA-AM received Certificates of Merit for Best Sports Coverage for “KDZA Cannon Game coverage,” credited to Guy Girtin, Brett Burke and Lee Truan, and Best Radio Commercial for “KDZA Commercial Discount Motors,” credited to Kevin Hayes and Coba Hoban. 2025 CBA major-market radio results.

2024 CBA Awards: Award of Excellence: Best Radio Commercial for an Advertiser, “Hot Rod Stampede” (Dave West, voice-over; Kevin Hayes, producer). Official CBA 2024 results.

Sources: FCC history; Broadcasting Yearbook; Vintage KDZA historical archive; published KDZA station history.

Awards & Recognitions

Documented awards, honors, and finalist or nomination recognition associated with this station or broadcaster.

2025Certificate of Merit
Colorado Broadcasters Association
Best Sports Coverage by an Individual or Team
KDZA Cannon Game coverage — Guy Girtin, Brett Burke, Lee Truan
2025 Major Market Radio results
2025Certificate of Merit
Colorado Broadcasters Association
Best Radio Commercial for an Advertiser
KDZA Commercial Discount Motors — Kevin Hayes, Coba Hoban
2025 Major Market Radio results
2024Certificate of Merit
Colorado Broadcasters Association
Best Radio Commercial for an Advertiser
Hot Rod Stampede — Dave West (voice-over), Kevin Hayes (producer)
2024 Major Market Radio results

STATION FILE

Frequency1230

Best-known branding101.9 & 107.3 KDZA

FormatClassic hits

City of licensePueblo

Sign-on1947

StatusActive

Former call lettersKKPC

FROM THE TIMELINE

Moments in KDZA-AM History

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December 29, 1947

Future KDZA begins broadcasting on 1230

The Pueblo station that became KDZA began broadcasting on 1230 kHz. Pueblo radio historian material dates the station to December 1947 and identifies Dee Crouch with its ownership from 1947 to 1966.

Late 1940s

Buddy Johnson works across Pueblo radio

Local entertainer Buddy Johnson was working in Pueblo radio during the late 1940s, with surviving family history identifying work at KGHF, KDZA and ultimately KCSJ.

1949

Buddy Johnson photographed with Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb in Pueblo

A surviving 1949 photograph documents Buddy Johnson with country stars Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb during a Pueblo visit. Buddy Johnson’s family archive says the photograph was taken at either KGHF or KDZA, most likely KGHF. The image is strong evidence of the close connection between Pueblo radio and the city’s postwar live-country-music scene.

March 1953

KDZA-TV becomes Pueblo’s first television station

KDZA-TV channel 3 became Pueblo's first television station, operated by Pueblo Radio Co., owner of KDZA 1230. Contemporary sources differ slightly on the exact first regular broadcast date, placing it between March 16 and March 19. Dee B. Crouch was president/general manager; studios and transmitter were at 3011 Elizabeth Street.

By 1953

By 1953: KDZA operates from 3011 Elizabeth Street

By 1953 — KDZA 1230 and the new KDZA-TV operation were based at 3011 Elizabeth Street in Pueblo.

May 7, 1954

KDZA-TV goes silent and never returns

KDZA-TV channel 3 went silent, initially described as a shutdown for equipment repairs. The station never returned; its authorization expired later in 1954. The channel 3 allocation was subsequently shifted from Pueblo to Alamosa.

c. 1962–1964

KDZA moves into its Top 40 era

KDZA was moving into the rock-and-roll/Top 40 era that would define much of its later identity. Surviving station history says “The Rock First Rolled in 1964,” while other historical summaries place its rise as Pueblo's leading Top 40 outlet beginning around 1962. The archive preserves that uncertainty rather than assigning an unsupported single format-change date.

1964

KDZA and KFEL 1964 Pueblo technical snapshot

Contemporary Radio Annual listings show KDZA 1230 at 1,000 watts daytime/250 watts nighttime under Pueblo Radio Co., with Dee B. Crouch simultaneously listed as president, general manager and chief engineer. KFEL 970 remained a 1,000-watt independent station at 4411 Goodnight Avenue under Joseph M. Clifton.

1968

KDZA printed surveys document mature Top 40 era

Surviving KDZA music surveys document the station's mature Top 40 era, including weekly printed charts and an “All Time Top 200.” These artifacts provide unusually detailed evidence of what Pueblo listeners were hearing during the late-1960s rock era.

1975

Michael Galer becomes owner of KDZA

Michael Galer became owner of KDZA, succeeding Roger Brandt. Vintage KDZA history dates Galer's ownership to 1975–1979.

Spring 1980

KDZA leads Pueblo spring ratings as FM accelerates

KDZA remained Pueblo's ratings leader in the spring 1980 survey, continuing a documented run of spring-book victories from 1977 through 1980. Its 12+ metro share had fallen from 24.8 in spring 1978 to 15.7 in 1980 as FM listening accelerated.

1985

Rip Avina documented at KDZA

Contemporary Gavin Report music reporting identifies Rip Avina at KDZA, providing direct evidence of the station's programming personnel and playlist activity during the mid-1980s.

1986

Gavin correspondence preserves Southern Colorado programmers

Gavin Report correspondence identifies Rip Avina at KDZA Pueblo, Charles Darwin at KVRH Salida, and an Irwin/Howard programming team at KVUU Colorado Springs, preserving names often omitted from station histories.

1987

Rip Avina remains documented at KDZA

Rip Avina continued to appear in contemporary trade reporting for KDZA, evidence that his programming role extended through at least 1987.

December 1992

KDZA 1230 goes silent pending Pueblo Community College sale

KDZA 1230 simulcast KATM's rock format early in the year, then oldies KRYT-FM after KATM became KGFT. Pueblo Community College agreed to buy 1230 for $120,000, and KDZA went silent in December while the sale was pending.

May 1993

KKPC returns former KDZA 1230 to the air

The former KDZA 1230 returned as KKPC under Pueblo Community College, initially carrying Business Radio Network programming. The historic KDZA calls moved to the 107.9 FM facility.

1993

KRYT-FM becomes KDZA-FM after McCoy acquisition

MarTec's KRYT-FM 107.9 remained KRYT-FM through 1990; after McCoy acquired the facility in 1993, it became KDZA-FM, transferring the historic KDZA identity from 1230 AM after that station's sale to Pueblo Community College. This corrects an apparent secondary-source claim that the FM had briefly become KGHF-FM in 1990.

November 11, 2024

KDZA expands into Colorado Springs on KQSC

On November 11, 2024, Mountain Radio Group expanded Pueblo classic-hits station KDZA into Colorado Springs by beginning a simulcast on KQSC. The service rebranded as 101.9 and 107.3 KDZA, replacing KQSC’s previous Red Dirt country programming and giving the combined operation a Pueblo and Colorado Springs footprint.

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