PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: Stations

  • KKVM-FM

    KKVM (104.7 FM) is “The Mile,” a classic hits station, and it’s Vail’s very first radio station. If you’ve skied Vail since the 70s, this is the signal that was there first.

    History

    It signed on August 18, 1975, as KVMT. The first transmitter sat on Vail Mountain and moved to a different spot in the 1980s for better coverage.

    It became KSKE on December 21, 1989, KSKE-FM on January 29, 1990, KBTB on September 8, 2009, and KKVM on April 26, 2011. “The Mile” is named for a popular backcountry ski trail between Vail Mountain and Minturn. It’s owned by Steve Leigh‘s KNS Broadcasting, which also owns KZYR.

    Call sign timeline

    • KVMT: 1975 to 1989
    • KSKE: 1989 to 1990
    • KSKE-FM: 1990 to 2009
    • KBTB: 2009 to 2011
    • KKVM: 2011 to present

    The signal

    • 104.7 MHz, licensed to Vail, Colorado
    • Branding: The Mile
    • Format: classic hits
    • FCC facility ID 16269

    Ownership history

    • 1975: signs on as KVMT; the founders haven’t been identified here yet
    • Today: Steve Leigh‘s KNS Broadcasting, which also owns KZYR

    Where the studios have been

    • 1975: the first transmitter sat on Vail Mountain, and it moved to a different site in the 1980s for better coverage
    • Today: 275 Main Street, Unit U201, Edwards

    Sources

  • KFFR-FM

    KFFR (88.3 FM) is the Fraser Valley’s community radio station, licensed to Winter Park. If you live or ski in Winter Park and Fraser, this is your neighborhood station.

    History

    The FCC assigned the call letters on February 5, 2013, and the station started broadcasting in April 2015. It runs on a small staff and more than 70 volunteers, with 10,000 watts covering Winter Park, Fraser and the surrounding valley.

    The signal

    • 88.3 MHz, licensed to Winter Park, Colorado
    • Format: community radio
    • FCC facility ID 175799

    Ownership history

    The founders and licensee behind KFFR since the 2013 call-letter assignment haven’t been identified here yet.

    Where the studios have been

    KFFR’s studios today are at 511 S. Zerex Street, Suite 204B, in Fraser. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KSMT-FM

    KSMT (102.1 FM) is “The Mountain,” Summit County’s adult album alternative station, licensed to Breckenridge. If you’re hitting the slopes around Breck and want an indie-leaning mix, this is the signal.

    History

    The station started out with the call letters KLGT, which it used from 1975 to 1984, before becoming KSMT. It’s owned by AlwaysMountainTime, which also owns KTUN, KKCH, KNFO and other mountain stations.

    Call sign timeline

    • KLGT: 1975 to 1984
    • KSMT: 1984 to present

    The signal

    • 102.1 MHz, licensed to Breckenridge, Colorado
    • Branding: The Mountain
    • Format: adult album alternative
    • FCC facility ID 57336

    Ownership history

    • Today: AlwaysMountainTime
    • 1975 to 1984: the founders and early owners of KLGT haven’t been identified here yet

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found studio addresses for KSMT yet. If you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KJJD-AM

    KJJD (1170 AM) is “La Ley 1170,” a regional Mexican station licensed to Windsor, and it started out in 1969 as country station KUAD. If you’re in the Fort Collins–Greeley area and want banda, cumbia, norteña and ranchera, this is the signal.

    History

    The original grant went to a father-and-son team, and KUAD-AM signed on in 1969 as a daytime-only country station. In 1975, they added KUAD-FM 99.1, which simulcast the AM at first. The two stations later ended up with different owners; the FM is Townsquare’s K99 today. The AM took the KJJD call letters and now plays banda, cumbia, norteña and ranchera from studios in Longmont.

    The signal

    • 1170 kHz AM, licensed to Windsor, Colorado
    • Branding: La Ley 1170
    • Format: regional Mexican (country as KUAD)
    • FCC facility ID 58940

    Ownership history

    • 1969: the original grant went to a father-and-son team (names not identified here yet), who signed on KUAD
    • 1975: the same owners add KUAD-FM 99.1
    • Later: the AM and FM ended up with different owners; the AM’s later owners haven’t been identified here yet

    Where the studios have been

    • Today: studios in Longmont

    Sources

  • KXJJ-AM

    KXJJ (1570 AM) is “La Jota Mexicana,” a regional Mexican station licensed to Loveland, and it’s Loveland’s original AM station, KLOV. If you’ve lived in Loveland a while, you may have heard this frequency under half a dozen names.

    History

    KLOV signed on June 10, 1955, and kept those call letters for 43 years. Its FM sister was KLOV-FM 102.5.

    It became KHPN on August 3, 1998, and KSXT on November 27, 2002. In August 2007, it went sports talk through a deal with Mile High Sports. After more than a month off the air, it started carrying Catholic Radio Network programming on September 23, 2008, and became KPIO that October. In November 2011, the FCC fined it $4,000 over its nighttime power, and the FCC turned down the appeal on June 10, 2015.

    The station then changed hands and names quickly: KKCL in July 2015, sold to Kona Coast Radio for $80,000 that December, KBUD in January 2016 and KVAM that April. A new owner bought it in 2018, switched it to regional Mexican and changed the call letters to KXJJ on March 29, 2021.

    Call sign timeline

    • KLOV: 1955 to 1998
    • KHPN: 1998 to 2002
    • KSXT: 2002 to 2008
    • KPIO: 2008 to 2015
    • KKCL: 2015 to 2016
    • KBUD: 2016
    • KVAM: 2016 to 2021
    • KXJJ: 2021 to present

    The signal

    • 1570 kHz AM, licensed to Loveland, Colorado
    • Branding: La Jota Mexicana
    • FCC facility ID 35517

    Ownership history

    • 1955 to 1998: the founders and owners of KLOV haven’t been identified here yet
    • December 2015: sold to Kona Coast Radio for a small sum
    • 2018: a new owner buys it and switches it to regional Mexican (owner not named here yet)

    Where the studios have been

    Today KXJJ is listed at 3400 W. 16th Street, Building 6, Suite N, in Greeley, even though the station is licensed to Loveland. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KRCN-AM

    KRCN (1060 AM) is a Catholic station licensed to Longmont, and it’s Longmont’s original radio station, KLMO. If you grew up in Longmont, you may remember it by its old call letters.

    History

    KLMO signed on in December 1949 on 1050, a 250-watt daytimer playing full-service country for Longmont and Denver’s northern suburbs. It moved to 1060 in 1965, grew to 10,000 watts in the 1980s and later got permission to stay on at night with reduced power.

    On March 22, 2000, it switched to business and personal-finance talk as “The Radio Colorado Network” and took the KRCN call letters. On January 1, 2015, it became an owned-and-operated station of Kansas City’s Catholic Radio Network.

    Call sign timeline

    • KLMO: 1949 to about 2000
    • KRCN: about 2000 to present

    The signal

    • 1060 kHz AM (1050 kHz until 1965), licensed to Longmont, Colorado
    • Format: Catholic
    • FCC facility ID 70625

    Ownership history

    • 1959: Bill Stewart takes a half interest in KLMO
    • 1998: the AM goes to Pilgrim Broadcasting
    • January 1, 2015 to today: Kansas City’s Catholic Radio Network

    Where the studios have been

    KRCN’s studios today are at 614 Kimbark Street in Longmont. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KEPN-AM

    KEPN (1600 AM) is ESPN Denver, and the current name of the frequency that started out as country station KLAK in 1955. If you’ve heard country, classic country and now sports on 1600, it’s all the same dial position.

    History

    KLAK signed on January 8, 1955, on 1580 as a 250-watt daytimer, moved to 1600 with 1,000 watts and full-time hours in 1957, and reached 5,000 watts by 1961. Over the next decades it went through formats and call letters (KRXY, KWMX), often simulcasting 107.7 FM.

    In 1994, it became KYGO, playing classic country apart from KYGO-FM. In 1999, it started simulcasting KCKK-FM’s “K104.3” and took the KCKK calls. When the FM went smooth jazz in 2000, 1600 kept classic country as “16 Kicks.” Lincoln Financial bought it in 2006, and on January 1, 2007, it became KEPN with ESPN Radio. ESPN moved to 105.5 KJAC in September 2012, and KEPN switched to Fox Sports Radio.

    After Entercom bought Lincoln’s stations in December 2014, the Justice Department made it sell KEPN, and Bonneville International took it over in July 2015. On January 4, 2016, KEPN went back to ESPN Radio full time, and it rebranded as “Denver Sports” on January 3, 2023.

    Call sign timeline

    • KLAK: 1955 to 1987
    • KRXY: 1987 to 1993
    • KWMX: 1993 to 1994
    • KYGO: 1994 to 1999
    • KCKK: 1999 to 2006
    • KEPN: 2006 to present

    The signal

    • 1600 kHz AM (1580 kHz until 1957), licensed to Lakewood, Colorado
    • Branding: 1600 ESPN Denver / Denver Sports
    • Owner: Bonneville International (since 2015)
    • FCC facility ID 30823

    Ownership history

    • 1955: signs on as KLAK
    • 1961: Ed Scott purchases KLAK; Morey DaVolt is credited with building KLAK
    • 2006: Lincoln Financial buys it
    • 2014 to 2015: Entercom buys Lincoln’s stations, and the Justice Department makes it sell KEPN
    • July 2015 to today: Bonneville International

    Where the studios have been

    Today ESPN Denver is listed at 7800 E. Orchard Road, Suite 400, in Greenwood Village. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KMXA-AM

    KMXA (1090 AM) is TUDN Radio Denver, a Spanish-language sports station, and before that it was home to the first all-sports station west of the Mississippi. If you remember Denver sports talk on 1090, or the Spanish-language Rockies broadcasts, it’s the same signal.

    History

    It signed on September 12, 1972, as KAAT, a 50,000-watt daytimer. A new owner bought it in 1978, and from 1979 it was KLDR, a listener-request station. After a few more call changes, it became KYBG in 1987, billed as the first all-sports radio station west of the Mississippi.

    Sports ended in December 1995, and the station simulcast KQKS. EXCL Communications, later Entravision, bought it in August 1996 and made it Spanish-language KMXA. Since then it has simulcast KXPK, played Spanish oldies, carried Colorado Rockies baseball through 2012, and run Super Estrella (2015), La Suavecita (2018) and ESPN Deportes (2019). TUDN Radio took over in August 2020.

    Call sign timeline

    • KAAT: 1972 to 1979
    • KLDR: 1979 to 1984
    • KLSZ: 1984 to 1985
    • KLSC: 1985 to 1987
    • KYBG: 1987 to 1996
    • KMXA: 1996 to present

    The signal

    • 1090 kHz AM, licensed to Aurora, Colorado
    • Branding: TUDN Radio Denver
    • FCC facility ID 10057

    Ownership history

    • 1972 to 1978: the original owners of KAAT haven’t been identified here yet
    • 1978: a new owner buys the station (not named here yet)
    • August 1996: EXCL Communications, later Entravision, buys it and makes it Spanish-language KMXA

    Where the studios have been

    Today KMXA is listed at 1907 Mile High Stadium West Circle in Denver, even though the station is licensed to Aurora. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KAMP-AM

    KAMP (1430 AM) is “1430 AM The Bet,” a sports-betting talk station, and the current name of the frequency that was KOSI and then KEZW for 66 years. If your parents played beautiful music or adult standards on this dial position, it’s the same signal.

    History

    It signed on December 1, 1954, as KOSI. KOSI-FM 101.1 was added in 1968, and both became beautiful-music hits in Denver. In 1981, the AM became KEZW and played adult standards for three decades. It went oldies on December 27, 2015, and became “EZ 1430,” mixing soft oldies and standards, on September 4, 2018.

    On January 25, 2021, it launched “1430 AM The Bet” alongside the new BetMGM Network. The call letters changed to KAMP on April 22, 2021, a parking move tied to call-sign changes at a Los Angeles sister station. Audacy owns it.

    Call sign timeline

    • KOSI: 1954 to 1981
    • KEZW: 1981 to 2021
    • KAMP: 2021 to present

    The signal

    • 1430 kHz AM, licensed to Aurora, Colorado
    • Branding: 1430 AM The Bet
    • FCC facility ID 67843

    Related

    KOSI 101.1 is the FM sister.

    Ownership history

    • 1954 to 1981: KOSI’s founding owner, Bill Armstrong
    • 1981: Armstrong sells KOSI to Westinghouse for roughly nine million dollars in stock
    • Today: Audacy

    Where the studios have been

    Today KAMP is listed at 4700 S. Syracuse Street, Suite 1050, in Denver, even though the station is licensed to Aurora. Earlier studio addresses haven’t turned up yet, so if you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KTND-FM

    KTND (93.5 FM) is “Thunder 93.5,” a classic hits station licensed to Aspen. If you’re in the Aspen area and want the hits from your younger days, this is the spot.

    History

    KTND signed on in 2010, and the call letters stand for “K-ThuNDer.” It’s owned by Roaring Fork Broadcasting Company.

    The signal

    • 93.5 MHz, licensed to Aspen, Colorado
    • Branding: Thunder 93.5
    • Format: classic hits
    • FCC facility ID 170489

    Ownership history

    • 2010 to today: Roaring Fork Broadcasting Company

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found studio addresses for KTND yet. If you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources