PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: Stations

  • KREL-AM

    KREL (1580 AM) was “Real Radio 1580,” the Colorado Springs AM station that mixed local talk with sports from 2010 to 2015. If you listened to Colorado State football or caught the local news on 1580 in the early 2010s, this is the one you had on.

    Real Radio 1580

    The KREL call sign belonged to a much older frequency whose lineage began with KPIK in 1957 and later ran through KWYD and KKKK. In 2012, broadcaster Dan Cochell’s DC Enterprises arranged to operate local programming on KREL, which was owned by Pilgrim Communications. The station mixed local news and talk with syndicated shows and teamed up with KXRM-TV/Fox 21 on news. Cochell built the local operation and was on the air too.

    Ownership history

    • 2010 to 2015: Pilgrim Communications, the licensee
    • 2012 on: Dan Cochell’s DC Enterprises ran the local programming

    Earlier owners are on the KPIK page.

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found a street address for the KREL studios yet. If you know it, we’d love to hear from you.

    ESPN and Fox Sports

    KREL moved to ESPN Radio in January 2013. During the 2013 season it was the Colorado Springs-Pueblo affiliate of the CSU radio network, carrying Rams football and men’s and women’s basketball. In October 2014, the sports side changed affiliation to Fox Sports Radio.

    The end of the KREL era

    On April 13, 2015, 1580 dropped sports and became KHIG, branded “K-High 1580,” with a cannabis-focused talk format. KREL marks the sports-and-talk chapter right before that very unusual format experiment.

    Call sign timeline

    KPIK, KWYD, KKKK, KREL, KHIG, KFCS.

    Sources

  • KKKK-AM

    KKKK (1580 AM) was the call sign on Colorado Springs’ 1580 AM from 2005 to 2010. If you tuned around the AM dial in the Springs in the second half of the 2000s, 1580 was this one.

    One chapter of a long line

    The 1580 facility started in 1957 as KPIK and later ran as KWYD before taking the KKKK calls. In 2010 it became KREL, and later identities included KHIG and KFCS. The calls changed over the years, but this is one continuous licensed facility, and programming and ownership varied by period.

    Ownership history

    The earliest owners are on the KPIK page, including Western Broadcasting and Area Broadcasting. Who owned 1580 as KKKK between 2005 and 2010 hasn’t been identified yet. The 2010s owners are on the KREL and KFCS pages.

    Where the studios have been

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

    Call sign timeline

    KPIK (1957 to 1987), KWYD (1987 to 2005), KKKK (2005 to 2010), KREL (2010 to 2015), KHIG (2015), then KFCS.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 1580 kHz AM
    • Community: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • FCC facility ID: 51816

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at KKKK, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KKHI-AM

    KKHI (1530 AM) was a short-lived 2015 call sign on Colorado Springs’ 1530 AM. If you blinked in 2015, you might have missed it.

    A brief chapter

    The frequency had been KCMN for more than three decades before the call sign changed to KKHI in February 2015. KKHI lasted only until October, when the station became KQSC.

    The 1530 facility later joined the revived KDZA classic hits service as a Colorado Springs simulcast partner.

    Ownership history

    The owners of 1530 in 2015 are covered on the KCMN and KQSC pages.

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found a separate KKHI studio address. Studios for the 1530 lineage are on the KCMN page.

    Call sign timeline

    KRYT, KXXV, KKCS, KCMN, KKHI, KQSC. See also the KRYT page for the start of the lineage.

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at KKHI, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KCMN-AM

    KCMN (1530 AM) was the longest-running identity on Colorado Springs’ 1530 AM, from 1982 until 2015. If you spent time on the AM dial in the Springs between the Reagan years and the 2010s, this is the call sign you’d have seen most.

    The KCMN years

    KCMN followed the signal’s earlier eras as KRYT, KXXV and KKCS. In April 2012, Pueblo Radio Group bought KCMN and sister station KCBR from DJR Broadcasting, and 1530 moved from “Legends 1530” to oldies. KCMN was not part of the September 2014 takeover of the group’s other signals by SoCo Radio.

    What came next

    The facility briefly became KKHI in 2015 and then KQSC. The 1530 signal has since been tied to the KDZA classic hits service.

    Ownership history

    • Until April 2012: DJR Broadcasting
    • April 2012 on: Pueblo Radio Group, which bought KCMN and sister station KCBR

    Owners before DJR Broadcasting haven’t been identified yet. Later owners are on the KQSC page.

    Where the studios have been

    • 1964: 1047 S. Circle Drive (as KRYT)
    • By 1981: 847 S. Circle Drive (KKCS era)
    • 1990: 2880 E. Fountain Blvd., Suite 200
    • By 1992: 5050 Edison Ave., Suite 218 (KCBR/KCMN)
    • 1993 to 1996: still 5050 Edison Ave.

    Call sign timeline

    KRYT (1964 to 1977), KXXV (1977 to 1979), KKCS (1979 to 1981), KCMN (1982 to 2015), then KKHI and KQSC.

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KQSC
    • Colorado Springs Gazette, April 5, 2012 (print)
    • RadioInsight, Sept. 25, 2014
    • FCC call-sign history
    • Broadcasting Yearbook, 1990 (print)

  • KINX-FM

    KINX (101.9 FM) was the call sign on Colorado Springs’ 101.9 FM from 1976 to 1979, the in-between years before the station became the country powerhouse KCS 102. If you were listening to 101.9 in the mid-70s, this was the name on the dial.

    History

    The 101.9 station started in 1967 as KRYT-FM. It took the KINX calls in 1976 and changed to KKCS-FM in 1979. For part of this period the operation was paired with KXXV on 1530 AM. This page covers the FM call-sign era, not the separate KINX-AM that shows up in some old directories.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 101.9 MHz FM
    • Market: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • KINX period: 1976 to 1979
    • Before: KRYT-FM
    • After: KKCS-FM
    • Associated AM: KXXV, 1530 kHz

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at KINX, we’d love to hear from you.

    Ownership history

    Who owned 101.9 as KINX hasn’t been identified yet. Ownership from 1982 on (Walton Stations and after) is on the KKCS-FM page.

    Where the studios have been

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

    Sources

  • KXXV-AM

    KXXV (1530 AM) was the call sign on Colorado Springs’ 1530 AM station from 1977 to 1979, a short chapter between the KRYT years and the KKCS years. If you remember a 1530 AM station from the late 70s, this may be the one.

    History

    The 1530 AM facility began in 1964 as KRYT. It took the KXXV calls in 1977 and became KKCS in 1979. After that it ran for many years as KCMN (1982 to 2015), followed by KKHI and KQSC. All of these are call-letter changes on the same Colorado Springs AM signal, with programming and ownership changing along the way.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 1530 kHz AM
    • Community: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • KXXV period: 1977 to 1979
    • Before: KRYT
    • After: KKCS

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at KXXV, we’d love to hear from you.

    Ownership history

    Who owned 1530 as KXXV hasn’t been identified yet. Later owners are on the KCMN and KQSC pages.

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found a KXXV studio address yet. Studios for the surrounding years are on the KCMN page.

    Sources

  • KRYT-AM (Colorado Springs)

    KRYT (1530 AM) was the original call sign of Colorado Springs’ 1530 AM facility, which signed on February 9, 1964. If your family had a radio on in the Springs in the 60s or 70s, this dial position has a long history behind it.

    History

    KRYT started as a local AM service for Colorado Springs on 1530 kHz and kept the call sign until 1977, when it became KXXV. It became KKCS in 1979, and later spent more than three decades as KCMN before taking the KKHI and KQSC identities.

    This page is for the Colorado Springs 1530 AM KRYT. It is a different station from the later KRYT on Pueblo 1350 AM.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 1530 kHz AM
    • Community: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • First broadcast: February 9, 1964
    • Call sign period: 1964 to 1977

    Ownership history

    The people who put KRYT on the air in 1964 haven’t been identified yet. Later owners of the 1530 signal are on the KCMN and KQSC pages.

    Where the studios have been

    • 1964: 1047 S. Circle Drive, Colorado Springs

    Call sign timeline

    KRYT (1964 to 1977), KXXV, KKCS, KCMN, KKHI, KQSC.

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at KRYT, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KKCS-FM

    KKCS-FM was “KCS 102,” “The Most Country KCS 102,” one of the defining country stations in Colorado Springs. If you grew up in the Springs in the 80s or 90s and your truck radio was on country, this was probably the one.

    The 101.9 years

    The 101.9 facility signed on in 1967 as KRYT-FM and later became KINX. On September 12, 1979, it took the KKCS-FM calls and a country format. Walton Stations, which bought it in 1982, turned KCS into a major competitor in the market, among the strongest in ratings and revenue through much of the 80s and 90s.

    Walton sold KKCS-FM to Superior Broadcasting in 2003 for $18 million.

    December 2005: KCS and 101.9 part ways

    In late 2005, Superior sold the 101.9 facility to Bustos Media but kept the KCS country programming. For a while, KCS was simulcast on 104.5 in Cañon City.

    On December 2, 2005, Bustos took over 101.9 and put its Regional Mexican “La Gran D” format on the frequency. On December 8, the KKCS-FM calls moved to 104.5 and 101.9 became KGDQ.

    The old 101.9 facility was then moved north, with its city of license changed to Centennial and its transmitter relocated toward Monument Hill and Castle Rock to aim at Denver. In other words, the signal that carried KCS for 26 years left Colorado Springs. It later became KKHI and then KXWA, WAY-FM.

    104.5: the last KCS chapter

    KCS and the KKCS-FM calls carried on from the former KSTY facility at 104.5 FM, licensed to Cañon City. The move caused reception problems on the north side of Colorado Springs, and in January 2006 Air Force Academy station KAFA agreed to move away from adjacent 104.3 after KKCS complained of interference.

    The new signal could not match the reach of 101.9. The KKCS operation wound down during 2006 and ended in 2007, when 104.5 went back to the KSTY calls and Star Country identity.

    The two facilities

    • Original 101.9 facility: KRYT-FM, KINX, KKCS-FM, KGDQ, KKHI, KXWA. Now a Denver-market station licensed to Centennial.
    • 104.5 facility that inherited KCS: KRLN-FM, KSTX, KRLN-FM, KSTY, KKCS-FM, KSTY. Still a Southern Colorado station licensed to Cañon City.

    Sister stations

    KKCS-FM was long paired with KKCS 1460 AM, which simulcast the FM after taking the KKCS calls in 1985. The KKCS name was also used briefly on 1530 AM from 1979 to 1982.

    Ownership history

    • 1967 to 1982: owners of the KRYT-FM and KINX years haven’t been identified yet
    • 1982 to 2003: Walton Stations
    • 2003 to 2005: Superior Broadcasting, which paid $18 million
    • December 2005: Bustos Media took over 101.9, while Superior kept the KCS programming and calls

    Where the studios have been

    • By 1991: 5145 Centennial Blvd., Suite 200
    • 1994 to 1995: same 5145 Centennial Blvd. building, shared with KKCS AM and KIKX
    • By 2002: 3515 N. Chestnut Street, Colorado Springs, with the AM

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KXWA
    • FCC call-sign and facility history
    • Broadcasting Yearbook (print)
    • Duncan’s American Radio (print)
    • Radio & Records, May 2, 2003 and Dec. 6, 2005 (print)
    • Broadcasting & Cable, May 12, 2003 (print)
    • Colorado Springs Gazette, Jan. 21, 2006 (print)

  • KIKX-FM

    KIKX (102.7 FM) was “Kicks 102.7,” and later “The Max,” a Colorado Springs hit-music station. If you were cruising the Springs in the mid-80s or early 90s with a CHR station on, you may have had it on.

    Kicks 102.7

    KIKX was the 102.7 identity from 1984 to 1996. It took the former KIIQ facility back to contemporary hit radio and became one of the market’s big CHR competitors. By 1988 it had new company on the dial, with Pueblo move-ins KATM and KKMG going after the same listeners.

    The Max

    By September 1992 the station had shifted toward a new-rock-leaning CHR sound under the name “The Max.” A September 1992 market profile listed Bob Gourley as general manager, Tom Fricke as program director and Craig Koehn as music director.

    Later in 1992, KIKX went into a sales-only LMA with crosstown KKCS, and KKCS general manager Bob Gourley took over from KIKX general manager Dennis Lamme as part of the deal.

    The Max kept going through 1993. Chrissy Addis moved up from promotions assistant to promotion director in May, and morning-show intern Maria Stevens moved into nights in June after Dave Hawkins left for production duties at KKFM.

    The end of the Max

    By October 1993, Walton Stations-Colorado had ended The Max and moved KIKX to a satellite-delivered country format. The station later tried an all-1970s format before Salem Communications bought the facility in 1996 and moved the KBIQ Christian AC identity to 102.7.

    Family tree

    For part of the 1980s, KIKX shared ownership and calls with KIKX 1490 AM, which at times simulcast the FM. The 102.7 lineage runs KCMS to KIIQ to KIKX to KBIQ.

    Ownership history

    • 1993: Walton Stations-Colorado, which ended The Max and moved to country
    • 1994 to 1995: Wiskes/Abaris
    • 1996 on: Salem Communications, which moved the KBIQ identity to 102.7

    Earlier owners are on the KIIQ page.

    Where the studios have been

    • By 1991: 5145 Centennial Blvd., Suite 200, shared with KKCS
    • 1994 to 1995: still 5145 Centennial, under Wiskes/Abaris ownership

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KBIQ
    • FCC history cards for 102.7 FM
    • Radio & Records, Sept. 18, 1992; May 28, 1993; June 25, 1993 (print)
    • FMQB, Sept. 25, 1992 (print)
    • Billboard, Nov. 7, 1992 (print)
    • Gavin Report, Oct. 1, 1993 (print)
    • Radio Business Report, 1994 to 1995 (print)
    • Published histories of KBIQ and KXRE

  • KATM-FM

    KATM (100.7 FM), “The Kat,” was the Pueblo-licensed station that went after Colorado Springs listeners in the late 80s and early 90s. If you were a Springs teenager then and had a Top 40 or rock station in your car, there’s a decent chance this was one of them.

    The Kat years

    The 100.7 signal signed on March 8, 1976 as KZLO, a sister to KDZA 1230, and became KATM in 1986. From 1988 it set up shop in Colorado Springs while keeping its Pueblo license. It began as a Top 40 station, shifted to Rock 40, and by August 1991 was playing full album rock.

    Things got better under programmer Doug Sorenson, who arrived in February 1989 from WBZZ (B94) in Pittsburgh. By the fall, the station’s ratings share had grown by more than half, and it was promoting itself as “Colorado’s Rock Hits.”

    Who ran it

    • General manager: Tricia York
    • Program director: Doug Sorenson (1989 to early 1990), then Kevin Burchfield (1990), then Mark Blake (from August 1990)
    • Music director: Tom Fricke, later Jennifer Bell
    • Morning show: Dave Milne moved from nights to mornings in March 1990

    Sorenson left in March 1990 for KATT in Oklahoma City, and Burchfield moved up from assistant program director and promotion director to take over programming.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 100.7 FM
    • City of license: Pueblo
    • Branding: “The Kat”

    Ownership history

    • 1976 to 1992: the same family of stations as KDZA 1230 AM, the “Surrey era” owners; the individual names haven’t been confirmed yet
    • 1992 to 1990s: Salem Communications, for about $950,000

    Where the studios have been

    • Before 1988: Pueblo
    • 1988 to 1991: 6760 Corporate Dr., Suite 340, Colorado Springs, CO 80919

    What came next

    Salem Communications bought the station in 1992 for about $950,000 and flipped it to Christian talk and teaching as KGFT. Sister station KDZA 1230 AM was part of the same family during the Surrey era.

    Sources