PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: Stations

  • KGHF-AM

    KGHF (1350 AM) is one of the foundational call signs in Pueblo radio. If your family had a radio on in Pueblo at any point from the 1930s on, odds are good it landed on 1350 at some point.

    The early years

    The 1350 AM facility began using the KGHF calls in 1928 and kept them until 1964. Mid-century Broadcasting Yearbooks list it with network programming and a full local staff covering news, sales, engineering and farm reports.

    KGHF comes back

    The KGHF call sign returned to 1350 in 1989 and stayed until 2008. Through the 1990s it played oldies. A 1997 market directory lists Greg Hargrove as program director.

    Bahakel buys in

    In 1999, KGHF was sold along with KYZX and KCSJ to Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, the owner of KILO. For a short stretch, that deal tied this historic Pueblo AM station directly to KILO and the operation that later became KRXP.

    This page is still a work in progress. If you worked at KGHF or grew up listening, we’d love to hear from you.

    Ownership history

    • 1927 to the early years: Philip C. Lasky and J. H. Albert, listed as the original owners
    • 1966: Garvey Communications Systems owned the 1350 facility during its KKAM years
    • 1990s: Pueblo Broadcasters
    • 1999: Cy Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters

    The owners between the 1930s and the 1960s haven’t been fully identified yet.

    Where the studios have been

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

    Sources

  • KRXP-FM

    KRXP (103.9 FM), known as X103.9, is the alternative and modern rock station for Colorado Springs and Pueblo. If you grew up on classic rock on the Eagle and now find yourself listening to The Revolution, you’ve followed this signal the whole way.

    From KYZX to KRXP

    The facility signed on in 1993 at 104.5 FM as KYZX, a hot adult contemporary station co-owned with KCSJ and KNKN. It went country in 1996 and classic rock in 1998.

    In 1999 Pueblo Broadcasters sold KYZX, KGHF and KCSJ to Cy Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, owner of KILO, for $4.5 million. Later that year KYZX moved from 104.5 to 103.9 FM, and its city of license changed from Pueblo to Pueblo West.

    It carried on as “103.9 The Eagle” until the calls changed to KRXP on October 31, 2008, with the “103-9 RXP” name. The station moved gradually from classic rock into alternative and modern rock, and rebranded as X103-9 on April 29, 2021.

    The current era

    In July 2025, X103.9 shook up its weekday lineup and programming leadership. The syndicated Woody & Wilcox show joined in mornings, Andy “Crowley” Crowl moved to afternoons, and Program Director Carly Evans left. KILO Program Director and cluster operations manager Ross Ford added programming oversight of KRXP. The lineup still lists Woody & Wilcox in mornings, with Summer Justice as the local morning presence.

    Sister stations

    KRXP and KILO have been Bahakel sister stations since the 1999 acquisition.

    Ownership history

    • 1993 to 1999: Pueblo Broadcasters (as KYZX)
    • 1999 to today: Cy Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, now part of the Bahakel Communications group that also runs KILO

    Where the studios have been

    • 1993 to 1999: the KYZX chapter began as part of a Pueblo-based station group
    • After 1999: operationally paired with KILO in Colorado Springs
    • Today: 1805 E. Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs, shared with KILO

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KRXP
    • M Street Journal (print)
    • Broadcasting & Cable (print)
    • FCC records
    • Bahakel and KILO/KRXP station material
    • Current KRXP station contest rules

  • KYZX-FM

    KYZX was the 1990s and 2000s FM voice of Pueblo and Pueblo West. If you had 104.5 or 103.9 on in southern Colorado between 1993 and 2008, you went through hot AC, country and classic rock with this station.

    Three formats in five years

    KYZX signed on in 1993 at 104.5 FM as a hot adult contemporary station, co-owned with KCSJ and KNKN. It switched to country in 1996 and to classic rock in 1998.

    The Bahakel deal

    In 1999, Pueblo Broadcasters sold KYZX, KGHF and KCSJ to Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, the owner of KILO. Later that year KYZX moved from 104.5 to 103.9 FM and changed its city of license to Pueblo West.

    103.9 The Eagle

    The station ran as “103.9 The Eagle” until it changed calls to KRXP in 2008.

    Sister stations

    • 1990s: KCSJ and KNKN
    • After 1999: KILO, under the Bahakel acquisition

    Ownership history

    • 1993 to 1999: Pueblo Broadcasters, which also held KCSJ and KNKN
    • 1999 to 2008: Cy Bahakel’s Colorado Springs Radio Broadcasters, the company behind KILO

    The people behind Pueblo Broadcasters haven’t been fully pinned down yet.

    Where the studios have been

    We haven’t found street addresses for the KYZX studios yet. If you know them, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KRXP
    • M Street Journal (print)
    • Broadcasting & Cable transaction reports (print)
    • FCC records

  • KZKG-FM

    KZKG is a call sign that never really got its moment on the air. It was the early, pre-launch assignment for a Colorado Springs and Pueblo FM facility that went on to become KYZX and later KRXP.

    Before the sign-on

    The planned FM facility was first assigned the KZKG calls, then took KYZX for its 1993 sign-on. Its later history included a frequency move from 104.5 to 103.9 MHz and a change of community of license to Pueblo West. In 2008 it became KRXP and launched the alternative-rock brand “The Revolution.” So KZKG is best understood as an early step in the facility’s history, not a long-running on-air name.

    The facility at a glance

    • Call sign status: pre-launch
    • First market: Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado
    • First on-air call sign: KYZX (1993)
    • Later call sign: KRXP (2008)
    • Later frequency: 103.9 MHz

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you know more about this station’s earliest days, we’d love to hear from you.

    Ownership history

    Who held the construction permit under the KZKG calls hasn’t been identified yet. The ownership story picks up on the KYZX and KRXP pages.

    Where the studios have been

    No studios were ever tied to this call sign, since it never made it to air. Later studio locations are on the KRXP page.

    Sources

  • KKLI-FM

    KKLI (106.3 FM), branded Sunny 106.3, is a commercial adult contemporary station licensed to Widefield, Colorado, serving the Colorado Springs and Pueblo area. If you grew up with K-Lite in the 90s, or you now have Sunny on at the office, you’ve lived the whole story of this one.

    From K-Lite to Sunny

    The station signed on in 1987 as KKQX with a soft adult contemporary format. It took the KKLI calls in 1988 and used versions of the “K-Lite” name for much of its early history. Colorado Springs broadcaster Henry Tippie owned it in the early 1990s, and Citadel Broadcasting bought it after the 1996 loosening of federal ownership limits. In a 1999 station swap KKLI went to Capstar Broadcasting, which became part of AMFM and was then absorbed by Clear Channel. Clear Channel took the iHeartMedia name in 2014, and KKLI relaunched as Sunny 106.3 on November 6, 2014. Today it carries syndicated shows including Valentine in the Morning and Delilah.

    Ownership history

    • Early 1990s to 1996: Tippie Communications (Henry Tippie)
    • 1996 to 1999: Citadel Broadcasting
    • 1999: Capstar Broadcasting, later part of AMFM
    • By 2000 to 2014: Clear Channel Communications
    • 2014 to today: iHeartMedia

    The signal

    • Frequency: 106.3 MHz FM
    • Licensed to: Widefield, Colorado
    • Power: 1,600 watts ERP
    • Height above average terrain: 678 metres
    • FCC facility ID: 67187
    • Licensee: iHM Licenses, LLC
    • Website: sunny1063online.iheart.com

    Where the studios have been

    • 1993: 2808 International Boulevard
    • From January 1994 through the later 1990s: 2175 Academy Circle
    • By 2002: 2864 S. Circle Drive, Suite 150
    • Later: shared Cumulus facilities at 6805 Corporate Drive
    • Today: 5725 Mark Dabling Boulevard, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, the iHeartMedia Colorado Springs office

    Awards

    2024 Colorado Broadcasters Association awards:

    • Award of Excellence, Best Station Sponsored Community Event: “First & Main Summer Concert Series” (Aaron Kinnischtzke, Dean Nedens and Lindsey Broyles)

    2023 Colorado Broadcasters Association awards:

    • Award of Excellence, Best Sales Event or Live Remote Broadcast: “Notes/Taylor Swift Easter Egg Giveaway” (Tammy Oakland, Britany Havens and Aaron Kinnischtzke)
    • Certificate of Merit, Best Sales Campaign: “Sunny Cake Break” (Tammy Oakland, Kristin DeCocq and Aaron Kinnischtzke)

    Sources

  • KKQX-FM

    KKQX (106.3 FM) was the very first call sign on the frequency Colorado Springs now knows as Sunny 106.3. If you were tuned in during 1987 and 1988 for soft adult contemporary, this is what you were hearing.

    Where 106.3 started

    The 106.3 station signed on in 1987 with a soft adult contemporary sound. In 1988 it took the KKLI calls after that call sign became available from a Portland station. The KKLI name, and the “K-Lite” identity that came with it, became the station’s better-known branding in the Colorado Springs market.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 106.3 MHz FM
    • Market: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • Call sign period: 1987 to 1988
    • First format: soft adult contemporary
    • Next call sign: KKLI

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

    Ownership history

    The people who first put 106.3 on the air haven’t been identified yet. Once it became KKLI, Henry Tippie’s Tippie Communications owned it in the early 1990s, and the chain of owners after that is on the KKLI page.

    Where the studios have been

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

    Sources

  • KIBT-FM

    KIBT (96.1 FM), better known as 96.1 The Beat, is Colorado Springs’ rhythmic contemporary station. If you listen to hip-hop and R&B in the Springs or around southern Colorado, there’s a good chance The Beat is on your presets.

    How 96.1 got here

    The 96.1 signal began in 1993 as KBIQ, a Christian adult contemporary station owned by The Word in Music. Salem Communications bought it in 1996 and moved the KBIQ call sign and format to 102.7 FM after picking up that station. The 96.1 frequency then became KPRZ, “Praise 96.”

    In 1999 AMFM acquired the station in a swap with Salem and relaunched it as KMOM, “Mother 96.1,” at first with classic rock. In October 2004 Clear Channel switched it to rhythmic contemporary and adopted the KIBT calls and the “96.1 The Beat” name. Clear Channel became iHeartMedia in 2014.

    Ownership history

    • 1993 to 1996: The Word in Music, Inc.
    • 1996 to 1999: Salem Communications
    • 1999 to about 2000: AMFM Inc., after the swap with Salem
    • By 2000 to 2014: Clear Channel Communications
    • 2014 to today: iHeartMedia

    The signal

    • Frequency: 96.1 MHz FM
    • Licensed to: Fountain, Colorado
    • Power: 460 watts ERP
    • Height above average terrain: 661 metres
    • FCC facility ID: 66669
    • Licensee: iHM Licenses, LLC
    • Website: beatcolorado.iheart.com
    • HD Radio subchannel: classic R&B

    Where the studios have been

    • Before 2004: as KBIQ, KPRZ and KMOM, the 96.1 operation used Colorado Springs studios; a separately verified street address for those earlier studios hasn’t turned up
    • Later: the Clear Channel and iHeart Colorado Springs group at 2864 S. Circle Drive, Suite 150
    • Today: 5725 Mark Dabling Boulevard, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919

    Awards

    2023 Colorado Broadcasters Association awards:

    • Award of Excellence, Best Station Promotion/Marketing Campaign: “Beat’s Best Seats Summer of Concert Tickets” (Cheeba Hopkins and Aaron Kinnischtzke)
    • Certificate of Merit, Best Station Sponsored Community Event: “Beats Eats and Sneaks/Beat Down Producer Battle” (Cheeba Hopkins, Aaron Kinnischtzke and Jack Gelley)
    • Certificate of Merit, Best Station Promotion: “The Box State Mic Drop” (Cheeba Hopkins and Aaron Kinnischtzke)

    2025 Colorado Broadcasters Association awards:

    • Award of Excellence, Best Sales Campaign for an Advertiser: “Beat’s Best Seats Sponsored by Drive In Auto Sound – 96.1 The Beat” (Aaron Kinnischtzke and Lindsey Duran)

    Sources

  • KMOM-FM

    KMOM (96.1 FM) was “Mother 96.1,” a classic rock station in Colorado Springs from 1999 to 2004. If you spent those years with rock on in the car and the Bob & Tom Show to start your day, this was your station.

    Mother 96.1

    After AMFM acquired the former KPRZ in 1999, the station launched as “Mother 96.1” with classic rock. Over time it added newer rock titles and positioned itself more directly against KILO.

    Bob & Tom in the morning

    KMOM carried the syndicated Bob & Tom Show in mornings. When Clear Channel flipped the station to rhythmic contemporary as KIBT in October 2004, Bob & Tom moved over to KKFM.

    Ownership history

    • 1999: AMFM Inc. acquired the station from Salem Communications in a swap and relaunched it as KMOM. AMFM was later absorbed into Clear Channel.
    • 1999 to 2004: Clear Channel Communications.
    • 2004 onward: the station became KIBT and is now owned by iHeartMedia (iHM Licenses, LLC).

    Where the studios have been

    The Clear Channel cluster was at 2864 S. Circle Drive. We haven’t confirmed the studio address for the KMOM years.

    Who it was grouped with

    KMOM was part of the Clear Channel Colorado Springs and Pueblo cluster, alongside KVUU, KKLI, KCCY and other stations.

    Sources

    • Wikipedia: KIBT
    • FCC call-sign history
    • Contemporary format-change coverage (2004)

  • KPRZ-FM

    KPRZ (96.1 FM) was “Praise 96,” Colorado Springs’ Christian adult contemporary station from 1996 to 1999. If you listened to praise and worship music on 96.1 in the late 90s, this was your station.

    How Praise 96 got started

    Salem Communications created the Praise 96 identity after moving the KBIQ Christian adult contemporary service from 96.1 to the stronger 102.7 signal. The 96.1 station then became KPRZ with a religious music format.

    The 1999 swap

    In 1999 a multi-market station exchange sent the station to AMFM, which relaunched it as KMOM with a rock format. In 2004 it became KIBT.

    Ownership history

    • 1993 to 1996: The Word in Music Inc., a nonprofit now known as Bethesda Christian Broadcasting, signed on the 96.1 signal as KBIQ.
    • 1996 to 1999: Salem Communications acquired it and relaunched it as KPRZ.
    • 1999: AMFM Inc. acquired KPRZ in a swap in which Salem received KSKY in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. AMFM was later absorbed into Clear Channel.

    Where the studios have been

    Salem ran the Colorado Springs stations from 6760 Corporate Drive, Suite 340 in the late 1990s.

    The signal

    • Frequency: 96.1 MHz FM
    • Market: Colorado Springs, Colorado
    • Call sign period: 1996 to 1999
    • Brand and format: Praise 96, Christian adult contemporary
    • Next call sign: KMOM

    This is a short page built from call-sign records. If you worked at Praise 96, we’d love to hear from you.

    Sources

  • KBIQ-FM

    KBIQ (102.7 FM) is the Colorado Springs signal that carried Christian music for years under Salem Communications, and now carries K-LOVE. If you’ve had 102.7 on for contemporary Christian music, you’ve had KBIQ in your car or kitchen.

    Ownership history

    • 1953 to 1996 (the 102.7 signal): founded as KCMS by Bud Edmonds (Garden of the Gods Broadcasting), then owned by Black Forest Development Company (1970), Mountain States Broadcasting (1974) and Wikes/Abaris Communications (1979 and again from 1990). It was KIKX at the end. See the KCMS page and KIIQ page.
    • 1993 (the KBIQ calls on 96.1): The Word in Music Inc., a nonprofit now known as Bethesda Christian Broadcasting, signed on KBIQ as a Christian adult contemporary station.
    • 1996: Salem Communications acquired KBIQ, moved its calls and format to 102.7 and relaunched 96.1 as KPRZ.
    • December 2024 to 2025: Educational Media Foundation agreed to buy it as part of an $80 million deal for seven Salem stations. K-LOVE began February 1, 2025.

    Where the studios have been

    • Late 1990s to 2003: 6760 Corporate Drive, Suite 340
    • By 2004: 7150 Campus Drive, Suite 150
    • 1953: the 102.7 signal began at 68 Minnehaha Avenue, Manitou Springs

    Salem years

    Salem Communications ran KBIQ and KGFT together from 6760 Corporate Drive, Suite 340, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and industry directories list the stations there through 2002 and 2003. By 2004 KBIQ was at 7150 Campus Drive, Suite 150, which tells us Salem moved the operation from Corporate Drive to Campus Drive around 2003 or 2004. Later Salem directories list the Colorado Springs group at the Campus Drive building.

    Don’t mix this up with the Citadel and Cumulus stations at 6805 Corporate Drive, which were separate facilities.

    A big change in 2025

    In December 2024, Salem Media Group agreed to sell KBIQ to Educational Media Foundation (EMF) as part of an $80 million deal covering seven of its contemporary Christian music stations, as Salem worked to cut debt and move out of its remaining Christian music formats. KBIQ’s longtime locally branded music service ended on January 31, 2025. On February 1, 2025, EMF took over programming and 102.7 began carrying the national K-LOVE service. The KBIQ calls and the 102.7 frequency stayed the same.

    EMF’s K-LOVE station directory still lists KBIQ 102.7 as its Colorado Springs signal in 2026.

    Sources