PRESERVING RADIO HISTORY ACROSS COLORADO

Archives: Stations

  • KJMP-AM

    KJMP (870 AM) is “Jump 104.5,” a classic hip hop station licensed to Pierce and serving Fort Collins and Greeley. If you grew up on 90s hip hop in northern Colorado, this one’s for you.

    History

    It signed on in 2004 (the call letters spell “Jump”), simulcasting KJAC 105.5. White Park Broadcasting owned it until August 2009, when Brahmin Broadcasting took over, and for a while it carried ESPN Radio. On August 20, 2012, it went oldies as “The Big 870.” On November 21, 2019, Loud Media started running it as classic hip hop “Jump 104.5” under a local marketing agreement. In late 2024, Mid-Century Radio bought it from Brahmin for $50,000.

    Branding timeline

    • 2004: sign-on, simulcasting KJAC 105.5
    • August 20, 2012: The Big 870 (oldies)
    • November 21, 2019: Jump 104.5 (classic hip hop)

    The signal

    • 870 kHz AM, licensed to Pierce, Colorado; FM translator at 104.5
    • Format: classic hip hop
    • FCC facility ID 129513

    Sources

  • KCRN-AM

    KCRN (1120 AM) is a Catholic station licensed to Limon, and for 34 years it was Limon’s hometown station, KLIM. If you’ve driven I-70 across the eastern plains, you may have heard it under either name.

    History

    KLIM signed on May 4, 1984, with 250 watts of country music and AP news for Limon and nearby towns. It ran into money trouble in the 1990s and was silent for a while in the early 2000s.

    On April 13, 2016, the FCC approved a boost to 50,000 watts by day. Catholic Radio Network bought it in 2018 and renamed it KCRN, carrying EWTN talk and teaching. The bigger daytime signal is backed up by FM translators in Colorado Springs (104.3) and, since 2025, Golden (98.1).

    Call sign timeline

    • KLIM: 1984 to 2018
    • KCRN: 2018 to present

    The signal

    • 1120 kHz AM, licensed to Limon, Colorado
    • Format: Catholic (country as KLIM)
    • FCC facility ID 25185

    Sources

  • KKXK-FM

    KKXK (94.1 FM) is “94 Kix Country,” Montrose’s 100,000-watt country station. If you’re a country fan in Montrose, this has been your station for more than 40 years.

    History

    It signed on in 1977 as beautiful-music KUBC-FM, the FM sister of KUBC 580. On August 5, 1981, it became KKXK and switched to country. Townsquare Media runs it with KUBC and KSNN.

    Call sign timeline

    • KUBC-FM: 1977 to 1981
    • KKXK: 1981 to present

    The signal

    • 94.1 MHz, licensed to Montrose, Colorado
    • Branding: 94 Kix Country
    • Format: country (beautiful music 1977 to 1981)
    • FCC facility ID 73624

    Sources

  • KGHT-FM

    KGHT (100.5 FM) is “Hot 100.5,” the Roaring Fork Valley’s Top 40 station, licensed to El Jebel. If you want the current hits between Glenwood Springs and Aspen, this is the one.

    History

    It got the call letters KCUF in August 2005, signed on in 2006 and became KGHT in 2010. It serves Aspen and Glenwood Springs with three translators on 93.1 and is owned by Roaring Fork Broadcasting, which also owns KTND.

    Call sign timeline

    • KCUF: 2005 to 2010
    • KGHT: 2010 to present

    The signal

    • 100.5 MHz, licensed to El Jebel, Colorado
    • Branding: Hot 100.5
    • Format: Top 40
    • FCC facility ID 162386

    Sources

  • 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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    Sources