2015 Hall of Fame Inductees
Ray Durkee
As a high school student, Ray Durkee wanted to become either a commercial airline pilot or a disc jockey. Radio came through first and in 1956 a 34 year broadcasting career was born.
After working on air in his home town of Aberdeen South Dakota, in 1958 he moved to KQDI in Bismarck, North Dakota where he became Program Director. He sent air checks out to secure a better paying job in a more prestigious market, and landed at KOSI in Denver in 1959. He was at KOSI only briefly when they eliminated positions to save money, but he’d moved his young family to Denver and didn’t want to leave.
In 1960 he joined 1280 KTLN where he was music director, in addition to his 3-6pm airshift. He also started the “Golden Gassers” program on Saturdays, one of the first oldies shows in Denver and a sign of things to come for Durkee.
In 1961, he moved to KTLN’s sister station in Phoenix, KRIZ, as program director. He was the morning man and even recorded a novelty record, released nationwide (“The Cosmonaut Part I & II” on the Jubilee lable).
The Durkee family wanted to be back in Denver though, and they convinced ownership to transfer Ray back to KTLN. When the station went all talk several years later, he hosted the mid-day show “At Your Service,” and worked out a deal to trade radio ads for pilot training. Soon, Ray was flying above Denver
In 1969 he moved to KLZ in Denver where he spent the next 3 years hosting “Denver at Night on the Ray Durkee Show” It was while he was on KLZ that crosstown Program Director Hal Moore took interest in his work and recruited him to join KHOW.
He joined KHOW doing mid-days in 1972. In addition to their weekday shift, every jock did a weekend shift. He approached Moore with an idea to play oldies and other nostalgic programming Sundays, and “Sunday at the Memories” was born. “Sunday at the Memories” aired on KHOW every Sunday between 10AM and 2PM. It was a ratings winner, even rivaling Broncos coverage on cross-town KOA.
In 1976, Ray began syndicating “Sunday at the Memories” (while still doing his weekly KHOW show) on a handful of stations in the mid-west. For the next 15 years Sunday at the Memories aired across the United States (and even in Guam). At its high point, the show was heard on over 100 stations.
Ray retired in 1990. In 2009, Ray passed away at his home in Bismarck. He left an archive of 1,500+ hours of “Sunday at the Memories” programming. Six years after his death and 43 years after it debuted, Sunday at the Memories returned to the air in Denver on Cruisin’ 950.
Ken Palmer
Ken Palmer worked in radio in Pampa,Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico in the late 40s and early 50s, before coming to Denver in 1952 to head the Intermountain Network’s new Denver office. In 1954 when Denver’s KFEL became KIMN, radio flagship station of the Intermountain Network, he was regional sales manager. Within six years, he’d own the station.
In 1958, Palmer bought KYSN in Colorado Springs which he owned for several years. In 1960, he and his business partners bought KIMN for $400,000.
He was General Manager of the station and a part of all aspects of the stations sound. He recruited incredible talent and built a station that would have unduplicated success, achieving as high as a 56 share of radio listeners. KIMN had more listeners at one point than the next seven most popular stations combined.
Ken Palmer was a promotional genius. Without buying traditional advertising for the station on TV or billboards he kept KIMN top of mind in the market. When a competitor gave away records, he’d give away a record store. When they had a complicated giveaway to win one car, he awarded a car every hour as if it was no big deal. When another station had a ticketed concert with second tier acts, KIMN would have a free show with a bigger act. The Beatles played Red Rocks in 1964 in a concert presented by KIMN, but they skipped Denver in 1965. So, KIMN sent 80 listeners by plane to see the concert in St. Louis.
He also built a strong news presence, with a well equipped newsroom, Denver’s first mobile news units and traffic plane. Ken Palmer was a legendary leader for a legendary radio station. In 1970, he sold KIMN and a sister station in Portland for $6,000,000. A well respected broadcaster, he would go on to own stations across the country. Ken died in 1984. He was only 59.
When KIMN went off the air in1988, the station paid tribute to Ken Palmer in their final seconds broadcasting. Though he hadn’t been a part of the station for 18 years, his was the last name heard on the station.
Bob Rubin
Bob Rubin was truly a broadcasting jack-of-all- trades. His 47 year career included work on air and behind the scenes in radio and television. His roles included disc jockey, sports play- by-play, anchoring, advertising sales, station management and ownership.
Colorado native Bob Rubin was enrolled at the University of Colorado in Pre-Law when he took a career aptitude test that said he’d be good in broadcasting. After his freshmen year, he transferred to the University of Denver where he earned a degree in broadcasting.
His first professional job was the night shift at KYOU in Greeley. If he hadn’t been hired, the program director would have needed to fill the shift that night. He hired Rubin, and a broadcasting career was born. Two years later, Rubin interviewed with Bob Martin for a job at KMYR. He got the job, and in Martin a friend and eventual business partner.
Martin and Rubin partnered with Tim O’Connor to buy KMOR (for Martin, O’Connor and Rubin) with a focus on the south suburban radio market. They owned the station from April 1, 1960 to April 1, 1965. After KMOR was sold, Rubin sold advertising for KTLN and was national sales manager for KOSI. He did sports broadcasting on the side, covering high school sports for stations across Colorado.
In the early 70s, he went to work at KOA-TV doing weekend sports and working again with Bob Martin covering sports on KOA radio. He became program director for KOA radio, taking themfroma9thratedmusicstationtoanumber one rated news and local talk station. Eventually he became operations manager for KOA radio and TV. He left KOA in 1979.
After leaving KOA, John Malone hired Rubin to establish a studio for the Lakewood/Golden cable television system, including construction and operation of the facility. Rubin also managed the Resources Communications Center at the Colorado School of Mines.
Donna Sanford
Donna Sanford got her start in public television in 1969 at WCVE in Richmond Virginia. She began in production before transitioning into programming. She came to Denver in 1989 as an assistant director of programming at KRMA Channel 6. During her 26 years at Rocky Mountain PBS, she would become station manager, director of network programming and production, and before retirement, chief content officer. Sanford has devoted her entire career to public television on both the local and national levels.
She was instrumental in the transformation from the early days of educational television to today’s high-definition, digital multi-channel broadcasts. She was responsible for the programming choices on five RMPBS stations. She oversaw the award-winning RMPBS production team and is well known throughout the state for her excellence as a television programmer.
Colleagues around the country enjoy her sense of humor, her wealth of experience, her willingness to try new things, and her selfless leadership. She avoids podiums and pedestals, but is quick to share her time and expertise for the good of the PBS system. She believes in the PBS mission and is motivated by the strong PBS community.
Sanford understands the importance of net- working, mentoring and leadership, and serves as a model for other women in Colorado broad- casting who manage positions of increased challenge and responsibility. Her own life mir- rors the strides made for professional women over the past four decades. She has shared her experiences and knowledge with countless young people who have come behind her including included interns, new hires, struggling employees, novice filmmakers and anyone who needed her help.
She has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for viewers across the country. Her impact has been far reaching, serving as president of the Public Television Programmers Association, as well as on the PBS Children’s Programming Advisory Council and many other leadership positions through the PBS organization. Donna Sanford is a respected voice offering concise evaluation and recommendations that have led to stronger programming and streamlined procedures.
In 2008, she was honored as Programmer of the year. She is a 2010 inductee into the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Heart- land Chapter Silver Circle, and the Colorado Broadcasters Association’s 2011 Harry Hoth Award recipient for her contributions to the community.
Ron Zappolo
Ron Zappolo achieved something few in the broadcasting business have been able to accomplish … longevity in a single market.
Zappolo grew up in Boston and northern Virginia. His first media job was at WTTG in Washington, D.C. where he moved from copy boy to field reporting to sports anchoring, working with mentor Maury Povich who was news anchor.
He first came to Denver in 1977 as sports anchor at KOA-TV (now KCNC) Channel 4. He expected he’d stay in town just a few years, however he remained on screen in Denver 36 years. His friendships with Denver athletes and coaches gave viewers insights into their per- sonalities beyond the locker room. In addition to reporting scores and highlights, he also developed a reputation for opinionated sports commentaries.
After thirteen years on Channel 4, he moved to 9News, KUSA, where he spent more than a decade on top rated newscasts doing sports. In 2000, he was offered the opportunity at KDVR Fox 31 to transition to news anchor. Teaming with Libby Weaver, Zappolo helped Fox31 develop a news presence in the Denver market and the move to news allowed him to cover topics outside of sports. Zapollo and Weaver were the longest serving anchor team in Denver, paired for twelve years.
One of his favorite projects was hosting “Zappolo’s People” where he had the freedom to do more in-depth interviews. His long form interviews featured musicians, sports stars, politicians, celebrities and witnesses to history. Ziggy Marley, Larry Flint, Christopher Reeves, Floyd Little and Joel Osteen were just a few of his interviewees.
Ron Zappolo retired from the anchor desk in 2013, but he hasn’t left broadcasting. Ron Zappolo currently debates sports with friend Sam Adams on Channel 9’s “A to Z” segment, and has called play-by-play for Denver Broncos pre-season games.