July 7, 1980, 98.5 FM KYGO goes country. KYGO has been a market and format leader four decades! At the time of the format change Denver Post columnist Clark Secrest reported “Denver will get its only multiplex (stereo) country music radio outlet when KIMN converts its FM outlet, KYGO” to country.

Steve Keeney (BPC Hall of Fame Class of 2014) was KIMN/KYGO General Manager, and told the Denver Post “FM Country is emerging just the way FM Progressive Rock did in the 70s and the way FM pretty music did in the 60s.”

Bob Call was brought in from WSOC Charlotte as program director and music director (and was also on air) and 40 years later is General Manager for KYGO and the other Bonneville Denver properties (The FAN, KOSI and ESPN).

Congratulations to Bob Call and KYGO on this anniversary.

98.5 FM has a rich history. Signing on as KFML FM in 1954, it was for many years a classical music station. On August 17, 1970 it dropped classical, trying MOR before going to free form music. KFML FM sold to Jefferson Pilot in 1974, the year after buying 950 KIMN. The new owners flipped the station to KIMN FM (sometimes listed as KIM FM), a soft rock station that shared some of the KIMN talent.

In 1979, KIMN FM went more rock/pop as “Denveradio KYGO.” KYGO as a rock station sounded good but never really took off. Forty years ago today, the station played “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by the Charlie Daniels Band, and became “Rocky Mountain Country” KYGO.

KYGO has long been the top rated Denver country station and has frequently been the top-rated station in the Denver market in the years since, proving the move to country a smart and lucrative decision.

Ironically, the first artist played on KYGO, Charlie Daniels, passed away Monday, July 6th, 2020 at 83.