The History of Radio In Colorado
An overview of key moments in the history of Denver radio from the 1920s to early 2000s.
The Fred Arthur Archive
Fred Arthur and his crew of funny and talented voices created some of the most memorable radio spots of all time. If you listened to the radio in Denver from the 1960s-80s, you knew these voices, even if you didn’t know their names.
Check out some of his funniest spots in the Fred Arthur Archive
The small suburb on the edge of Sloans Lake had an outsize influence of radio in Colorado. BPC President Steve Conklin (also Edgewater’s Mayor) provides an overview of his town’s influential broadcasting history. More details coming soon.
Radio Stations in Colorado
More historical details, pictures and sound coming soon.
KLZ was Denver’s first licensed radio station. Started by William “Doc” Reynolds in his home, with a transmitter in his front yard, KLZ became one of Denver’s dominant news and entertainment stations, adding television in 1953. KLZ featured a number of legendary newsmen like Carl Akers, Bob Butz, Fred Hobbs, Merwin Smith and Don Roberts. The TV and radio operations were closely linked under the ownership of Time-Life and was the Denver affiliate for CBS radio and television programming.
KLZ-FM brought stereo freeform album rock radio to Denver in the late 1960s. It’s call letters changed to KAZY in the 1970s.
The TV operation was sold in 1970 to McGraw-Hill, became KMGH, and separated from the radio station.
KLZ transitioned to a country music format in 1978 with popular DJs like Sandy Travis and Jockey Joe Kelly while maintaining a news presence and broadcasting the USFL’s Denver Gold.
The station has gone through format changes ranging from Christian music to all-sports, and continues today with a conservative talk format featuring local and syndicated hosts.
More historical details, pictures and sound coming soon.
Sometimes known as “The 50,000 Watt Blowtorch of the Rockies”, KOA-AM has been a leading presence in Denver radio since the 1920s. KOA’s legacy continues as Denver’s leading radio news station, with local talk programs and as the radio home of the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies.
KOA added television in the early 50s and at one time was owned by Bob Hope. The television side separated from the radio station in the 1970s and is now known as KCNC Channel 4 (CBS News Colorado). KOA’s first FM outlet was KOAQ (now KRFX, 103.5 The Fox) which found an audience with a classic rock format. KOA now simulcasts on 850AM and 94.1 FM.
More historical details, pictures and sound coming soon.
Evolving from pioneering Denver station KFEL, KIMN (950-AM) became one of the nation’s highest rated Rock n Roll stations in the 1960s. Featuring legendary DJs like Pogo Poge, Hal Moore, Chuck Buell…all BPC Hall of Fame inductees.
KIMN had a second era of success under John McGuinness and Steve Keeney, with an adult contemporary format (and the KIMN Chicken) in the 1970s before giving in to the dominance of FM music, signing off in 1988.
KIMN’s early foray into FM radio later became KYGO, Denver’s longtime top-rated country station.
KIMN also featured a top-flight news department featuring reporter and traffic pilot Don Martin and won an Edward R. Murrow award in 1985.
KFEL-AM
More historical details, pictures and sound coming soon.
Gene O’Fallon began Denver’s 2nd radio station, KFEL-AM in 1923, and broadcasted many years from Denver’s Albany Hotel. Finally settling in on 950AM, KFEL was a prominent part of Denver’s early radio scene, broadcasting music, news, sports and carrying Mutual Broadcasting System national programming during the golden age of radio.
KFEL’s “Reveille with Beverly” program featuring Jean Ruth Hay was so popular during the early years of World War II, Hay and the program relocated to Los Angeles and was the basis of a Hollywood movie.
KFEL was sold in 1954. The new owners rebranded the station as KIMN (for their Inter-Mountain Network) which attained its own legendary status during the Rock n Roll era.
KVOD-FM (KDEN-FM)
More historical details, pictures and sound coming soon.
Legendary Denver broadcaster Gene Amole‘s passion was radio and with partner Ed Kopeke, had a mission of bringing Classical music to the masses without the formality often associated with the format.
Amole and Kopeke’s owned KDEN-AM and FM in the 1950s and 60s, playing mainstream popular music during the day, Jazz at night. Amole used the FM stereo side of the station to play Classical music.
With new call letters in 1969, KVOD, the Classical “Voice of Denver” was one of the nation’s few successful commercial classical stations, boosted by Amole’s presence along with authoritative and relatable hosts like Dick Brehm and Charley Samson.
Amole and Kopeke sold KVOD in 1983, and the original 99.5FM frequency has been through a succession of call letter and format changes since.
Colorado Public Radio acquired the KVOD call letters and classical music library in 2000 and re-launched the format on FM, currently airing at 88.1 FM.