KGNU

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Radio station in Denver, Colorado

title: "KGNU" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["community-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "radio-stations-established-in-1956", "radio-stations-in-boulder,-colorado"] description: "Radio station in Denver, Colorado" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KGNU" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Radio station in Denver, Colorado ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station dual"]

FieldValue
name1KGNU
name2KGNU-FM
logoKGNU.gif
logo_upright.9
city1Denver, Colorado
city2Boulder, Colorado
countryUS
areaDenver-Boulder-Longmont
frequency1
frequency2
brandingKGNU Community Radio
formatCommunity Radio
affiliations
ownerBoulder Community Broadcast Association, Inc.
airdate1
airdate2
former_callsigns1
licensing_authorityFCC
facility_id131349
facility_id26512
class1D
class2A
power1
erp24,000 watts
haat265 m
coordinates1
coordinates2
translators
website
::

| name1 = KGNU | name2 = KGNU-FM | logo = KGNU.gif | logo_upright= .9 | city1 = Denver, Colorado | city2 = Boulder, Colorado | country = US | area = Denver-Boulder-Longmont | frequency1 = | frequency2 =
| branding = KGNU Community Radio | format = Community Radio | affiliations = | owner = Boulder Community Broadcast Association, Inc. | airdate1 = | airdate2 = | former_callsigns1 = | licensing_authority = FCC | facility_id1 = 31349 | facility_id2 = 6512 | class1 = D | class2 = A | power1 = | erp2 = 4,000 watts | haat2 = 65 m | coordinates1 = | coordinates2 = | translators = | webcast = | website = KGNU (1390 AM) & KGNU-FM (88.5 FM) are a pair of community radio stations licensed to Denver and Boulder, Colorado respectively. KGNU is owned by Boulder Community Broadcast Association, Inc.

History

KFML

1390 AM was first licensed on April 4, 1956, and held the call sign KFML. It aired a classical music format and was simulcast on 98.5 KFML-FM. It originally ran 1,000 watts during daytime hours only and was owned by Evert A. Bancker Jr. In 1961, the station was sold to the Fine Arts Broadcasting Company, along with its FM sister station, for $118,720. Its power was increased to 5,000 watts in 1964. In 1966, it was sold, along with its FM sister station, to O'Fallon–O'Connor Broadcasting Inc. for $165,000. In 1969, controlling interest was sold to Joseph R. McGoey for $96,250.

In 1971, KFML adopted a progressive rock format. In 1975, the station was sold to Radio Denver Corp. for $200,000.

Golden Bear Communications ownership

In 1982, the station was sold to Golden Bear Communications for $760,000. The station adopted a jazz format, and its call sign was changed to KJJZ. In 1984, the station's call sign was changed to KPPL and it adopted an urban contemporary format. On July 31, 1985, Golden Bear Communications filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and on October 10, 1985, the proceeding was converted to Chapter 7.

KMDK

In 1987, the station was sold to Huttner Health Network for $265,000. Its call sign was changed to KMDK, and it began airing a health-talk format branded "K-Medic".

KDZR

On June 13, 1988, its call sign was changed to KFTO, and on June 23, 1988, its call sign was changed to KDZR. As KDZR, the station was initially an affiliate of Z Rock, airing a heavy metal/hard rock format. On November 14, 1988, it adopted a business talk format and became an affiliate of the Business Radio Network.

KJME

In 1989, the station's call sign was changed to KJME and it began airing a Spanish language format. In 1990, KJME was sold to Jo-Mor Communications for $350,000. In 1991, the station was fined $5,000 for operating at 450% in excess of its licensed power.

KGNU

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/KGNU_(AM)_tower,_Englewood,_CO_2023-10-04.jpg" caption="Transmitter tower in Englewood, Colorado"] ::

KGNU-FM began broadcasting May 24, 1978. In 2004, Boulder Community Broadcast Association purchased AM 1390 KJME in Denver for $4.1 million, and its call sign was changed to KGNU.

KGNU's programming follows a variety radio format, featuring a mix of music, news and information. Local shows are hosted by volunteers. The station also carries syndicated programs distributed by Public Radio International, Pacifica Radio and BBC World Service. KGNU is a member of the Grassroots Radio Coalition, which it helped found in 1996.

In 2018, the station's 40th anniversary was commemorated by a six-week exhibit, "Listening Together", at the Museum of Boulder. Beginning in 2019, the station embarked on a capital campaign to raise $1.25M, with an equal amount to be matched by the City of Boulder, as part of the voter-approved 2017 Community, Culture and Safety Tax.

Facilities

In the summer of 2010, KGNU-FM was granted permission to increase its FM transmitter power to 4,000 watts ERP. KGNU (AM) operates at 5,000 watts by day but must reduce power to 139 watts at night to protect other radio stations on 1390 kHz. The AM transmitter is in Englewood, Colorado off South Wyandot Street. The FM transmitter is in Louisville, Colorado near the Louisville Reservoir, on a tower 213 ft HAAT. KGNU also operates a 28-watt FM translator K229AC at 93.7 MHz in Nederland, Colorado, and a 7-watt FM translator K254CH licensed to Laporte, Colorado, which simulcasts KGNU-FM on 98.7 MHz from Horsetooth Mountain west of Fort Collins.

References

References

  1. [https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=31349 AM Query Results: KGNU], fcc.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  2. [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=37904 History Cards for KGNU], fcc.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  3. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1964/Billboard%201964-05-30.pdf Stations By Format]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. May 30, 1964. p. 16. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  4. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1965/Billboard%201965-05-15.pdf Stations By Format]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. May 15, 1965. p. 16. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  5. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1969/Billboard%201969-04-05.pdf 11 Classical Stations Form Separate Assn.]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. April 5, 1969. p. 3. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  6. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1961/1961-05-22-BC.pdf Changing hands]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. May 22, 1961. p. 52. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  7. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1966/1966-03-07-BC.pdf Changing hands]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. March 7, 1966. p. 61. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  8. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1969/1969-12-22-BC.pdf Ownership changes]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. December 22, 1969. p. 68. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  9. Glassenberg, Bob. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-06-05.pdf KFML Makes Shift to Free-Form Play Because of a Tremendous Need]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. June 5, 1971. pp. 23, 24. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  10. [[Claude Hall. Hall, Claude]]. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1971/Billboard%201971-12-18.pdf Rock Prog. Dir. Stresses Individual]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. December 18, 1971. p. 22. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  11. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1975/1975-03-24-BC.pdf Ownership changes]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. March 24, 1975. p. 55. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  12. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-01-04.pdf Ownership changes]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. January 4, 1982. p. 91. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  13. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-08-02.pdf Changing Hands]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. August 2, 1982. p. 53. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  14. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1982/RR-1982-01-08.pdf Street Talk]", ''[[Radio & Records]]''. January 8, 1982. p. 18. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  15. Love, Walt. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1982/RR-1982-12-10.pdf '82 in Review]", ''[[Radio & Records]]''. December 10, 1988. p. 52. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  16. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1982/BB-1982-12-04.pdf KJJZ Denver Takes Steps to Fill Programming Void]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. December 4, 1982. p. 44. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  17. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1984/BC-1984-11-12.pdf Call Letters]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. November 12, 1984. p. 84. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  18. ''[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-All-BC-YB-1985.pdf Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting/Cablecasting]], 1985. p. B-41, B-43. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  19. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=etS3NZC3xwcC&pg=PA1274 FCC Record: A Comprehensive Compilation of Decisions, Reports, Public Notices, and Other Documents of the Federal Communications Commission of the United States]''. [[Federal Communications Commission]]. Volume 2, Issues 1–4. 1987. p. 1274. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  20. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-07-13.pdf For the Record]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. July 13, 1987. p. 56. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  21. [http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/comment.pl?Application_id=102569&File_number=BAPL-19870624EH Public Notice Comment: BAPL-19870624EH], fcc.gov. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  22. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-12-21.pdf Call Letters]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. December 21, 1987. p. 66. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  23. Ross, Sean; Olson, Yvonne. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1988/BB-1988-07-16.pdf Vox Jox]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. July 16, 1988. p. 15. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  24. [https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=31349&Callsign=KGNU31349 Call Sign History], fcc.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  25. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1988/RR-1988-11-18.pdf KDZR Drops Hard Rock Format; KADX Jettisons Jazz, Picks Up Z-Rock]", ''[[Radio & Records]]''. November 18, 1988. p. 4. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  26. Ross, Sean. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1989/BB-1989-08-19.pdf Vox Jox]", ''[[Billboard (magazine). Billboard]]''. August 19, 1989. p. 12. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  27. ''[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1990/B-All-Radio-BC-YB-1990.pdf The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]], 1990. p. B-53. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  28. ''[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2003-04/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-2003-04.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2003–2004]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable]], 2003–2004. p. B-53. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  29. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1990/BC-1990-03-19.pdf Changing Hands]", ''[[Broadcasting & Cable. Broadcasting]]''. March 19, 1990. p. 70. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  30. "[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1991-03.pdf Washington This Week]", ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 8, No. 12. March 25, 1991. p. 5. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  31. "[https://www.rbr.com/epaper/issue202-04-fcc.html Colorado noncom doubles in Denver market]", ''Radio Business Report''. Volume 21, Issue 202. October 15, 2004. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  32. "About Us". KGNU official website.
  33. "Member Stations". [[Grassroots Radio Coalition]].
  34. (2003). "The Grassroots Radio Movement in the United States". M.E. Sharpe.
  35. (August 3, 2018). ""Listening Together" opens at The Museum of Boulder on August 4".
  36. (March 27, 2019). "Boulder's KGNU Radio is Thriving".
  37. "KGNU-FM Radio Station Coverage Map".
  38. "K229AC-FM 93.7 MHz Radio Station Information".
  39. (January 10, 2017). "KGNU 98.7 enters 2017 with new FM signal covering Fort Collins".
  40. Udell, Erin. (January 6, 2017). "Boulder radio station expands reach to Fort Collins".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

community-radio-stations-in-the-united-statesradio-stations-established-in-1956radio-stations-in-boulder,-colorado