KBPI
 | |
| City | Fort Collins, Colorado |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
Fort Collins-Greeley Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Branding | 107.9 KBPI |
| Slogan | Rocks the Rockies |
| Frequency | 107.9 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Translator(s) | 107.9 K300CP (Denver) |
| Repeater(s) |
95.7-2 KPTT-HD2 (Denver) 107.9 KBPL (Pueblo) |
| First air date | July 27, 1975 (as KCOL-FM) |
| Format | Active rock |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 220 meters (720 ft) |
| Class | C1 |
| Facility ID | 68976 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°43′58.00″N 105°14′8.00″W / 39.7327778°N 105.2355556°WCoordinates: 39°43′58.00″N 105°14′8.00″W / 39.7327778°N 105.2355556°W |
| Former callsigns |
KCOL-FM (1979–1988) KIMN (1988–1995) KPAW (1995–2017) |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia (Citicasters Licenses, Inc.) |
| Sister stations | KCOL, KIIX, KOLT-FM, KPAW, KSME, KXBG, K235BT, K246CI, K297AK, KBCO, KHOW, KDSP, KOA, KPTT, KRFX, KTCL, KWBL |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website |
kbpi |
KBPI (107.9 MHz, "107.9 KBPI") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Fort Collins, Colorado. It is owned by iHeartMedia and it broadcasts an Active rock radio format.
KBPI's studios are located in Denver in the Tech Center. In December 2017, iHeartMedia assembled a trimulcast of KBPI along the Interstate 25 corridor on the 107.9 frequency, by moving KBPI's main signal to 107.9 in Fort Collins, as well as to translator station K300CP in Denver, and switching KDZA in Pueblo/Colorado Springs to a simulcast of KBPI.
History
KBPI started at 105.9 MHz in Denver on June 21, 1965.[1] It had studios on the 20th floor of the D&F Tower in downtown Denver. The owner and general manager of the station was Bill Pierson, who named KBPI for "Bill Pierson Incorporated." The station featured a progressive rock format. Pierson sold the station in 1974.[2] The station continued its rock format under the new owner, Progressive Broadcasters, Incorporated.[3]
During the 1970s and 1980s, the station moved to an album-oriented rock (AOR) sound. Its television commercials featured a blonde woman lip synching with bits of popular Rock songs and DJ's voices, and the tagline "KBPI Rrrrrrrrocks the Rrrrockies!" This catchphrase is still used in advertising and for a while the campaign was used at other rock radio stations in the United States and Canada. The "blonde woman" AKA "KBPI's Remarkable Mouth" was Kelly Harmon, sister of actor Mark Harmon.
During the 1970s, KBPI gained press for inviting people to bring their disco records to the station office for destruction, and this was frequently broadcast live over the air to the tune of Black Sabbath songs. This was commonplace among AOR stations who were riding the anti-Disco theme at the time. For four years, Steven B. and the Hawk ruled the Denver morning FM ratings, mixing rock music with their witty comments and routines. As they put it, "It really didn't matter what kind of music they played. Listeners tuned in to hear them."
Their comedic style was highlighted by a self-deprecating sense of humor, rather than "shock jock talk." The duo ridiculed the entertainment industry, regularly parodying movie and TV stars. One of their favorite routines was an ongoing spoof of soap operas. They created their own ongoing series, whose titles were partially taken from the real shows that aired at the time: Edge of Guiding Days of My Children Turning Hospital. They also did commercials featuring "Whamco" products and promotions. Don Hawkins died in Denver in November 1994, following routine surgery. Steven B. Williams was murdered in 2006.
On April 20, 1994, Chancellor Media moved KBPI to 106.7 FM, which had been the home of KAZY, its long-time rock competitor and a former sister station to KLZ-AM-TV.[4] Notable DJs include Willie B., DMac, Marc Stout, Scoop, Missy, Uncle Nasty, Matt Need, Double A Ron, Dan, Tim Bourke, Eddie, Joe the Russian and B Lo.
Move to 106.7
106.7 FM signed the air on June 19, 1962 as KLZ-FM.[5] At first it simulcast its AM counterpart, 560 KLZ. But in the early 1970s, it started airing a rock format. In 1977, KLZ-FM changed its call sign to KAZY (now at 93.7 FM in Cheyenne, Wyoming) and continued with a rock format until KBPI moved to the frequency on April 20, 1994 (105.9 would then flip to Hot AC as KALC).
Dean and Rog hosted the KBPI Morning Show from 1991 to 1996. They were known for features like "The Birthday Scam" and "Torture Tuesday", as well as other stunts. In 1996, the duo and two other station employees were charged with misdemeanor offenses, after they entered a mosque while playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on a bugle and trumpet, in an attempt to satirize Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf's refusal to stand for the anthem at NBA games.[6]
After more than twenty years with a mainstream album rock sound, KBPI shifted to active rock in late 1995, calling its new format "The New Music Revolution."[7] At the time, KBPI had an Alternative rock lean. A few years later, KBPI would bring back the old slogan "Rocks the Rockies."
In 2007, the station was nominated for Radio & Records' Industry Achievement Award for best active rock station in a top 25 market.[8]
Move to 107.9
On July 27, 1975, 107.9 FM first signed on as KCOL-FM.[9] It was the sister station to AM 1410 KCOL (now on AM 600). KCOL-FM aired a beautiful music format. In 1988, the station switched to a Top 40 format as KIMN, which were the call letters of a popular Top 40 station in Denver in past years. The station took the call letters KPAW in 1995, at first keeping its Top 40 sound, then moving to classic hits around 2000, and later to classic rock.
In December 2017, iHeartMedia launched a trimulcast of KBPI on the 107.9 frequency. On December 5, the programming and call letters of classic rock KPAW 107.9 The Bear, which targets Fort Collins and the Northern Front Range, was moved to KYWY 92.9 in Cheyenne, Wyoming (which moved its adult contemporary format to KOLT-HD2 and translator station 97.1 K246CI four days prior). On the 11th, KBPI's programming and call letters then moved to the 107.9 frequency vacated by KPAW and co-channel Denver translator K300CP, while sister station KDZA in Pueblo, which also serves Colorado Springs, flipped to a simulcast of KBPI (and would change call letters to KBPL the following month). The previous 106.7 signal, which warehoused the KYWY call letters, simulcasted KBPI for a week before flipping to country as KWBL on December 18, 2017.[10][11]
Current programming
Weekdays: Your Morning Show w/ Willie B. 6-10am, Beardo 10am-3pm, and Colfax 3-7pm. KBPI also airs Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx via Premiere Networks and Skratch 'N Sniff via Compass Media Networks.[12][13] The station also relies on Clear Channel's Premium Choice syndicated programming to fill parts other parts its on-air lineup.[14]
References
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1966 page B-24
- ↑ BPCColorado (2013-10-25), Bill Pierson, retrieved 2016-03-28
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1975 page C-28
- ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-04-01.pdf
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1963 page B-29
- ↑ "Charges Are Filed In Mosque Incident". The New York Times. March 24, 1996. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ↑ "Vox Jox". Billboard. 107 (41): 79. Oct 14, 1995.
- ↑ "2007 Industry Achievement Awards". Radio and Records. September 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008.
- ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-35
- ↑ "KBPI Moves To 107.9 As Three Station Trimulcast In Denver, Fort Collins & Colorado Springs". RadioInsight. 2017-12-11. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- ↑ "iHeartMedia Launches 106.7 The Bull Denver". RadioInsight. 2017-12-18. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
- ↑ http://www.sixxsense.com/pages/radiostations.html?state=colorado
- ↑ http://www.snsmix.com/affiliates/
- ↑ Holden, Will C. (December 7, 2012). "Clear Channel dismisses popular Denver radio personalities". KDVR.com. KDVR. Archived from the original on December 10, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
... Stone thinks Clear Channel is making a mistake by turning to its Premium Choice syndicated services to fill the seats he and others once occupied.