 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Denver-Boulder metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 760kHz |
| Branding | Freedom 93.7 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Conservative talk |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KBCO,KHOW,KBPI,KDHT,KOA,KRFX,KTCL,KWBL | |
| History | |
First air date | June 15, 1987 (37 years ago) (1987-06-15) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Denver Freedom" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 29740 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 40°0′33″N104°56′21″W / 40.00917°N 104.93917°W /40.00917; -104.93917 |
| Translator(s) | 93.7 K229BS (Lakewood) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | freedom937 |
KDFD (760AM) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toThornton, Colorado, and serving theDenver-Boulder metropolitan area. Owned byiHeartMedia, it broadcasts aconservative talkradio format. Itsstudios and offices are inSoutheast Denver, while thetransmitter site is off Colorado Boulevard (County Road 13) inBrighton. Weekdays begin withThis Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal followed byGlenn Beck,Clay Travis & Buck Sexton,Sean Hannity,Jesse Kelly,Dave Ramsey andCoast to Coast AM withGeorge Noory. Most hours begin withFox News Radio.
By day, KDFD transmits 50,000watts, the maximum power permitted by theFederal Communications Commission (FCC), but the nighttime power is reduced to 1,000 watts and KDFD uses adirectional antenna to protect the dominantClass A station on760 AM,WJR inDetroit.Clear-channel stations are protected within a 750–mile radius of the transmitter site. The station is alsosimulcast onFM translator K229BS at 93.7MHz inLakewood, from which the station derives its current branding.
The station went on the air as KJIM on June 15, 1987. It had a power of 5,000 watts during daytime hours and reduced power of 1,000 watts at night. On January 2, 1990, the station changed itscall sign to KRZN, and on December 13, 1993, to KTLK. On January 7, 2002, the station's call sign was changed to KKZN.[2]
The station initially began broadcasting with aChristian talk and teaching format. It was owned by Sudbrink Broadcasting. The station also playedContemporary Christian Music with aTop 40/AOR style. Though the studio was new and built to host talk shows, very little took place there. In November 1987,Jann Scott of Boulder started broadcasting Addiction Free Radio on weekends. In the Spring of 1988, Scott became English talk program director. Scott launched Jann Scott Live, Race Day Radio Magazine and gave people such as Claudia Lamb and Bill Hammel their start in radio. The station programmed Mexican music in the Mornings and evenings up until 1990. Jann Scott is one of the few hosts on the station to win 2 Westword's Best Talk show Host awards: 1988 for Addiction Free Radio and 1989 for Race Day Radio Magazine. He also won Rocky Mountain News Top 10 Ten Colorado Broadcaster award. In 1990 KJIM and KRZN swapped frequencies with KRZN taking its Olides format and calls to AM 760. After a time, KRZN flipped to Adult Standards. In 1993, Jacor Communications (then owners of KOA and KRFX) acquired KRZN and changed its call letters to KTLK (which was previously used onAM 1280 in Denver, broadcasting a Top 40 format during the 1970's) and flipping to a Talk Radio format with long time Denver radio talker Peter Boyles handing morning drive (Boyles previous did an evening shift on KHOW in the early 1980's). Boyles would stay on KTLK until Jacor acquired crosstown KHOW and Boyles having his talk show moved to that respected frequency. Boyles would remain on KHOW until his departure from the station in 2013.
In 2002, the station switched toall-sports as "760 The Zone," from which the KKZN call sign is derived. After that, the station switched toprogressive talk as the Denver affiliate of theAir America radio network in August 2004.
During its previous progressive talk format, the most popular local talk host on KKZN wasDavid Sirota, also a newspaper columnist. In March 2009, Sirota took over the morning time slot ofThe Jay Marvin Show, hosted by local talk show hostJay Marvin, when Marvin was forced off the air due to ill health. Sirota moved toClear Channel Communications sister stationKHOW in 2012, co-hosting an afternoon show with Michael Brown until Sirota's departure in January 2013.[3]
Besides broadcasting progressive talk shows, KKZN also ran what it called aBlue List. This list included companies that supported progressive causes and interests. The station also sponsored progressive events throughout theColoradoFront Range, such as events for theACLU and other progressive organizations.
On January 21, 2010,Air America filed forChapter 7 Bankruptcy, and ceased live programming the same night. Reruns of Air America's programming continued to air until Monday January 25, 2010 at 7 pmMountain Time.
On May 7, 2014,Denver Post television critic Joan Ostrow reported that Gloria Neal, who anchors the 6 pm newscast onKCNC-TV along with hosting KKZN's morning show, had been released from her contract, and mentioned on Facebook that the entire staff had been let go, suggesting an oncoming format change.[4][5]
On May 19, 2014, KKZN shifted their format to lifestyle/advice talk, branded as "Real Talk 760" with all syndicated personalities, includingDave Ramsey,Jim Bohannon,Clark Howard,Dr. Joy Browne, andTom Martino, along with a late night radio replay ofTMZ Live. Weekends, besidesLeo Laporte'sThe Tech Guy, consisted ofbrokered programming.
On December 10, 2015, KKZN changed its call letters to KDSP, and flipped tosports talk asDenver Sports 760 on January 4, 2016, affiliating withFox Sports Radio. (KEPN andKKFN were the Fox Sports outlets in Denver but they became the localESPN Radionetwork affiliates on the same day.)[6][7][8]
On July 27, 2017, KDSP rebranded asOrange and Blue 760, narrowing its content to focus almost-exclusively on theDenver Broncos of theNational Football League (whose games are carried by sister stationKOA). It carried shows discussing the team, and live coverage of all team press conferences. Former Broncos playerTyler Polumbus also joined the station as a new morning co-host.[9] In addition, KDSP also carried coverage ofUniversity of Coloradocollege basketball, andNBC Sports Radio programming.
On June 25, 2019, KDSP changed its call letters to KDFD. On July 8, 2019, KDFD beganstunting with songs relating topatriotism or containing the word "Freedom", interspersed withsweepers stating that "Freedom" was "coming soon". It also began simulcasting on FM translator 93.7 K229BS inLakewood, which was bought fromKCKK owners Hunt Broadcasting for $1.8 million.[10][11]
On July 15, 2019, KDFD launched a newconservative talk format branded asFreedom 93.7. The station's lineup consists entirely of syndicated programs, primarily from co-ownedPremiere Networks.Glenn Beck andSean Hannity were moved from sister stationKHOW, andRush Limbaugh was moved from KOA. KHOW and KOA continued to air these three programs for a period until they were replaced by local programs.[12] It was reported that iHeartMedia's hiring of former Broncos player andKKFN hostAlfred Williams to host a new show on KOA (which officially premiered September 3)[13] was a main impetus for the flip.[14][15][16]