KXWA
Encyclopedia
KXWA is a radio station
licensed to Centennial, Colorado
, USA. The station serves the Denver metropolitan area and is currently owned by Way-FM Media Group.
Walton Stations purchased the station in 1978 and began broadcasting country music as KKCS-FM under Program Director Lee Reynolds. While in the country format, KKCS was a major player in the Colorado Springs market until the station was purchased by Bustos Media for $16 million in 2005.
Bustos Media's plans were to turn 101.9 into a Denver station by changing the city of license to Centennial, Colorado, and the transmitter location to the Monument Hill area. On December 2, 2005, the station moved to a Regional Mexican
format, "La Gran D," and switched call letters from KKCS-FM to KGDQ on December 8, 2005. With all those changes, 101.9 FM effectively left Colorado Springs to broadcast to the larger Denver market.
On June 9, 2008, KGDQ abandoned Regional Mexican in favor of picking up the Smooth Jazz format that was dropped several months earlier by KJCD. Bustos Media CEO Amador Bustos told AllAccess.com, "We will put our improved 101.9 FM signal to its best use, by filling an evident music vacuum in the Denver metro with Smooth Jazz programming." The call letters changed to KKHI, for "K-High," the slogan used by a previous Denver smooth jazz station, KHIH.
On April 30, 2010, it was announced on KKHI Operations Manager/Program Director Steve Hamilton's Facebook
page that the current format will be moving to the station's website.
As of May 1, 101.9 was sold by Bustos Media to Way-FM Communications, who then replaced the Smooth Jazz format with a Contemporary Christian format, using programming from the WAY-FM Network
. The station's programming can also be heard in Northern Colorado on KCWA.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Centennial, Colorado
Centennial, Colorado
The city of Centennial is a Home Rule City located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States, and part of the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area. The city was to have a total population of 100,377 in 2010 census. Centennial is the tenth-most populous municipality in the state of Colorado and its...
, USA. The station serves the Denver metropolitan area and is currently owned by Way-FM Media Group.
History
The station was originally licensed to Colorado Springs as KRYT-FM, broadcasting a middle-of-the-road music format as the full time companion to daytime-only KRYT-AM 1530 (now KCMN).Walton Stations purchased the station in 1978 and began broadcasting country music as KKCS-FM under Program Director Lee Reynolds. While in the country format, KKCS was a major player in the Colorado Springs market until the station was purchased by Bustos Media for $16 million in 2005.
Bustos Media's plans were to turn 101.9 into a Denver station by changing the city of license to Centennial, Colorado, and the transmitter location to the Monument Hill area. On December 2, 2005, the station moved to a Regional Mexican
Regional Mexican
Regional Mexican is a radio format for music radio, typically defined to include Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi and Norteña. It is the most popular radio format targeting Hispanic Americans in the United States....
format, "La Gran D," and switched call letters from KKCS-FM to KGDQ on December 8, 2005. With all those changes, 101.9 FM effectively left Colorado Springs to broadcast to the larger Denver market.
On June 9, 2008, KGDQ abandoned Regional Mexican in favor of picking up the Smooth Jazz format that was dropped several months earlier by KJCD. Bustos Media CEO Amador Bustos told AllAccess.com, "We will put our improved 101.9 FM signal to its best use, by filling an evident music vacuum in the Denver metro with Smooth Jazz programming." The call letters changed to KKHI, for "K-High," the slogan used by a previous Denver smooth jazz station, KHIH.
On April 30, 2010, it was announced on KKHI Operations Manager/Program Director Steve Hamilton's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page that the current format will be moving to the station's website.
As of May 1, 101.9 was sold by Bustos Media to Way-FM Communications, who then replaced the Smooth Jazz format with a Contemporary Christian format, using programming from the WAY-FM Network
WAY-FM Network
The WAY-FM Network is a national, non-profit radio broadcasting network in the United States that primarily plays Contemporary Christian music operating in 25 states . It is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while most programming originates in Franklin, Tennessee.-Origins in Fort Myers:WAY-FM...
. The station's programming can also be heard in Northern Colorado on KCWA.