KVOD (88.1 MHz) is a public radio station broadcasting a classical music format. Licensed to Lakewood, Colorado, it serves the Denver metropolitan area. The station is owned by Public Broadcasting Of Colorado. Its programming is broadcast on other stations around Colorado including 91.9 KCFP in Pueblo, 103.3 KPRU in Delta (serving the Grand Junction and Montrose areas), and 90.5 KVOV in Glenwood Springs.

KVOD
Broadcast areaDenver metropolitan area
Frequency88.1 MHz
BrandingCPR Classical
Programming
FormatClassical (Public)
Ownership
Owner
KCFR-FM, KVOQ
History
First air date
2005
Former call signs
KFDN (2005–2008)
Call sign meaning
Classical Voice of Denver
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID83535
ClassC3
ERP4,400 watts
HAAT321 meters (781 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°40′18″N 105°13′5″W / 39.67167°N 105.21806°W / 39.67167; -105.21806
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Websitecpr.org

KVOD's transmitter is on Lookout Mountain in Golden, along with several other Denver-area FM and TV stations. The studios and offices are on South Alton Court in Centennial, near Interstate 25.

History

edit

KVOD's classical format and call sign were originally on 99.5 MHz from 1969 to 1995. KVOD was a commercial radio station, marketing as the "Voice of Classical Music" (or Classical Voice of Denver) for the Denver metro area, powered at 100,000 watts. It was acquired by Henry Broadcasting in 1983.[2] Even earlier in Denver radio, AM 630 had used the KVOD call letters (that station is now KHOW).

In 1995, with ratings in decline, especially among young adults, Henry Broadcasting decided to sell the station to Tribune Media. Tribune was not interested in continuing the classical format, switching the 99.5 frequency to classic rock KKHK (now KQMT). Meanwhile, Chancellor Media, the owner of a 57,000-watt country FM station in the suburbs of Denver, 92.5 KZDG in Greeley, decided to pick up KVOD's format and call letters.

In May 1999, 92.5 was acquired by AMFM Inc., a forerunner of today's iHeartMedia.[3] AMFM announced a format switch for 92.5 to Jammin' Oldies as KDJM (now KKSE-FM), and moved the KVOD call sign and classical music format to AM 1280 (now KBNO). Within a four-year timespan, KVOD's classical music and call sign had moved from a 100,000-watt FM station to a 57,000-watt FM station, and then to a 5,000-watt AM station.

In September 2000, the owner of 1280 AM, Clear Channel, sold the station to a Spanish-language broadcaster. At the same time, Colorado Public Radio acquired the KVOD call letters and the station's extensive music library, and in March 2001, KVOD relaunched at 90.1 MHz, as a listener-supported, non-commercial station.[4] The new KVOD 90.1 was powered at 44,000 watts. KCFR, a news and information station, relocated to 1340 AM (now KDCO).

In 2008, CPR decided to go FM-only and restore the news and information format to 90.1 FM. To maintain classical programming, CPR acquired the 88.1 frequency, which the Educational Media Foundation had built and signed on in 2005 as KFDN with its K-Love programming, for $8.2 million. (The original construction permit was held by Colorado Christian University and had been acquired by EMF along with a string of construction permits and translators.[5]) On July 9, 2008, CPR moved KVOD's classical programming and call letters to the former KFDN, a Class A station with an effective radiated power of 430 watts, while 90.1 became the new KCFR-FM, the new home of Colorado Public Broadcasting's news and information programming, previously heard on AM.[6]

The move of classical programming to 88.1 put CPR's classical music service on a significantly less powerful signal, effectively limiting the station's coverage to only the greater Denver area[7] and causing many former listeners to lose service.[8] The station was granted three power increases—in 2010, 2012, and 2017—and now is a Class C3 station broadcasting with 4,400 watts.

Translators

edit

The station's signal is relayed by the following translator stations.

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) FCC info
K260AL 99.9 FM Arvada, Colorado 140238 250 watts LMS
K273AE 102.5 FM Cortez, Colorado 43620 79 watts LMS
K204DZ 88.7 FM Dove Creek, Colorado 106490 100 watts LMS
K206BE 89.1 FM Gunnison, Colorado 53794 50 watts LMS

References

edit
  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KVOD". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1994 page B-59
  3. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-74
  4. ^ Michael Roberts, The Missing Linc: Who on earth would want to work at the News these days? Bernie Lincicome, for one.", Denver Westword, October 12, 2000
  5. ^ "Educational Media has lots to build in Colorado". RBR. August 26, 2003. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "Colorado Public Radio - FM Announcement". Archived from the original on 2008-07-14. Retrieved 2008-07-02.
  7. ^ KVOD 88.1-FM Coverage Area on July 9th, 2008
  8. ^ For some, public radio switch means loss of signal: 2 letters [1], Denver Post, July 18, 2008
edit