KWOF

KWOF
City Broomfield, Colorado
Broadcast area Denver-Boulder-Longmont and Northern Colorado
Branding 92.5 The Wolf
Slogan Denver's Wolf Country
Playing the Most Music. Period.
New Country, Now!
Frequency 92.5 MHz (also on HD Radio)
92.5 HD2: Classic Country "Willie 92.5"
Translator(s) 101.7 K269AE (Boulder)
First air date June 1967 (as KGRE at 92.3)
Format Country
ERP 57,000 watts
HAAT 377 meters
Class C1
Facility ID 59972
Callsign meaning K WOlF
Former callsigns KGRE (1967-1984)
KYOU (1984-1989)
KDHT (1989-1993)
KZDG (1993-1996)
KVOD (1996-1999)
KDJM (1999-2005)
KLWL (2005-2006)
KWLI (2006-2009)
Former frequencies 92.3 MHz (1967-1982)
Owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
(KSE Radio Ventures, LLC)
Sister stations KIMN, KKSE, KXKL-FM
Webcast Listen Live
Website 925thewolf.com

KWOF is a commercial radio station located in Denver, broadcasting to the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area on 92.5 FM. KWOF airs a country music format branded as "The Wolf". KWOF has studios on Colorado Boulevard in Glendale, with a transmitter located near the town of Frederick in Weld County. It is currently under ownership of Stan Kroenke's KSE Radio Ventures, who also owns sister stations KXKL-FM, KKSE and KIMN.

History

The station was originally licensed to Greeley, Colorado as KGRE at 92.3 FM (moving to 92.5 FM in 1982) before being relicensed to Broomfield. Prior to February 1989, it broadcast a hybrid country/country-rock format under the call letters KYOU. The calls changed to KDHT on February 17, 1989, and under the programming leadership of Ira Gordon, KDHT became one of the earliest folk/americana/AAA hybrids.

KZDG as "Big Dog/Z92-5"

On January 1, 1993, APB Broadcasting reached a deal to sell the station to Premiere Radio Networks for $3.5 Million. Premiere would change the format to New Country as KZDG, "Big Dog 92.5" on January 10.[1] Shamrock Broadcasting would acquire the station in March 1995, with the station then rebranding as "Z 92.5."[2] Chancellor Media purchased the station in early 1996.

KVOD as Classical

On February 18, 1996, at Midnight, KZDG became the home to Denver's classical music station KVOD (the actual call letters would be adopted on March 22).[3][4] The format was formerly at the 99.5 frequency until it was sold from Henry Broadcasting to Tribune (it is currently owned by Entercom). Tribune reached a deal with Chancellor to move KVOD over to their newly acquired 92.5 frequency, and agreed to simulcast for nearly a month until 99.5 debuted their new classic rock format on March 4.[5]

KDJM as "Jammin"

On May 21, 1999, at 5 p.m., Chancellor Media moved KVOD's classical format to 1280 AM. With the emergence of rhythmic oldies stations in markets such as Chicago, Fresno, and Los Angeles, as well as the market having a large Hispanic population that the format primarily caters to, Chancellor launched the format in Denver as "Jammin 92-5",[6] with new call letters KDJM adopted on June 25, 1999. The "Jammin' Oldies" format consisted of Classic Soul, Disco and R&B tunes. Core artists included Marvin Gaye, The Gap Band, Prince, Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Teena Marie, Earth, Wind & Fire and Chaka Kahn. Later in 1999, the station was acquired by AMFM, which was formed under the merge of Chancellor and Evergreen Media. The station's original moniker was "Denver's Jammin' Oldies."

In 2000, Clear Channel Communications merged with AMFM. This resulted in the sale of the station to meet ownership rules according to the FCC. The station was sold to Infinity Broadcasting, along with KXKL and KIMN. By 2001, the station refocused its format as "Jammin' Hits of the 70s & 80s." By 2003, the station was known as "Jammin' Oldies and More" with a broader playlist consisting of newer R&B music. The station changed its moniker to "Denver's Classic Soul" in 2004. The station became a CBS Radio-owned and operated station with the renaming of Infinity in 2005.

KWLI/KWOF as "Willie/Wolf"

While the station was a success for over 6 years (which is a longer lifespan than most rhythmic oldies stations), the station suffered low ratings later in its life because of poor promotion and marketing, as well as constant format tweaking. On December 14, 2005, the station began stunting with Christmas greetings from soldiers stationed overseas to their families back home, while promoting listeners to tune in at 9 a.m. the following day, when Denver radio would be "set free" (a nod to rumors that the station would join CBS' Free FM network.)[7] At that time, CBS decided to bring the country format back as "Willie 92.5" and the moniker "Wide Open Country". The station played an eclectic mix of old and new Country music.[8][9][10] The call letters were briefly changed to KLWL on December 21, and then to KWLI on January 12, 2006. The rhythmic oldies format would be revived in September 2010 on KJHM (101.5).

In late 2006, the station was renamed "92.5 The Wolf" and began focusing on newer country artists. The former format was moved to KWLI's HD2 sub-channel. The station was sold to Wilks Broadcasting around this time.

When the 2008 Democratic National Convention was held in Denver, then-KWLI temporarily renamed itself as "92.5 The Jackass", "jackass" being another name for a male donkey, the mascot of the Democratic Party, only to revert to "The Wolf" after the convention.

On March 6, 2009, KWLI changed its call letters to KWOF.

On January 31, 2014, KWOF briefly rebranded itself as "92.5 The Bronco" in honor of the Denver Broncos participation in Super Bowl XLVIII. [11] The station resumed its "Wolf" branding after the Super Bowl.

On October 12, 2015, Kroenke Sports Enterprises, owned by Altitude Sports and Entertainment founder Stan Kroenke, announced they would acquire Wilks Broadcasting's Denver properties, which included KWOF, Adult Top 40 KIMN, and Oldies KXKL-FM. Once the sale was approved by the FCC, KSE was expected to flip one of the three outlets to Sports, which could see the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Rapids moving from its then home in Denver, KKFN.[12] The transaction was consummated on December 31, 2015, at a purchase price of $54 million.

Today

92.5 The Wolf plays current country music, competing with Denver's heritage country station KYGO-FM.

HD programming

The station also provides an HD radio subchannel: 92.5 HD2 known as "Willie 92.5" playing Classic Country.[13]

Current personality lineup

Former 92.5 personalities

Jammin 92.5

92.5 The Wolf

References

  1. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-01-15.pdf
  2. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1995/RR-1995-03-10.pdf
  3. ↑ https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-67762149.html
  4. ↑ http://formatchange.com/z92-5-kzdg-becomes-classical-kvod/
  5. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1996/R&R-1996-03-08.pdf
  6. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-05-28.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?456681-KDJM-Jammin-92-5-to-flip-to-FREE-FM-tomorrow-morning-(12-15)-9AM
  8. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-12-23.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=155704
  10. ↑ http://targetmarketnews.com/storyid12190502.htm
  11. ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/126401/kwof-re-launches-as-92-5-the-bronco?ref=rss>
  12. ↑ "Kroenke Sports Acquires Wilks' Denver Stations" from Radio Insight (October 12, 2015)
  13. ↑ http://www.hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=22 HD Radio Guide for Denver
  14. ↑ http://www.radioinfo.com/2013/12/11/wednesday-december-11-2013/

Coordinates: 40°05′46″N 104°54′07″W / 40.096°N 104.902°W / 40.096; -104.902

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