KOA News Radio — also known as “the Blowtorch of the West” — has been a staple along the Front Range since General Electric first began broadcasting from a 5,000-watt tower in Denver 93 years ago.
But much has changed since 1924.
The Class A clear-channel radio station — which is now available both on AM (850) and FM (94.1) — has a rich and storied history throughout Colorado, which has included becoming one of only 10 U.S. radio stations honored at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Radio Awards for public service journalism. The station was also named Large Market Station of the Year in 2008 at the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Radio Awards.
On weekdays, KOA airs its news blocks during morning and afternoon drive times and features traffic updates in the Denver area. The station also airs sports coverage via Alan Roach, the stadium announcer for the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies and the Colorado Avalanche. The station also features an evening sports talk segment and several nationally syndicated programs, including Rush Limbaugh, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and America’s First News with Gordon Deal, as well as national and world news coverage by ABC News Radio.
The station — now owned by iHeartMedia — has since raised the broadcasting power of its current Parker-based tower to 50,000 watts (the maximum power permitted by the Federal Communications Commission for AM stations), making it available on dials from Fort Collins to Pueblo.
Web: koanewsradio.iheart.com | Phone: 303-713-8000