KBPI

For the airport in Sublette County, Wyoming assigned the ICAO code KBPI, see Miley Memorial Field.

KBPI

City of license	Denver, Colorado
Broadcast area	Denver, Colorado
Branding	"106.7 KBPI"
Slogan	"'KBPI Rocks The Rockies"
Frequency	106.7 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date	1969 (at 105.9)
Format	Active Rock
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	408 meters
Class	C0
Facility ID	29739
Transmitter coordinates	39°43′58″N 105°14′8″W
Former callsigns	KAZY (?-1994)
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Sister stations	KBCO, KHOW, KKZN, KPTT, KOA, KRFX, KTCL
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	kbpi.com

KBPI (106.7 FM) is an active rock radio station based in Denver, Colorado. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 100 kW and has a transmitter in Boulder, Colorado. KBPI is one of four Rock formatted outlets in Clear Channel's Denver cluster, which includes Adult Album Alternative KBCO, Classic rock KRFX, and Modern Rock KTCL.

History

KBPI started at 105.9 FM in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, its television commercials featured a blonde woman lip-synching with bits of popular Rock songs and DJ's voices, and the tagline "KBPI Rrrrrrrrocks the Rrrrockies!" This catchphrase is still used in advertising and for a while the campaign was used at other rock radio stations in the United States and Canada. The "blonde woman" AKA "KBPI's Remarkable Mouth" was Kelly Harmon, sister of the actor Mark Harmon.

During the 70's, KBPI gained press for inviting people to bring their disco records to the station office for destruction, and this was frequently broadcast live over the air to the tune of Black Sabbath songs. This was commonplace among AOR stations who were riding the anti-Disco theme at the time.

For four years, Steven B. and the Hawk ruled the Denver morning FM ratings, mixing rock music with their witty repartee and routines. As they put it, in their own words, "It really didn't matter what kind of music they played. Listeners tuned in to hear them."

Their comedic style was highlighted by a self-deprecating sense of humor, rather than "shock jock talk." The duo loved to ridicule the entertainment industry, regularly parodying movie and TV stars with their original humor. One of their favorite routines was an ongoing spoof of the soap opera genre. They even created their own ongoing series, whose titles were partially taken from the real shows that aired at the time: Edge of Guiding Days of My Children Turning Hospital. They Also did commercials featuring "Whamco" products and promotions. Don Hawkins died in Denver in November 1994, following what initially was considered routine surgery. Steven B. Williams was murdered in 2006.

In 1994, Chancellor Media would swap frequencies with KALC & KBPI moved from 105.9 to 106.7 FM, which had been the home of KAZY, its long-time competitor and a former sister station to KLZ-TV and AM. Notable DJs include Willie B., Missy, Uncle Nasty, Matt Need, Double A Ron, Dan, Tim Bourke, Eddie, Joe the Russian and B Lo, among others.

Music

KBPI plays a mix of new and old hard rock and more mainstream heavy metal during the day, and extreme metal, hardcore punk and underground rock at night, during the "Metalix" show. Bands that receive consistent airplay include Metallica, Slipknot, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Disturbed, Korn, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, Mudvayne, Godsmack, Pantera, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Five Finger Death Punch and Jimi Hendrix,among many others.

The Dean and Rog Era

Dean and Rog hosted the KBPI Morning Show from 1991 to 1996. They were known for features like "The Birthday Scam" and "Torture Tuesday", plus crazy stunts like dropping a car off of an 8 story Parking Garage. In 1996 they and 2 other station employees were charged with misdemeanor offenses related to entering a Colorado Mosque and Playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on a trumpet and a bugle, in an attempt to satirize NBA Player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf's refusal to stand for the Anthem at NBA games. In July 1996 they opted to leave Denver and move to Phoenix and finally Houston, TX where they can currently be heard on 107.5 KHTC.

Awards

In 2007, the station was nominated for the Radio & Records magazine Active Rock station of the year in a top 25 market award . Other nominees included WIYY in Baltimore, WAAF in Boston, WRIF in Detroit, WMMR in Philadelphia, and KISW in Seattle.

External links

• Official KBPI Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KBPI
• Radio-Locator information on KBPI
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KBPI
• KBPI audio clip from 1996