MarconiHallmark: Local Jazz Radio | Denver

KKHI (101.9 MHz) signed on the airwaves this summer (2008).

Chuck Lontine represented the seller in this $21mm transaction. Post close - the buyer - Amador Bustos turned again to Chuck to research the best use for the new radio station.

The format bake-off included keeping a Regional Mexican format, an Urban AC format or Jazz/Standards. The K-High format was chosen after carefully considering the timing of the format switch of CD-104 in the market from a NAC format to all-sports.

Full page ad in Cherry Creek Magazine

As part of the K-High project we assembled a team of highly skilled and dedicated radio professionals from within the Denver radio market. We were able to perform this task based on multiple key contacts in the Denver radio market.

The K-High team included some terrific people. Steve Hamilton (former program director at KOSI-FM), Pete McKenna (former general sales manager from KFRX) and Patti Ford (former production director at WBOS in Boston - who had also worked with Chuck at WLAN-A/F in the 1990's).

We got a little help from our friends at Emmis too. We shared a frequency with its legendary NAC station in New York City and with its help Chuck wrote and produced our jingle.

Our primary goal was to build an effective infrastructure and launch a high value radio platform for Bustos Media and its investors.