The station signed on the air on December 1, 1953, as KFML-FM.[4] It was owned by Everett A. Bancker, Jr. and was the FM counterpart to KFML (1390 AM, now KGNU). Because the AM station was a daytimer, listeners could continue to hear its programming after sunset on KFML-FM.
At first, KIMN-FM aired a softer album rock format while KIMN (950 AM, now KKSE) aired a Top 40 format. KIMN-FM later started playing Top 40 music, similar to its AM sister station. In the 1970s, there were a couple of country & western AM stations in Denver, though the music was not heard on FM, even though country was making inroads on FM stations in other cities.
Switch to KYGO Country
On July 7, 1980, 98.5 switched its call letters to KYGO; later that year, the station changed formats from contemporary hits to country music.[5] Bob Call, previously with country-formatted WSOC-FM in Charlotte, North Carolina, supervised the change. When he started at WSOC-FM, he said he knew little about country music, but learned fast. In 2006, as part of Lincoln Financial Media's acquisition of Jefferson-Pilot (including the J-P media properties), KYGO became a Lincoln Financial Media station.
On April 26, 1988, the station slightly changed its call letters to KYGO-FM. At the same time, AM 950 switched its call sign to KYGO, and began airing a classic country format, to be a companion to FM 98.5's more contemporary country direction.
On December 8, 2014, Entercom announced it would purchase Lincoln Financial Group's entire 15-station lineup (including KYGO) in a $106.5 million deal. It operated the outlets under a local marketing agreement (LMA). On December 22, 2014, Entercom confirmed it would retain KYGO and its country format.[7] The FCC approved the deal on June 26, 2015.[8]
However, on July 14, 2015, the Department of Justice ruled that Entercom was over ownership and total market revenue limits in the Denver market; as a result, Entercom decided to spin off KYGO, KOSI, KKFN and KEPN to Bonneville International in exchange for Bonneville's Los Angeles station KSWD (now KKLQ). Both Bonneville and Entercom began operating their new clusters via Time Brokerage Agreements on July 17, 2015. The transaction was consummated on November 24, 2015.[9]
KYGO hired David Mueller as a DJ in January 2013.[10] Mueller co-hosted the Ryno and Jackson morning show.[11] On June 2, 2013, Mueller attended a meet-and-greet event before a Taylor Swift concert at the Pepsi Center. While having her photograph taken with Mueller, Swift alleged that he reached under her skirt and groped her. Though Mueller denied touching Swift inappropriately, KYGO-FM general manager Robert Call fired him on June 4. Mueller sued Swift in September 2015 for loss of income, alleging that her allegation had led to his wrongful termination.[12] Swift sued Mueller the next month. A civil trial began August 7, 2017.[10] A jury found Mueller liable for assault and battery and awarded Swift one dollar, the amount she had sought.[13]
