iHeartMedia/Denver announced today that 97.3 KBCO, World Class Rock Denver/Boulder, was the first-ever FM radio station inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame which took place recently at the Paramount Theater in Denver. The station was recognized as one of the most influential radio station stations in music, community involvement and multimedia.
The Colorado Music Hall of Fame honors those who have made outstanding contributions, to preserve and protect historical artifacts and to educate the public regarding everything that’s great about Colorado’s music.
97.3 KBCO staff past and present gathered on stage and were recognized for their contributions. National touring artist, Amos Lee, read the proclamation and presented the award to 97.3 KBCO Program Director, Scott Arbough. Additional highlights from the night included a special video tribute from Nathaniel Rateliff as well as a touching video highlight reel of 97.3 KBCO’s accomplishments from throughout the years.
Hitting the airwaves in 1977, 97.3 KBCO was a pioneer with a format that was created as an alternative to standard Rock and Pop, and is still known today as Adult Alternative Album (Triple A). The station continues its legacy of digging deeper into album tracks as well as crossing typical format genre lines. 97.3 KBCO is recognized as one of the leaders in its format and is nationally regarded as an elite station for artists to break. A few artists that attribute their success to 97.3 include Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle and many more.
“97.3 KBCO is in an elite class of radio stations that can truly be called iconic,” said Tim Hager, President of iHeartMedia’s Denver Region. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the KBCO staff. We’re fortunate to have a passionate group of professionals who are committed to creating unique, Colorado-centric content year after year.”
The induction ceremony was complemented by a number of musical appearances from renowned artists, including Amos Lee, Todd Park Mohr and Brian Nevin of Big Head Todd, Bill Nershi and members of the String Incident, Vince Herman and Drew Emitt from Leftover Salmon, The Lumineers, Jeff Hanna and members of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Isaac Slade and Ben Wysocki of The Fray, and Leo Kottke.
