The south side of Ames and 20th Avenue once held the pathway to success for many radio legends in Colorado. The site that is now occupied by T-Mobile and Edgewater Modern Dentistry once was the home of KIMN Radio.
KIMN broadcasted from 950 AM. KIMN was located in Edgewater for over 30 years until it was purchased in 1984 by the development that would become the Edgewater Marketplace.
On Friday, January 26, the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado will induct new members into their Hall of Fame. Edgewater City Councilman Steve Conklin serves as the President of this organization. Three of this year’s inductees came through KIMN Radio in Edgewater.
Here are this year’s Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado (BPC) Hall of Fame inductees along with their bios from BPC:
Chuck Buell, whose radio career began in 1956 building a Knight-Kit Single Watt Transmitter and soon after going to work at KRSD Rapid City. In the 60’s and again in the 80’s Buell was a key part of KIMN. In Colorado, he’d also worked at stations including KDAB (1963) and Y-108 (1983-1986). He also was on legendary stations including WLS Chicago, KFRC San Francisco and KMOX St. Louis.
LeRoy Smith: Smith hosted a late night R&B show starting in 1948 on KFEL and through the station’s transition to KIMN. He owned a record store and sporting goods shop in 5 Points. He is one of the first African American announcers in Colorado.
Don Roberts was a longtime personality and newsman in Denver. His first radio job was as a disc jockey and newsman in Cumberland Maryland. He moved to Grand Junction in 1948, working at KFXJ Radio. In 1952, he returned to the east, and became the top personality in Keene, N.H. , staying until 1956. when he joined KIMN Radio in Denver.
He was a featured radio personality on stations including KIMN, KOA, KLZ, KEZW, KAAT and KKBB. We was a longtime spokesperson for Western Federal Savings (later known as Bank Western).
His distinctive voice was heard on radio before making the move to TV, working on both KLZ and KOA. In the early 1980s he was talent on KKBB radio.
Let you know your best KIMN memories below in the comments.
*Correction was made to the history and timeline of KIMN in Edgewater
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
The KIMN that signed on as KLIR in 1959 is not the same KIMN that broadcast from Edgewater. They weren’t related at all. When the original KIMN was euthanized in 1987 the call letters were up for grabs. A Ft. Collins station got them but soon after gave them up. That’s when KLIR took them over and still has them but only identifies as KIMN once an hour when they’re required to by the FCC. No station could duplicate what 95 KIMN did and it was stupid to try; just as stupid as the decision was to kill off KIMN in the first place.
brings back all my old memories when I grew up in that area all good ones
Lived in Edgewater from 1956 to 1964. Used ride our bike down to the station and get the new Nifty Top fifty survey. Watched the DJs through the window. Things I recall: a huge wooden table with the previous call letters engraved on the front, getting all kinds of KIMN freebies. Weird foam hats, Beatle wigs, golf tees were a few of the many give a ways…And you could often find artists at the station plugging their latest cuts. easy to get autographs from hot acts and never weres. When I went to Belmont we had a language lab used to learn foreign languages. If you soldiered a few bits to a mic jack, and plugged into the lab audio desk you could pick up KIMN … and the Amphicar parked in front of the station. Great memories. I think they took the Boat/car, or car boat out on Sloan maybe once or twice.
I grew up with KIMN Radio in the 70’s, and the KIMN Chicken was a favorite mascot of mine, mainly because he once did a little show for our group while we were tailgaiting before a Bronco game at the old Mile High. Fast forward to 1996, and I start a new job, come to find out I work with the son of the KIMN Chicken, and the Chicken is a lead in the welding dept.! I met the man, and a great friendship started.
I had the honor of rockin’ Denver nights on KIMN 72-73. Great folks, great fun and a great radio station.