Denise Plante Leaves KOSI 101.1 Over Contract Dispute

During our in-depth June 14 interview with Denise Plante, the Denver radio-and-TV personality sang the praises of KOSI 101.1, where she's been a staple for more than fifteen years. Just over two weeks later, she has announced that she's leaving the station.

"Unfortunately, we couldn’t agree on terms with my contract," Plante revealed in a June 29 Facebook post.

The announcement appears to have caught members of the KOSI crew off guard. The morning of July 2, the main three items on the outlet's home page were all related to Plante, even though her name had been removed from the on-air roster of hosts. (They're gone now.)

We reached out to KOSI program director Jim Lawson about Plante's departure. His email reply: "We don't comment on personnel matters."

At this point, Plante prefers to wait until she lands her next radio gig to discuss the details of leaving her previous one beyond what she's shared thus far on social media. In the aforementioned Facebook item, she wrote, "It’s been a fun ride! After 15+ years at KOSI 101.1 I said goodbye today.... Thank you for being part of my life for so many years, I have been blessed to be part of yours and a part of #KOSI."

Plante added: "Onward and upward! I will continue hosting Colorado and Company on 9NEWS and wait to see what life brings me next."

Plenty of prominent folks in the Denver media community responded on Twitter to Plante's announcement — and while there's no telling if their reactions could portend future landing spots, she certainly has a treasure trove of powerful connections.

Kathy Sabine, 9News's longtime forecaster, sent out a "Noooooooo" followed by four emojis. Sean Swallow, producer of the BJ & Jamie show on Alice 105.9, exclaimed, "Your light is too bright to dim!! You are on to bigger and better things!!" Rick Lewis, who mans microphones for both Fox 103.5 and KOA NewsRadio, predicted that "It won't take long for another door to open for you Denise, enjoy the down time. Time for the next adventure!"

And then there's this from former KYGO program director Eddie Haskell, who's currently putting together the "Behind the Rose" podcast for the Grizzly Rose: "Nothing surprises me with those people. You are an amazing talent and belong someplace with people who appreciate that."

Similar sentiments were expressed by dozens upon dozens of fans on Facebook. Here are some examples:

I'm VERY SAD to hear that you're leaving KOSI 101.1. You and Murphy were THE REASON why I listened to the station.... Hold your head up high Denise. YOU WILL find another radio job.

You bring greatness wherever you go! We’ll be there with you.

When God closes one door he opens another! Something BIG is headed your way!

I wish you all the best. CoCo continues to be awesome because of you! Hang in there.

So sorry you have to leave KOSI. Too bad they do not realize what they had. Good luck in your new endeavors. You will truly be missed.

Another listener offered this: "Sorry that terms couldn’t be worked out. Sometimes one's opinion and some ego can cloud issues."

To that, Plante stated, "[It] has nothing to do with ego, wasn’t money at all. It was verbiage, didn’t feel comfortable signing."

Don't expect Plante to be absent from the airwaves for long. Today's radio environment is undeniably challenging, but it still needs stars. And she definitely remains one.