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Best radio rise and fall

Bob Visotcky

Once the overseer of six powerful Denver radio outlets owned by Texas-based AMFM, Bob Visotcky was the most controversial figure in Denver radio during 1999 for a slew of reasons, including his defense of Howard Stern in the wake of some controversial post-Columbine comments and his decision to move classical station KVOD from FM to AM, which he figured no one would notice. (He was wrong.) But Clear Channel's purchase of AMFM meant Visotcky's days were numbered in Denver; he was shipped out to Los Angeles, where he was sacked in a matter of months. Radio can be a nasty business, even for the people who make it that way.

Best radio rise and fall

Bob Visotcky

Once the overseer of six powerful Denver radio outlets owned by Texas-based AMFM, Bob Visotcky was the most controversial figure in Denver radio during 1999 for a slew of reasons, including his defense of Howard Stern in the wake of some controversial post-Columbine comments and his decision to move classical station KVOD from FM to AM, which he figured no one would notice. (He was wrong.) But Clear Channel's purchase of AMFM meant Visotcky's days were numbered in Denver; he was shipped out to Los Angeles, where he was sacked in a matter of months. Radio can be a nasty business, even for the people who make it that way.

Best radio shakeup

Clear Channel merger

Last October, Clear Channel, the owner of eight radio stations in the Denver area, merged with AMFM, controller of six local signals. Because of FCC regulations, Clear Channel was then forced to divest the half-dozen AMFM properties -- and the purchaser of three of them was Infinity Broadcasting, the most prominent challenger to Clear Channel nationwide. The results of these deals won't be known for a while yet, but they're likely to lead to a titanic scrap unlike any that Colorado radio observers have ever seen. Let the battle begin.

Best radio shakeup

Clear Channel merger

Last October, Clear Channel, the owner of eight radio stations in the Denver area, merged with AMFM, controller of six local signals. Because of FCC regulations, Clear Channel was then forced to divest the half-dozen AMFM properties -- and the purchaser of three of them was Infinity Broadcasting, the most prominent challenger to Clear Channel nationwide. The results of these deals won't be known for a while yet, but they're likely to lead to a titanic scrap unlike any that Colorado radio observers have ever seen. Let the battle begin.

Best radio station

KVCU-AM/Radio 1190

In last year's Best of Denver issue, we named KVCU-AM, the radio voice of the University of Colorado at Boulder, "Best Non-Commercial Station." This year that qualifier deserves to be removed. Although its management and personnel continue to change, the station is the best outlet in the area for intriguing music that hasn't been beaten to death by repetition. It's a beacon of creativity in an area that's all too often an imagination-free zone.

Best radio station

KVCU-AM/Radio 1190

In last year's Best of Denver issue, we named KVCU-AM, the radio voice of the University of Colorado at Boulder, "Best Non-Commercial Station." This year that qualifier deserves to be removed. Although its management and personnel continue to change, the station is the best outlet in the area for intriguing music that hasn't been beaten to death by repetition. It's a beacon of creativity in an area that's all too often an imagination-free zone.

Best web radio station

www.localstation.com

The brainchild of Tom Grant and David Lampe, www.localstation.com is an opportunity to hear the finest dance music being made in Colorado and beyond. The site includes numerous channels, tons of archived shows spotlighting genres such as techno and trance, DJ profiles and links aplenty. It'll make your computer sing.

Best web radio station

www.localstation.com

The brainchild of Tom Grant and David Lampe, www.localstation.com is an opportunity to hear the finest dance music being made in Colorado and beyond. The site includes numerous channels, tons of archived shows spotlighting genres such as techno and trance, DJ profiles and links aplenty. It'll make your computer sing.

Best radio talk-show host

Rick Barber, KOA-AM/850

The man who works the late shift, Rick Barber is unique among his contemporaries in that he allows callers and interviewees to yak to their heart's content instead of cutting them off if they don't agree with his opinions. There's a practical reason for this, of course: Because more folks call radio stations at 3 p.m. than 3 a.m., he's got to make the most of those who do. But his low-key approach is a welcome throwback to the days when talk radio was actually about talking.

Best radio talk-show host

Rick Barber, KOA-AM/850

The man who works the late shift, Rick Barber is unique among his contemporaries in that he allows callers and interviewees to yak to their heart's content instead of cutting them off if they don't agree with his opinions. There's a practical reason for this, of course: Because more folks call radio stations at 3 p.m. than 3 a.m., he's got to make the most of those who do. But his low-key approach is a welcome throwback to the days when talk radio was actually about talking.

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