KMSK

KMSK, KDVR-FM and KXDC are three separate radio stations that make up a trimulcast serving the. The three stations are owned by Interstate Broadcasting, Inc. along with sister stations KXUU, KJKD, and K297AX. The three stations broadcast a Top 40/CHR format, with the moniker K94. K94 carries the syndicated The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show in morning drive.

The studios and offices are located in. KMSK's transmitter is located along Hilltop Road in, KDVR-FM's transmitter is located atop , and KXDC's transmitter is located atop.

Three signals, one station
Prior to their unification in 1998 as K94, the three stations were known by other names.

KMSK signed-on August 4, 1980 as KTAZ. The station, originally licensed to, aired a full-service/Top 40 format targeting the southeastern portions of the Denver metro area, as "Taz 94". It later changed callsigns to KYYP and ran an oldies format until 1992, when it flipped to alternative rock as KXXX-FM "Triple X Radio". This was the initial FM station purchased by Global Communications that helped to form K94. At the time it was merged into K94, it was running as "News/Talk 94 KMSK".

KDVR-FM signed on May 1, 1986 as a sister station to, TV channel 31. Owned by Centennial Broadcasting Corporation and later Renaissance Broadcasting, it first ran a Top 40 format as "94R". "94R" took heavy shots against it's CHR neighbor on the dial, "All Hit 96 KPKE". Within 71 days of the station's sign-on, "94R" had overtaken "All Hit 95 KPKE" in the Denver market ratings, and would eventually lead to KPKE flipping to Soft AC in June 1987. However, this did not lead into long-term ratings success as KDVR-FM struggled during the early 90s reign of grunge and gangsta rap, and would eventually lead to "94R" flipping to oldies as "Memories 94.5" in 1993. KDVR-FM then flipped to a Hot AC format as "The New 94R" in 1995, shortly before it's sale to Global Communications.

KXDC is the oldest of the three stations, having signed on the air July 13, 1960 as KBOU, a public radio station owned by the, later becoming a charter affiliate of NPR. In 1994, the University announced the station was up for sale. In 1995, it was sold to Global Communications and converted to commercial status, running as alternative rock station KXXX-FM "Triple X 93".

Start of K94
In 1998, Global Communications founder Mike Bjerkestrand united KMSK, KDVR-FM and KXXX-FM to create K94, the test bed for a new format he called "teen contemporary", which played a mixture of Top 40 pop, classic hits, hip-hop, R&B, pop rock, alternative rock, and heavy metal songs that were popular with teens and young adults. The program director and head consultant for the format was David Bonniwell, who had worked in the as a consultant, helping to develop the formats of  and. The first song played by K94 under the "teen contemporary" format was "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by, which was rolled by the 15-year old winner of a local contest, live on 's CBS 4 News.

While the Arbitron ratings for "Triple X 93", "The New 94R" and "News/Talk 94 KMSK" were varied (0.4, 1.9, and 1.0 respectively), K94, counted as a single station, managed to pull in a 3.0 Arbitron rating, eventually rising to a 5.9 as it began transitioning to a full-on Top 40/CHR format by 2003.