" ... The non-commercial station, run mainly by students, is going strong, and can be heard on the AM dial from Castle Rock to Fort Collins -- and online from anywhere in the world. Radio 1190 recently was nominated by the College Music Journal as one of the top student-run, non-FM stations in the country. ... " [more]
-Colorado Daily, October 28, 2008

"Back in 1998, before it was subsumed by Clear Channel, Jacor wound up with one more station than it could keep under FCC rules. Instead of holding a fire sale, execs donated it to the University of Colorado at Boulder, which up until then had made do with a school radio station that broadcast to the dorms using carrier current. A decade later, Radio 1190 is a station worthy of celebrating, with a reach that goes far outside of CU and even Boulder. It's an oasis of exciting music, creative programming and community support in a desert of corporate mediocrity. Happy tenth, and may there be many more anniversaries to follow."
-Westword, Best of Denver 2008

"Over the past few years, DJ Cysko Rokwel has become one of Colorado's elite DJs: He has a weekly residency at Boulder's Round Midnight, spins on Radio 1190's hip-hop-centric Basementalism show every week, and backs up local artists A.V.I.U.S., Es-Nine and The 6th Grade on records and at live shows. But his biggest accomplishment to date was placing second at the DMC USA DJ finals in Delaware, making him one of the best turntablists in the nation. And as soon as the video of his DMC routine hit YouTube, a heated competition between Cysko and a California DJ broke out in the comments section, setting the stage for a possible DMC battle this year. We got Cysko's back!"
-Westword, Best of Denver 2008

"Fewer and fewer stations employ local DJs today, instead relying on syndicated shows or far-flung jocks who voice-track long-distance, using the same playlists across the nation. So thank goodness for Radio 1190, the outstanding station at the University of Colorado at Boulder, which employs a constantly changing but consistently passionate staff dedicated to finding the greatest possible variety of new and exciting sounds, not serving up the old stuff like the aural equivalent of comfort food. Variety is the spice of Radio 1190, and it tastes great."
-Westword, Best of Denver 2007

"Colorado might have lost the Crispy Family Carnival, but we still have Ukulele Loki, aka Aaron Johnson. A true vaudeville performer, Loki served as music director/ composer/on-stage musician for the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's 2006 production of As You Like It, led the "indie acoustic chamber pop" sounds of the Gadabout Orchestra and acted as ringleader for his vaudeville burlesque circus, the Folderol Follies. His work as the "Talented Talker" for the Crispy Family Carnival has also qualified him to perform as a radio emcee -- currently on Route 78 West, which airs Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon on KVCU-Radio 1190 in Boulder -- and foil for sideshow performers, bands and burlesque legends such as Dita Von Teese. Loki's love of all things sideshow ensures that vaudeville will never die in Denver."
-Westword, Best of Denver 2007

"Twice a year, Radio 1190 strives to earn $50,000 in eight days, and they always make the mark. Pledges come mostly from community listeners. CU students already support the radio station with student fees. Pledges are made in watts, allowing the listener to personally own a part of Radio 1190." [more]
-The Campus Press April 12, 2007

"To discover new music, just open your ears"

CU's own Radio 1190, located in the UMC basement, offers a warehouse of new music. While the independent station's AM frequency may limit the range of the live broadcasts, Radio 1190 programming is streamed online as well, offering an avenue that is growing in popularity by the hour. As for the selection of music, prepare to treat your ears and psyche." [more]
-The Campus Press April 11, 2007

"Take a trip to your 'Vinyl Destination'"
Radio 1190 turns up the tunes in the second Vinyl Destination

"The vinyl records at Radio 1190 moved off the shelves and onto the turntables as the station provided listeners with a full day of vinyl music on Tuesday. The exclusive day of vinyl records, called Vinyl Destination 2, occurred for the second semester in a row. [...] This event is a touchstone to remind listeners and DJs of the roots of radio. In an age where many radio stations now move away from CDs in favor of digital media programmed into computers and rarely use the old-school vinyl, it is important not to completely put records away." [more]
-The Campus Press March 14th, 2007

"Vinyl records covered nearly every available surface in Radio 1190's tiny studio Tuesday as the University of Colorado's student-run station took listeners back in time during its second annual "Vinyl Destination" day. [...] It's great. We have all these old records that kind of predate 1190 — they were just left over from previous incarnations of the station — so we go through and find some stuff we didn't even know we had," said Andrew Coate, the AM station's student general manager. The station's student DJs also brought in gems from their own collections to spin" [more]

"BEST LOCAL RADIO STATION"
Radio 1190

"Commercial radio gets lamer with each passing year, which only makes Radio 1190 sound stronger by comparison. Because the station is staffed by students from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the turnover is continuous. Yet the outlet has maintained a high level of quality, thanks to the most eclectic playlist in town (one recent hour ranged from Mi and L'au to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass) and great specialty shows such as Under the Mattress, a Sunday show focusing on vintage rock. This is a commercial-free oasis in a desert of radio mediocrity."
-Westword, Best of Denver 2006

"Best Radio Station -- Period"
Radio 1190

"When it debuted in 1998, Radio 1190 was a godsend for the disgruntled radio listener -- a blast of fresh, inspiring music spun by CU students whose sense of excitement burst through the speakers. Nearly seven years later, the thrill isn't gone DJs come and DJs go, but the station continues to serve as a valuable resource for any music lover who wants to hear the finest new sounds from nearly every popular genre and some not-so-popular ones, as well. Radio 1190 is a life raft in a sea of homogenized sound."
Westword, Best of Denver 2005

"Best New-Music Radio Station"
KVCU/Radio 1190

"Many aspects of Radio 1190, a station affiliated with the University of Colorado, are deserving of praise: its commitment to promoting interesting concerts in Denver and Boulder; the presence of specialty shows such as a.side//b.side which celebrates the art of the mix tape; and an unpolished but compelling style that's much more stimulating than the stuff pumped out by its corporate competitors. The main draw, though, is the music. Staffers are students of sound who seek out the best of contemporary indie rock, hip-hop and more, and they're not shy about sharing. At Radio 1190, learning is fun-damental."
Westword, Best of Denver 2004

"BEST RADIO STATION"
KVCU-AM/RADIO 1190

"In a radio world marked by conformity, Radio 1190, a signal affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder, provides a refreshing blast of individuality. The DJs at the outlet, whether they're working standard shifts or specialized shows, are distinguished from their professional counterparts by a love of fresh, outside-the-mainstream sounds, and their unpolished exuberance is infectious. As a result, Radio 1190 is wonderfully old-fashioned and exceedingly contemporary at exactly the same time."
Westword, Best of Denver 2003

College Radio Fall Preview
"College radio stations pride themselves on playing songs before commercial stations pick them up. So, we asked Denise von Minden, music director at the University of Colorado's Radio 1190, for a preview of what listeners might hear this semester." (Listen)All Things Considered, Sep. 4, 2002

"BEST MUSICAL EDUCATION ON RADIO"
KVCU-AM/RADIO 1190

"KVCU-AM/1190, the student-run station at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is staffed by musical enthusiasts who breakdown barriers as a matter of course. They're eager to inform young listeners about great music of the past through the use of artist features focusing on acts that rose to prominence long before most of them were out of their Pampers. But they're just as enthusiastic to clue in older listeners about the finest underground sounds being made today via playlists that spotlight the most interesting acts in virtually every genre. The result is a benefit for music lovers of all ages."
Denver Westword, Best of Denver 2001

"BEST RADIO DJ"
ALISHA (7-10am/M-F)

"The morning personality on the CU-Boulder station, Alisha, is perky without being cloying, and she goes out of her way to give listeners new information about the tunes she spins. Special features include regular interviews with the station's music director, Denise von Minden, that highlight the latest additions to the outlet's playlist, and "Artist of the Week," segments assembled in part by listeners. Through these efforts, Alisha keeps the focus right where it belongs, which is on Radio 1190's great music."
Denver Westword, Best of Denver 2001

"BEST REASON TO GET HAMMERED ON FRIDAY NIGHT"
THE HANGOVER BRUNCH (10am-1pm/Saturdays)

"Ask not for whom the seltzer fizzes, kiddies: It fizzes for thee - especially when the cheerful hosts of Radio 1190's Hangover Brunch take to the late-morning airwaves on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Milkman Dan, Steph, and a rotating crew of bleary-eyed guests count down their favorite thirty musical tracks of the week while dispensing a little culinary dope: Crepe Suzzettes, Cibo Matto, Quiche Lorraine, DJ Food, and recipes for award-winning chicken and waffles. So forget the shakes, flip a few 'cakes and let the tunes shine in."
Denver Westword, Best of Denver 2001

1-28-02

KVCU Radio 1190: Music for the minds, not masses
By ABIGAIL FINELLI--Colorado Daily

Often times we feel trapped by the routine of radio frequencies that dash our hopes of hearing something new and different. We're confined to redundant play-lists of pop-music -- musicians tagged, marketed, and played over and over on the local stations, so that we can predict what we will hear no matter what city we're in across the country. Boulder offers relief to the monotony of commercial radio right here. Nestled in the basement of the University Memorial Center at CU Boulder lives one of the nation's best college radio stations. What seems like a maze of vinyl records, CD's, couches and soundboards is actually the creative energy of busy students working around school schedules to bring to the airwaves an education in varied music.

Radio 1190: The AM Revolution
by Jim Thompson--Rocky Mountain Bullhorn

When was the last time you tuned your radio to the AM band? Unless you're a Rush Limbaugh listener, a religious fanatic or a sports nut, you probably can't think of any reason to switch from stereo sound to the lo-fi world of AM radio. But you do have a reason-that is, if you are looking for real music variety and willing to lend an ear to innovative, sometimes obscure, musical styles. "The AM Revolution," KVCU Radio 1190 is a three-year-old student-run station broadcast out of CU-Boulder, and it's one of only a few alternatives to the mainstream muck-shovellers owned by the likes of Clear Channel. In fact, given the station's indy-rock bent, along with its numerous shows specializing in just about everything-punk, hip-hop, reggae, folk, jazz, techno, industrial, ambient, you name it-Radio 1190 is perhaps the only station that could claim to be the alternative to the so-called alternatives.

KVCU wages radio revolt
Rebeldeejays pit eclectic cuts against "safe, staid' airwaves
By John Moore Denver Post Staff Writer Sunday, April 15, 2001

BOULDER-The revolution is not being televised. It is being broadcast on a tiny radio signal from an even tinier flood-prone bunker in the back of the dank basement of the University of Colorado Memorial Center that one freedom fighter describes as "just past the Dumpsters and vampires." It is a place that time - and a recent UMC renovation - forgot. And judging from the huge bite taken out of an old Black Flag album nailed to a graffiti-stained wall, it appears that these student soldiers subsist solely on vinyl ... and takeout from Taki's.

BEST LOCAL RELEASE
THE LOCAL SHAKEDOWN

"Former Boulderite Jello Biafra provides a spoken-word introduction to this collection, a two-CD, 45-track crash course in the very best modern music emanating from the Front Range. Sponsored by the good people at Radio 1190 (KVCU-AM), the student-run station affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder, Local Shakedown highlights many of the artists played on the station's weekly broadcast of the same name. A mishmash of styles ranging from punk and pop to ambient and plain ol' rock and roll, the compilation is a solid -- and wild -- ride through the complex terrain of local sounds. A good starting point for the newcomer -- and a satisfying recording that stands on its own."Denver Westword Best of Denver 2000

BEST HIP HOP SHOW
BASEMENTALISM (4-7PM SATURDAYS)

"DJs Adict and Resonant (aka Mike Merriman and Nate Harvey) are hip-hop heads of the most serious kind -- and that's to the benefit of anyone who tunes in to their weekly radio show on Radio 1190. In addition to spinning the most up-and-coming underground hip-hop artists from the local and national scenes, the crew hosts artists in the studio for interview and instructional sessions as well as for live performances. Adict and Resonant are students -- of the University of Colorado at Boulder and of the history of rap and hip-hop. Judging by the success of their program, they're definitely making the grade in the latter." Denver Westword Best of Denver 2000

6-1-00

Various Local Artists

Radio 1190 has done it again. First the fledgling KVCU exploded the airwaves with its mindblowing mix of all music wild, wonderful and non-corporate. And this rocked. And it was good. With the release of Radio 1190 Local Shakedown, a two-CD compilation of local bands weird and wonderful, the good folks at KVCU have achieved yet another rock-o-licious triumph. Minor technical quibbles notwithstanding, Radio 1190 Local Shakedown is a fabulous, if necessarily uneven, monster of a collection that everybody in Colorado should listen to. Really. Read whole article

11-4-99

All kinds of "Happy birthdays" and congratulations are in order to the good folks over at KVCU Radio AM 1190, the fabulous CU-based station that will enter its second year of broadcasting on November 4. (Indeed, Roberts takes care of the formalities in this week's installation of The Message, page 10.) To celebrate the event DJ Andrew Murphy, host of the station's "Local Shakedown" program every Friday from 4-6p.m., has organized a two-day concert that finds some of Denver's best sharing in the birthday festivities. The all-ages affair will be held at the Bluebird Theatre, and begins Thursday night with performances from the Kalamath Brothers, the Down N Outs, and the newly formed O'er the Ramparts, featuring members of the Blast-Off Heads and teh Boulder-based Letches. Friday night's fete features Space Team Electra, Munly, Hoochie and the Pin Downs. A heck of a show for a heck of a station. KVCU, in the immortal words of the Blues Brothers, we're so glad you made it. --Laura Bond

11-4-99

The Old College Try

To say that KVCU-AM, known as Radio 1190, is in the bowels of the University Memorial Center on CU's Boulder campus is no exaggeration: it's located in the UMC basement at the tail end of a crowded labyrinth of corridors and is so near an open-air loading dock that DJs must move quickly to avoid being run over by workers making deliveries to the nearby university bookstore. It's offices are similarly lacking in luxury: Tattered posters cover up the few patches of wall that aren't lined with compact discs or well-worn albums, and much of the furniture looks as if it should be waiting on a curb for the Salvation Army. Read whole article...

11-4-99

Radio Fee Boulder: The coolest college station around could use some cash.
Laura Bond, Westword

A person could get worked into a state trying to find something new on the commercial radio dial in this town. After all, how many times a day does a person really need to hear the Joy Drop's "Beautiful"? (Many local programmers place the number at about thirty.) And while there may yet be regions of the world where hearing "Brass Monkey" is indeed a new rock-and-roll adventure, fans looking for new music this side of the tundra are likely to regard most local playlists as maddeningly repetative and laughably retrograde. Read whole article..

He loves us! He Really loves us!!

What a difference a year makes. Last year, Boulder Weekly came in dead last in the newspaper category of Jann Scott's annual media awards. Same thing the year before that. This year we rocketed straight to number one. "Amazing," Scott said on his show Wednesday night, "just last year I hated them. Well, I still hate them. But they did do a cover story on me and Wayne's Word featured me, so I'm not stupid. One blow job deserves another." Read whole article.

11-4-99

KVCU celebrates 1 year: Anniversary to be marked by slate of concerts
Amanda Hill, Colorado Daily

KVCU, CU's student-run radio station, is celebrating it's one-year anniversary today, kicking off it's celebration with not one, but two sets of birthday shows. Jim Musil, who has been a general manager at KVCU since August 1998, said that the listenership at the station has grown tremendously in the past year to 10,000. Read whole article.

Radio 1190 gearing up to celebrate one year on-air
Brian Sauer, Boulder Planet

Compact Discs line most walls, vinyl fills out the rest. Posters are everywhere: Some are upside down, crooked or just really old. These are remnants of the old guard, reminders that a time existed when this college radio station couldn't be heard even by the students themselves. Back then, DJs played music more or less for each other in the basement of the student union building. Read whole article.

Radio 1190 AM heats up the Other Side of the Dial
Brian Sauer, Boulder Planet

It?s time to flip the switch on your radio dial. You?re used to leaving it on FM. That?s normal. That?s where all those nice, friendly corporate stations hang out. But if you look toward the back, or maybe on the side of the stereo you?ll see a little switch that says ?AM.? That?s not for your morning clock-radio alarm, that?s where the best radio station in town hangs out -- Radio 1190. Read whole article...

One local fave we failed to mention in our "Best of Boulder County" issue was Sassy, the morning disc jockey at Radio 1190, who is clearly the creme de la creme. From the first time we heard her promo spots saying, "You don't have to leave money on the night stand when you wake up with Sassy," we were hooked. Her voice is velvety smooth, she spins infectious grooves, and she never says ummm. Unfortunately, we won't be able to laud her talents in next year's issue. Sassy graduates from CU this week and has just accepted a job with a conglomerate of radio stations in Grand Junction. Hmm, this seems a bad deal all the way around. We lose one of the few DJs we wouldn't want to strangle with a mic cord and she has to go to the land of barren hills, cows and second-rate grapes. Hard to picture her being happy though. Sassy told her audience on Wednesday morning she wasn't sure which station she'll be assigned to. After a semester of cranking out nothing but edgy, eclectic tunes, Sassy's future seems to have boiled down to either classic rock or country. Yee haw, Sassy! You go grrrl!!

It started with Spiritualized's "Electricity Mainline" cutting into Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." At 7 a.m. on November 4, the University of Colorado finally hit the public airwaves, 24 years after the first funds were set aside for that purpose. Radio 1190, "the AM Revolution," can now be picked up without a cable current... Read whole article.