Steve McCoy has found a new job in Denver as KOOL morning host
May 21, 2010, by
Steve McCoy, let go from B98.5 in February, has become the new morning host at Denver's Classic Hits station Legendary 105.1 KOOL (call letters KXKL-FM), according to the administrative assistant who answered the phone Friday. She said he started on air May 17.
McCoy returned a text message Friday evening with a brief note saying he starts July 1, which is the day after his two-year contract with B98.5 is officially up. But he has already started. I'm awaiting a response from him about it, but I suspect he stops getting paid by B98.5 once he starts another job and probably was trying to keep it under wraps from the bosses in Atlanta. Given how gabby people are in radio circles and how public his job is, that would seem like an awfully tall order. He has not mentioned the move on his Facebook page, but Denver radio boards have chattered about it this week. One of the board writers said KOOL has been through multiple hosts in recent years.
Some of his former colleagues had no idea he was going to Denver, including former Star 94 producer Jake Ray and former Steve & Vikki sidekick Tommy Sullivan.
KOOL’s Web site has not trumpeted this move. In fact. the site has no talent whatsoever referenced at all.
Denver is the 20th largest market. Atlanta is the 7th largest market. Friends say he has a home in Colorado and possibly family as well. KOOL ranks 7th in the April Arbitron numbers in Denver and is owned by Wilks.
McCoy has been a long-time jock in Atlanta, serving time at Z93, Power 99, Star 94 and B98.5 over the past 29 years (with a brief stint in Dallas.) His heyday was at Star 94 from 1990 until 2007. His contract ends with B98.5 at the end of June, where he worked for just under two years.
His options in Atlanta were limited, given the current market and his age. His long-time radio partner Vikki Locke was invited to come back to B98.5 at reduced pay. She accepted and has remained at the soft rock station.
To get an idea of the type of music Kool plays, its top 10 songs the past week, according to yes.com were Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Grand Funk Railroad’s “Some Kind of Wonderful,” Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky,” Orleans’ “Still the One,” Carole King’s “I Feel the Earth Move,” The Guess Who’s “American Woman,” Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” Chicago’s “25 to 6 to 4,” and Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love.” In other words, the station’s heavy on the 1970s. The 1980s are also we represented, more so than the 1960s.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
