"Radio is personal. It is connected to the community it serves."
- Dennis Constantine
DENNIS
CONSTANTINE
On-Air Personality KVNA-FM 100.1 / 92.1
Dennis has been a AAA powerhouse for as long as AAA radio has existed. That’s not an exaggeration—he played an instrumental part in the format’s beginnings during his time programming KBCO in the late 70s and 80s. Since leaving Boulder in ’93, he’s consulted with dozens of stations and PD’d at KINK and KFOG. Dennis currently plays an integral role in programming KVNA, WNCS, and WXRV.
Tell us a bit about your career. How has radio shaped your life?
I’ve been in the broadcasting business for over 55 years. I love music, and it was the music of my youth in the 1960’s that got me into radio. I became a radio program director in 1969. Radio has been my life!
You’ve been in AAA radio for a long time now. Is there something about the format that you particularly like? What makes it different from other formats?
I was working in rock radio in the mid-70s. In those days, rock radio was very eclectic. We played rock, blues, acoustic, soul, and many other styles of music. As FM radio caught on, many rock stations became very singularly focused on only harder rock music. I felt this created an opportunity to create a new broad-based radio format designed for music lovers. Thus was born KBCO in Boulder, a station I signed on in 1977. It was the station many emulated. It is considered the first AAA station. I became a consultant and personally started over two dozen AAA stations. One of the things I love about AAA is that there are not two stations that sound the same. Each station is designed for the city it serves.
In a world inundated with digital platforms, why is radio important?
Radio is personal. It is connected to the community it serves. It is involved in charitable organizations in its city to make it a better place for people who live there. While digital platforms choose music using algorithms, music on the radio is chosen by humans using their knowledge and passion.
What is your favorite thing about AAA radio?
We don’t follow the typical radio rules. Programming AAA radio is a joy. It’s never felt like work. If you love what you do, it’s not work. It keeps you youthful and happy.