KRCH came into being on May 1, 1967 when those call letters were granted to Foreground Music, Inc., which had purchased the old KSTL-FM frequency. The station had been silent for nearly two years. A “good Music format” was broadcast.
In 1969, a construction permit was granted allowing the station to increase its power to 100,000 watts and change its tower location. The new tower was erected atop the Colony Hotel in Clayton, across the street from the studios at 111 S. Bemiston.
A couple years later the license was assigned to national broadcast powerhouse Bartell Broadcasting, which was later acquired by Downe Communications. The call letters were changed to KSLQ on August 3, 1972.