KCMO-FM
 | |
| City | Shawnee, Kansas |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Kansas City, MO-KS |
| Branding | 94-9 KCMO |
| Slogan | Kansas City's Greatest Hits |
| Frequency | 94.9 MHz |
| Translator(s) | 102.5 K273BZ (Kansas City, relays HD2) |
| First air date | May 4, 1948 (as KCFM) |
| Format |
Classic hits HD2: Adult hits "102.5 Jack FM" HD3: Talk (KCMO (AM) simulcast) |
| Language(s) | English |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 341.1 meters (1,119 ft) |
| Class | C0 |
| Facility ID | 6385 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 39°05′26″N 94°28′18″W / 39.09056°N 94.47167°W |
| Callsign meaning | Kansas City, MissOuri |
| Former callsigns |
KCFM (1948-1950) KCMO-FM (1950-1968) KFMU (1968-1974 KCEZ (1974-1983) KCMO-FM (1983-1985) KBKC (1985-1986) KCPW (1986-1989) |
| Owner |
Cumulus Media (CMP Houston-KC, LLC) |
| Sister stations | KCFX, KCHZ, KCJK, KCMO, KMJK, K279BI |
| Webcast |
Listen Live Listen Live iHeart Listen Live (HD2) |
| Website |
949kcmo.com 1025jackfm.com (HD2) |
KCMO-FM (94.9 FM, "94-9 KCMO") is an American classic hits music formatted radio station that broadcasts to the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station, owned by Cumulus Broadcasting, was acquired from Susquehanna Radio in 2006. KCMO-FM is licensed to serve the community of Shawnee, Kansas, and its transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri. The station's studios are located in Mission, Kansas.
History
One of the first FM stations in Kansas City, KCMO-FM signed on as full service KCFM on May 4, 1948, and was a sister station to 810 AM. The first time the KCMO-FM call letters appeared were granted in 1950. Meredith Broadcasting bought the station in 1953. On July 23, 1959, the station adopted a MOR format. The station shifted to easy listening on March 16, 1968 as KCMU, and then KCEZ, "EZ 95", in 1974. In 1983, Meredith Corporation (which had owned KCMO-FM for years) sold both of the KCMO radio stations to Richard Fairbanks, a one-time owner of what is now WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. In that same year, on October 10, the station adopted a country music format as "KC 95". The KCMO-FM call letters returned in 1984. The station gained attention when of their billboards appeared in a Psychedelic Furs music video. Fairbanks sold both stations in 1985 to Summit Communications Group, and with it, a change to a dance-leaning Top 40 format as KBKC, "B95", on July 26, 1985. Gannett Company bought the station in 1986, and after KZZC left the air, the station shifted to a more adult-friendly/mainstream Top 40 as KCPW, "Power 95", in August of that year. In August 1989, after playing "Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan, KCPW flipped to the oldies format (as "Oldies 95") with the third use of the KCMO-FM call sign acquired days before the switch. The first song on "Oldies 95" was "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison. The last of WHB's listeners flocked from the former AM powerhouse in a matter of months, prompting that station's conversion to farm radio.
In 1993, Gannett sold KCMO-AM-FM to Bonneville International, the then-owner of KMBZ and KLTH (now KZPT). Four years later, Bonneville sold all four of its Kansas City stations together with three radio stations in Seattle to Entercom Communications. Susquehanna Radio bought both KCMO stations from Entercom in 2000, as Entercom was forced to sell the KCMO stations after its purchase of Sinclair Broadcast Group's radio stations (KQRC-FM, KXTR-FM and KCIY) left it two stations over the Federal Communications Commission's single-market ownership limit. Susquehanna subsequently merged with Cumulus Media in mid-2006.
KCMO-FM enjoyed strong ratings throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, but in 2005 it became concerned with appealing to an "older" demographic.
Ratings weren't an issue, as the station was often in the Top 10; KCMO-FM was one of the few stations that appealed to the city's older listeners. The station dropped its "Oldies" moniker in April 2005 and switched to the moniker of "Greatest Hits", playing only mid-'60s to early-'80s music. Currently, KCMO has a slogan of "The Greatest Hits of the "70s and 80s."
KCMO-FM HD2
On February 14, 2011, the station turned on its HD2 sub-channel and launched an all-comedy format branded as "Funny 102.5". It is also broadcast on translator K273BZ 102.5 FM, hence the 102.5 in the moniker. On January 2, 2013, 102.5 FM flipped to sports talk, branded as "102.5 The Fan." On August 15, 2014, at 3 PM, the station abruptly dropped the sports format in the middle of a sports update, and began a brief 7-minute countdown. At 3:07 PM, 102.5/94.9 HD2 became one of the first affiliates of the new "Nash Icon" network as 102.5 Nash Icon, launching with "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker. On November 2, 2015, at Midnight, after playing "You Ain't Much Fun" by Toby Keith, 102.5/94.9 HD2 changed their format to alternative rock, branded as "102.5 The Underground", and launched with "Kansas City" by The New Basement Tapes. With the change, 102.5/94.9 HD2 becomes the first Nash/Nash Icon station to drop the format.[1] On June 15, 2016, at 7:30 a.m., after playing "Up & Up" by Coldplay, 102.5/94.9 HD2 swapped formats with KCJK, adopting their adult hits format, and rebranded as "102.5 Jack FM." The first song after the move was "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones.[2]
KCMO-FM HD3
KCMO-FM's HD3 subchannel is a simulcast of talk-formatted KCMO (710 AM).
References
External links
- KCMO-FM official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for KCMO
- Radio-Locator information on KCMO
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for KCMO
- Query the FCC's FM station database for K273BZ
- Radio-Locator information on K273BZ
- Dick Wilson and Company website
- 102.5 Jack FM/94.9 HD2 website
Coordinates: 39°05′28″N 94°28′19″W / 39.091°N 94.472°W