Kansas Well, that didn't take long

[Mark Roberts]

I recall the switch. Was in Lawrence then, and preferred the new format, as there wasn't oldies anywhere else (on FM).
I know Topeka earlier had a satellite oldies station on FM, as did KC earlier. I think it was 98.9 or 99.7.

You're thinking of 98.9, which went through a whole bunch of formats in the 1980s and early 1990s. 99.7 was KMBR, then KLTH; beautiful music, then "lite" rock. I'd have to look it up to make sure, but I think the switch to "lite" music happened around 1990.

 

[Dondd]

You're thinking of 98.9, which went through a whole bunch of formats in the 1980s and early 1990s. 99.7 was KMBR, then KLTH; beautiful music, then "lite" rock. I'd have to look it up to make sure, but I think the switch to "lite" music happened around 1990.

That was it.
Living in Manhattan, KS, in the early 90s, I remember 99.7's true soft rock, slow songs, being carried on the cable TV system.
I don't recall other KC FMs on that system.
Those were the days where cable carried out of area FMs that couldn't be received OTA.

 

[radiofan2023]

You're thinking of 98.9, which went through a whole bunch of formats in the 1980s and early 1990s. 99.7 was KMBR, then KLTH; beautiful music, then "lite" rock. I'd have to look it up to make sure, but I think the switch to "lite" music happened around 1990.

KLTH went “lite” before that. My late brother and I were listening to it from 1987-90 and it was lite all that time. Thanks for explaining that it was beautiful music before that. He had a tape labeled KLTH that was beautiful music and until just now, I had thought maybe it was a different station.

 

[Mark Roberts]

KLTH went “lite” before that. My late brother and I were listening to it from 1987-90 and it was lite all that time. Thanks for explaining that it was beautiful music before that. He had a tape labeled KLTH that was beautiful music and until just now, I had thought maybe it was a different station.

I know it was "lite" when I moved to Kansas City in 1990. I honestly didn't remember that it was earlier.

KMBR was the quintessential Bonneville beautiful-music outlet. The other big beautiful-music contender was KCEZ, originally and now once again KCMO-FM. Oldies have done the trick for KCMO-FM for ages.

 

[Mark Roberts]

That was it.
Living in Manhattan, KS, in the early 90s, I remember 99.7's true soft rock, slow songs, being carried on the cable TV system.
I don't recall other KC FMs on that system.
Those were the days where cable carried out of area FMs that couldn't be received OTA.

Another Kansas City FM station popular for cable carriage regionally was classical KXTR.

 

[Kent]

Those KC FMs made it that far into Oklahoma, a little NE of Tulsa? That's something. Must be over 200 miles.

As the crow flies, it might not be quite that far, but it definitely is driving. I could make the drive from my old work in Lenexa to my parents' house in midtown Tulsa in just over three hours 25 years ago. I think the drive was around 225 miles. I'm sure my grandparents' house being on a hill was the difference. Once we got to the base of the hill to head back toward the turnpike, the KC stations didn't hang on very long.

On a recent drive on the KS Turnpike, I recall receiving KMBZ-FM (98.1) wayyy west of Emporia, the station broke-up only by the Flint Hills, otherwise, it might've gone farther.
This was 100+ miles.
Radio-info shows the extended signal line not making it much past Ottawa.
This happened on 2 drives, one I recall very rainy.
On a recent drive, I couldn't receive the station at all at Emporia and only closer to Ottawa. I believe it was a sunny day.

As I'm sure you know, mileage will always vary on analog FM. Getting some of the KC FM's on the car radio around Joplin was pretty common even when I lived in KC (I moved out in '01). When I went to college in Fayetteville, I could get a couple of KC FM's on my home stereo pretty regularly. After the 107.3 in the Ft. Smith area got sold and started signing off at 10:00 PM, KISF 107.3 was almost always right underneath it. I was able to get KLTH 99.7 until around '95 when KBTN-FM signed on.

KLTH went “lite” before that. My late brother and I were listening to it from 1987-90 and it was lite all that time. Thanks for explaining that it was beautiful music before that. He had a tape labeled KLTH that was beautiful music and until just now, I had thought maybe it was a different station.

I remember KMBR 99.7 going from B/EZ to soft AC around 1989-90, which was when most B/EZ stations started bailing on the format. It kept the KMBR calls until shortly after the KLTH in the St. Louis area let them go.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I remember KMBR 99.7 going from B/EZ to soft AC around 1989-90, which was when most B/EZ stations started bailing on the format. It kept the KMBR calls until shortly after the KLTH in the St. Louis area let them go.

Vocals were introduced in 1989; by mid-1990, the transition was complete enough for the late Barry Garron to write about it in his Star column. The KLTH call letters and self-description as "lite rock" came along in 1991.

 

[Dondd]

As I'm sure you know, mileage will always vary on analog FM. Getting some of the KC FM's on the car radio around Joplin was pretty common even when I lived in KC (I moved out in '01). When I went to college in Fayetteville, I could get a couple of KC FM's on my home stereo pretty regularly. After the 107.3 in the Ft. Smith area got sold and started signing off at 10:00 PM, KISF 107.3 was almost always right underneath it. I was able to get KLTH 99.7 until around '95 when KBTN-FM signed on.

I kept KMBZ 98.1 almost all way to Hermann, MO, between Jeff City and Hermann. The hills killed it and made it unlistenable.
158 miles.
Joplin is 132 miles, so that makes sense.

On a recent drive, I couldn't keep KMBZ-FM too much past Nevada, 82 miles.

 

[Mark Roberts]

I kept KMBZ 98.1 almost all way to Hermann, MO, between Jeff City and Hermann. The hills killed it and made it unlistenable.
158 miles.
Joplin is 132 miles, so that makes sense.

Was that after KFMZ's license was revoked? The 98.3 signal in Columbia (tower near Ashland) splattered all over the place, pretty much blocking 98.1 from either Kansas City or St. Louis. The present KDVC is weaker than KFMZ and is on a tower on the east side of Columbia.

 

[Kent]

I kept KMBZ 98.1 almost all way to Hermann, MO, between Jeff City and Hermann. The hills killed it and made it unlistenable.
158 miles.
Joplin is 132 miles, so that makes sense.

On a recent drive, I couldn't keep KMBZ-FM too much past Nevada, 82 miles.

When I had the 1990 Geo Prizm, I usually lost KC stations by the time I left Bates County on the old US 71. A couple Joplin and Pittsburg stations were available by that point as were All Hit 103.9 and KLRQ "Q96." When KBZI 100.7 signed on, I was able to get that one by the time I lost the KC stations and could usually hold it almost to Oklahoma. The mid-to-late 90's model car radios seemed to do a lot better. I could usually switch straight from KC to Joplin/Pittsburg stations once I got a 1997 Escort.

Don't know if you took 19 or 94 to Hermann on your drive, but both have plenty of hills and curves. I've always been surprised that AT&T has so few service drop-outs on both routes. Never have been able to get 98.1 much past the Marshall/Sedalia exit on 70, but I've gotten KQRC 98.9 past Fulton a few times. Now that KFRU has a translator on 98.9, The Rock doesn't do very well in Mid-MO.

 

[KS-IL-IA]

I kept KMBZ 98.1 almost all way to Hermann, MO, between Jeff City and Hermann. The hills killed it and made it unlistenable.
158 miles.
Joplin is 132 miles, so that makes sense.

On a recent drive, I couldn't keep KMBZ-FM too much past Nevada, 82 miles.

View attachment 8012

And yet KMBZ has trouble coming in on the west side of Topeka. My two family vehicles, plus four or five that I use at work. None of them have a clear signal >50 miles away. I can get Froggy 98.1 from Lincoln clear as day. Picked up Z98 from Garden City in the Topeka city limits, as well as what I think is Y98 from St. Louis. And a few weeks ago I heard Men at Work at 98.1 from what I assume was a classic hits station somewhere in the Midwest. But KMBZ? Fuzzy at best past US 75.