Cumulus KC shuffle coming

[Mark Roberts]

KCHZ was also KHUM "96 Hum FM" around 1990. As recently as 15 years ago and over a decade after it left the air, you could still see a sign on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence for 96 Hum FM. I also remember KZTO "Your Total FM." Musically, it wasn't bad, but it sounded like it was saying, "Your Toto FM." It also made the mistake of trying to become a Topeka station. I get that it looked like a good decision on paper, but Topeka has always been a really tough place to make money. I think you've mentioned it before, but that Lecompton tower was a huge mistake for 105.9 by a company that rarely made mistakes.

Yep. They never should have given up the site near 23rd & Iowa. That was a great site for coverage. The move took KLZR out of contention for Kansas City except for overly intense people like me who would actually put up an outdoor FM antenna specifically to receive it. Bonus, though: KJHK.

I remember that office on Mass - KHUM lasted maybe a year or two. The 95.7 frequency was blank from roughly 1991 to 1992 then again from 1994 past 1996. It was still off the air when I left KC toward the end of 1996.

Aside: Unlike a lot of Mizzou grads, I don't have a weird disdain of Lawrence. It's a delightful college town. KU is a good university, too. I just wish KU people would be a bit less obnoxious about their sportball things.

 

[radiofan2023]

KCHZ was also KHUM "96 Hum FM" around 1990. As recently as 15 years ago and over a decade after it left the air, you could still see a sign on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence for 96 Hum FM.
I think you've mentioned it before, but that Lecompton tower was a huge mistake for 105.9 by a company that rarely made mistakes.

Where was the sign located?

 

[radiofan2023]

Yep. They never should have given up the site near 23rd & Iowa. That was a great site for coverage. The move took KLZR out of contention for Kansas City except for overly intense people like me who would actually put up an outdoor FM antenna specifically to receive it. Bonus, though: KJHK.

From what the former PD of KLZR told me a few years ago, ownership wanted to target Topeka rather than KC because of less competition in Top City, based on KC having KQRC (and possibly 105.1 which was for awhile Modern Rock The X).

Were you on the Kansas or Missouri side? I could get KLZR at my house on the Kansas side with an indoor FM antenna, and I know some people listened to it at work in Overland Park, because they'd call in requests during the Lazer Flashback show on Saturday mornings. The signal was decent but without the antenna I probably wouldn't have been able to pull it in.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Where was the sign located?

What I remember is a sign on a door to an obscure set of offices. It was on the west side of the street IIRC. This is a 30-year-old memory so proceed with caution.

 

[radiofan2023]

What I remember is a sign on a door to an obscure set of offices. It was on the west side of the street IIRC. This is a 30-year-old memory so proceed with caution.

Cool, was it near Love Garden? I don't remember seeing offices on Mass St ever but I'll try to look for them next time I'm over there.

 

[Mark Roberts]

From what the former PD of KLZR told me a few years ago, ownership wanted to target Topeka rather than KC because of less competition in Top City, based on KC having KQRC (and possibly 105.1 which was for awhile Modern Rock The X).

The Lecompton move happened in the late 1980s - I'm guessing 1987 from the list of FCC applications. That move made it possible for 106.5 to move across the Missouri River from Clay County into the Blue Summit area of Jackson County. KQRC didn't come along until 1992. Before that it was KRVK "The River", which was an AC station. The 105.1 drop-in didn't happen until after I left Kansas City,, which means it couldn't have happened before 1997 at the earliest. Before that, 105.1 was KKJO from St. Joseph, which didn't try for Kansas City listeners at all.

Were you on the Kansas or Missouri side? I could get KLZR at my house on the Kansas side with an indoor FM antenna, and I know some people listened to it at work in Overland Park, because they'd call in requests during the Lazer Flashback show on Saturday mornings.

Missouri - just south of UMKC.

 

[radiorobert]

On that link posted above…is the Vibe fully moving to 107.3? If so what becomes of 95.7?

 

[Kent]

Where was the sign located?

I can't remember exactly where. Mark is correct that it was on the west side of the street. I want to say it was either the 700 or 900 block, but I can't be sure. KHUM briefly had studios or offices in the upstairs of one of those buildings downtown. I might've taken a picture of it at one point, but that was either from the era before camera phones or was on one of my old flip phones. So, who knows if I'll ever find it.

From what the former PD of KLZR told me a few years ago, ownership wanted to target Topeka rather than KC because of less competition in Top City, based on KC having KQRC (and possibly 105.1 which was for awhile Modern Rock The X).

At the time, I believe KLZR 105.9 was a top-40 station. With the signal it had, it was obviously going to struggle against Q104 and Power 95 in Kansas City. On paper, going after Topeka probably made sense, but that meant it had to compete with WIBW-FM 97.3, which was already struggling with its CHR/Top-40 format despite high ratings. WIBW-FM, of course, abandoned CHR and became "97 Country" in 1990. If there were ever a market that needed a mass consolidation of stations, it was Topeka. That was just an impossible place to make money with the pie sliced so many ways. Even with four owners like it has today, it's a tough go.

Were you on the Kansas or Missouri side? I could get KLZR at my house on the Kansas side with an indoor FM antenna, and I know some people listened to it at work in Overland Park, because they'd call in requests during the Lazer Flashback show on Saturday mornings. The signal was decent but without the antenna I probably wouldn't have been able to pull it in.

When I lived in Johnson County, I could hear KLZR fine on all of my radios. It does fine on the Kansas side, or at least most of it. Problem is, that's not even half the total population of the metro.

 

[radiofan2023]

At the time, I believe KLZR 105.9 was a top-40 station. With the signal it had, it was obviously going to struggle against Q104 and Power 95 in Kansas City. On paper, going after Topeka probably made sense, but that meant it had to compete with WIBW-FM 97.3, which was already struggling with its CHR/Top-40 format despite high ratings. WIBW-FM, of course, abandoned CHR and became "97 Country" in 1990. If there were ever a market that needed a mass consolidation of stations, it was Topeka. That was just an impossible place to make money with the pie sliced so many ways. Even with four owners like it has today, it's a tough go.

My mistake - I thought he was talking about when it went Alternative

 

[tall_guy1]

This might mean a new format might appear on 95.7...should be interesting...

 

[Kent]

I believe that one of the reasons that KCHZ doesn't have the same coverage area as the other KC FM radio stations is because they are having to protect the signal of KWWR in Mexico, MO, which is also on 95.7FM.

BTW - I believe 10.6/10.8 separation also plays into why KCHZ can't get onto one of the candelabras near the sports complex. If you add 10.8 to 95.7, you get 106.5, which is WDAF and already near the sports complex. The two have to be approximately 22 miles apart.

 

[Mark Roberts]

BTW - I believe 10.6/10.8 separation also plays into why KCHZ can't get onto one of the candelabras near the sports complex. If you add 10.8 to 95.7, you get 106.5, which is WDAF and already near the sports complex. The two have to be approximately 22 miles apart.

Similarly, 107.3 is limited by 96.5, which is near East 63rd Street Trafficway at I-435.

 

[tall_guy1]

To your last part, I totally see your point but it seems like if it isn’t that appealing where the signal is stronger as compared to say 93.3, then areas to the east may not be likely to be much different.

Speaking bluntly I think it’s just the Vibes programming isn’t as appealing or the way it’s presented. But obviously I could be wrong and maybe people east of KC would find it more interesting.

I also don’t know if the car radio, work radio/clock radio thing is much of a phenomenon anymore as if someone can hear it in the car but not at work, they will simply stream it.

I also wonder what happened to the Point? (KZPT.) It was always either right behind or ahead of Mix, but has fallen off hard. (Yes I know, from "beauty pagent numbers.")

 

[radiorobert]

I also wonder what happened to the Point? (KZPT.) It was always either right behind or ahead of Mix, but has fallen off hard. (Yes I know, from "beauty pagent numbers.")

Maybe something with the sound not staying fresh? Hot ACs have the ability to have a crossover appeal to CHR while being able to throw in a bit more variety and depth from the past. If a Hot AC keeps its sound fresh and mixes things up properly they usually do really well.

I wonder if the point has fallen behind keeping its sound fresh enough. Also it could be the problem with pop right now. Pop is trying to find its identity between pop rock, adult pop and down tempo stuff.

 

[tall_guy1]

Maybe something with the sound not staying fresh? Hot ACs have the ability to have a crossover appeal to CHR while being able to throw in a bit more variety and depth from the past. If a Hot AC keeps its sound fresh and mixes things up properly they usually do really well.

I wonder if the point has fallen behind keeping its sound fresh enough. Also it could be the problem with pop right now. Pop is trying to find its identity between pop rock, adult pop and down tempo stuff.

The Point seems to have an identity crisis whether or not it wants to keep its straight Hot AC sound or compete directly with KMXV, at times sounding like it wants to do both. It doesn't sound as fresh as Mix, and other Hot ACs lean into their AC sound (KKJO, KQKQ) more, leaving the point straddling in the middle.

 

[Kent]

The Point seems to have an identity crisis whether or not it wants to keep its straight Hot AC sound or compete directly with KMXV, at times sounding like it wants to do both. It doesn't sound as fresh as Mix, and other Hot ACs lean into their AC sound more, leaving the point straddling in the middle.

Mix 93.3 has usually been an adult leaning CHR. Plus, current music just isn’t considered that good. A lot of the problems CHR/Top-40 stations have right now is a music problem. Pop music has always been cyclical.

 

[tall_guy1]

Mix 93.3 has usually been an adult leaning CHR. Plus, current music just isn’t considered that good. A lot of the problems CHR/Top-40 stations have right now is a music problem. Pop music has always been cyclical.

That might be KZPT's problem that people already listen to something similar, and cannot carve out a niche of their own.

 

[CalebC]

If they do simulcast 95.7, what’s the reasoning?

As others have stated, together they’d cover the entire market. Most modern cars will be able to pick up both signals in any part of the metro. 107.3 has pretty iffy at-home reception in western parts of Lenexa and Olathe. Same with 95.7 in Independence. This would help.

 

[speer360]

As others have stated, together they’d cover the entire market. Most modern cars will be able to pick up both signals in any part of the metro. 107.3 has pretty iffy at-home reception in western parts of Lenexa and Olathe. Same with 95.7 in Independence. This would help.

107.3 KMJK L+R Map

https://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=dda8567ef54e4085ae84c1b6063ebeb7&map=Y

95.7 KCHZ L+R Map

https://www.rabbitears.info/contour.php?appid=948c902815e74d10b41dc1b6063ebeb7&map=Y

together they do cover the entire market.

 

[tall_guy1]

As others have stated, together they’d cover the entire market. Most modern cars will be able to pick up both signals in any part of the metro. 107.3 has pretty iffy at-home reception in western parts of Lenexa and Olathe. Same with 95.7 in Independence. This would help.

But 95.7 might go to something else.