WHB
Encyclopedia
WHB is a commercial sports
radio station
in Kansas City, Missouri
, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country. While its five directional towers are located along Interstate 435
in the Northland, its studios are located in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas
, also the headquarters of its owner, Union Broadcasting.
WHB is the Kansas City market affiliate for Kansas State Wildcats
, UMKC Kangaroos
athletics, and the Missouri Mavericks
of the Central Hockey League
.
purchased the station in 1930. The station jumped between 730 kHz and 850 kHz before 1946, when the Federal Communications Commission
authorized the station to broadcast at its desired position at 710 kHz.
The station published a quarterly magazine called Swing, keeping readers up to date with the Kansas City music scene, which had waned in the wake of the Pendergast Machine's downfall and World War II
.
While owned by Cook, WHB expanded briefly into FM radio and television, operating on the frequency 102.1 MHz (now KCKC-FM) and sharing Channel 9 with KMBC-TV
.
and his Mid-Continent Broadcasting Company purchased WHB from Cook on June 10, 1954. Upon the sale, WHB-TV was absorbed by KMBC-TV, which Cook purchased the month before.
Building on his successful attempts at increasing listenership at KOWH
in Omaha
(now KCRO) and WTIX-AM
in New Orleans, Storz discontinued WHB's network affiliation programming and introduced a Top 40 format. WHB became the first station in the country to have a full-time Top 40 format, and became an instant hit in Kansas City, becoming the most popular station by the end of the year. With 10,000 watts in the daytime, WHB became one of the most powerful Top-40 stations in the country, attracting programming directors and station owners from across the country to observe Storz's operations. One observer was Gordon McLendon
, who went back to Dallas and introduced his version of Top-40 radio at KLIF. Another person, Rick Sklar
, also heard WHB and adapted elements of its format to build Top-40 formats in New York City, most notably Musicradio 77 WABC
, which became the most listened to radio station in North America during the 1970s. There is another New York connection. Ruth Meyer worked at WHB in the late 1950s, and went on to become the program director of WMCA
, leading the station to the position of #1 pop music station in New York between 1963 and 1966.
Storz cultivated listenership numbers by one of his treasure hunts. One day in 1955, WHB broadcast clues telling listeners where they might find a prize worth $1000. After leading listeners throughout the metropolitan area, the final clue resulted in traffic tie-ups outside Loose Park as listeners tried to be the first to find the station's logo painted on the back of a turtle. Although listenership soared to as much as 50 percent, Kansas City, MO police chief Bernard Brannon suggested in the June 4, 1956 issue of Time Magazine that Storz's treasure hunts should be banned. Storz continued to operate daily, weekly, and monthly cash promotions to maintain listenership.
WHB also pioneered the talk radio format with their late-night program "NiteBeat". Using a multi-line system invented by WHB engineer Dale Moody, deejays and hosts could field calls from across the Midwest as guests from all walks of life visited the studio. WHB also kept their listeners informed with "News at 55" and a world time check at the top of every hour, which the station claimed to be accurate "to 1/20000 of a second."
jingles to keep listeners tuned to the station, as well as limiting the number of commercials per hour and a tight playlist limited to songs on the Top 40. Those jingles called WHB the "World's Happiest Broadcasters."
WHB's popularity increased as songs on the Top 40 began to include rock and roll
hits by Elvis Presley
, Bobby Darin
, and The Beatles
. Months after the Beatles landed in the United States, Todd Storz died of a stroke at age 39. Despite Storz's death, WHB remained on top, as prolific deejays including Johnny Dolan and Phil Jay commanded the WHB Air Force. As late as 1981, WHB's ratings remained in the double digits.
, in 1985. WHB discontinued Top-40 in favor of an oldies format, capitalizing on the playlists they maintained in the past. In 1989, KCMO-FM
became Oldies 95 and quickly won over former WHB listeners. Once commanding 50 percent of Kansas City's 1.1 million radio listeners, WHB only attained a 1.2 rating in Winter 1990.
. Kanza simulcasted their farm format already playing on FM stations in Carrollton and Tarkio, Missouri
. Competing with four other country stations in Kansas City alone (including longtime rival WDAF
, still at 610 kHz, and KBEQ, which switched to country in February), WHB struggled to gain a sufficient audience. A frequency swap with talk radio station KCMO-AM
on October 3, 1998 gave WHB a larger daytime coverage area. However, the station could not remain at 50,000 watts overnight, as KGO
in San Francisco and WGY in Schenectady, New York
had clear channel dominance.
, broadcasters Kevin Kietzman and Duke Frye, and Chad Boeger, owner of the sports station KCTE-AM
in Independence, Missouri
, purchased WHB from Kanza for an unprecedented USD$8 million. Because KCTE could only broadcast in the daytime, Union transferred the sports radio format, including news from ESPN Radio
and games from the Westwood One
radio network, to WHB in October 1999. In response, Entercom
moved WDAF to FM in 2002 to make way for a rival sports station, KCSP
. Jason Whitlock
, Bill Maas
, and Tim Grunhard
, who were a part of the first years of WHB programming, were hired by KCSP. Soren Petro joined WHB after KMBZ ended sports talk and moved it to KCSP. He started in January 2004.
WHB picked up broadcasting rights to Kansas City Royals
baseball games in 2003, allowing its Arbitron
ratings share to peak in the spring at 4.0. In 2007, WHB withdrew its bid to renew their rights and Entercom
began broadcasting games on KCSP in 2008. Even when the Royals were not playing or Kansas State, WHB still maintains a sizably larger audience than KCSP, yet consider FM rock stations KQRC-FM
, KYYS (now KZPT (FM)), KMXV
, and KCFX
their primary rivals for listeners in the 18-49 male market. "Between the Lines," hosted by Kevin Kietzman (former WDAF-TV
sportscaster and resident dbag), from 2-6 PM,with 6 o'clock being a bonus hour, ranks among the top-rated shows in the city. However, Petro ("The Program") consistently obtains high ratings in a less favorable time slot, now from 10 AM to 2 PM. A mid-morning show, Crunch Time (9-11 AM), was originally hosted by Maas, Grunhard and Frank Boal until the first two broadcasters defected, leaving Boal to carry on with a series of rotating co-hosts, including Dave Stewart (also of Metro Sports and formerly of KMBC
), George Brett, Kevin Harlan (CBS Sports), Lynn Dickey, and Joe Randa. Stewart took over the reins as primary host upon Boal's retirement in 2008, but the show was cancelled a few months later. Boal and Harlan continue to make regular weekly appearances on the remaining three scheduled shows. The morning drive show, "The Border Patrol," originally began with co-hosts Steven St. John and "Bulldog" Bob Fescoe. The premise emphasizes the border rivalry between the universities of Missouri and Kansas (St. John is a stalwart Missouri fan, while Fescoe is a KU alum). Fescoe left WHB in 2007 for St. Louis sports stations KFNS-AM
, and was replaced by Nate Bukaty (also a KU alum). Fescoe returned to the Kansas City market on rival KCSP in January 2009 to battle the Border Patrol with his own show, "Fescoe in the Morning." WHB is now one of the nation's largest all-sports radio stations, with their signal reaching into Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas, except after 8:00 PM when the station must power down.
WHB and Union's programming options have broadened, airing Kansas City Brigade
arena football games in 2006 and 2007. On January 4, 2007, sister station KCXM
became a full simulcast of ESPN Radio
, allowing WHB to focus more on local sports talk. Days later, the family of Jerry Green, the majority shareholder in Union Broadcasting, filed suit against Boeger and Union Broadcasting, for the switch to sports talk on KCXM. Green, whose health had been declining, eventually sold his interest in Union Broadcasting and died on August 15, 2007, at the age of 77.
On December 1, 2007, WHB assumed the full ESPN Radio lineup when KCXM was sold to Educational Media Foundation
, which operates the K-LOVE
brand of contemporary Christian
radio stations and changed KCXM to that format as KLRX
. Due to the change of ownership on FM and the signal restrictions on AM, Union chose not to renew the Royals radio contract. The new flagship station is KCSP
, which held the rights for some years in the 1990s as WDAF.
For the 2011-2012 season
, WHB will broadcast twelve games for the Missouri Mavericks
of the Central Hockey League
.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country. While its five directional towers are located along Interstate 435
Interstate 435
Interstate 435 is an Interstate Highway beltway that encircles much of the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area in the states of Kansas and Missouri, USA.- Route description :...
in the Northland, its studios are located in the suburb of Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, also the headquarters of its owner, Union Broadcasting.
WHB is the Kansas City market affiliate for Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
, UMKC Kangaroos
UMKC Kangaroos
The UMKC Kangaroos are the 16 intercollegiate teams representing the University of Missouri–Kansas City that compete in the U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I...
athletics, and the Missouri Mavericks
Missouri Mavericks
The Missouri Mavericks are an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. They play in Independence, Missouri, USA, located near Kansas City, Missouri, at the Independence Events Center.-History:...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
Early broadcasting years (1922-1954)
Established by Sam Adair and John T. Schilling, WHB debuted on April 10, 1922 at the frequency 833 kHz, and remains Kansas City's second oldest radio station. WHB formally gained its license on May 10. Originally owned by Sweeney Automotive School, Cook Paint and Varnish CompanyCook Paint and Varnish Company
Cook Paint and Varnish Company was a paint and varnish manufacturer in the Kansas City metropolitan area from 1913 until 1991.-History:The paint factory was established in 1913 at 21st and Broadway in Kansas City by Charles R. Cook...
purchased the station in 1930. The station jumped between 730 kHz and 850 kHz before 1946, when the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
authorized the station to broadcast at its desired position at 710 kHz.
The station published a quarterly magazine called Swing, keeping readers up to date with the Kansas City music scene, which had waned in the wake of the Pendergast Machine's downfall and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
While owned by Cook, WHB expanded briefly into FM radio and television, operating on the frequency 102.1 MHz (now KCKC-FM) and sharing Channel 9 with KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
.
Todd Storz and "SEVENTY-ONEderful" (1954-1985)
Omaha entrepreneur Todd StorzTodd Storz
Robert Todd Storz is credited with being the father of the Top 40 radio format, which Gordon McLendon then went on to perfect with great commercial success during the 1950s and 1960s.-Biography:...
and his Mid-Continent Broadcasting Company purchased WHB from Cook on June 10, 1954. Upon the sale, WHB-TV was absorbed by KMBC-TV, which Cook purchased the month before.
Building on his successful attempts at increasing listenership at KOWH
KCWL-TV
KFXL-TV is the Fox affiliate for Lincoln, Nebraska. Broadcasting on digital channel 51, it is owned by the Omaha World-Herald. It is sister station to KHGI-TV, the ABC affiliate for the western portion of the Lincoln/Hastings/Kearney market, and is operated out of KHGI's studio in Axtell...
in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
(now KCRO) and WTIX-AM
WIST (AM)
WIST is a combo news/sports talk station based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The locally owned & operated station is an affiliate of Fox Sports Radio and broadcasts at 690 kHz with a power level of 10,000 watts daytime and 5,000 watts nighttime.The facilities of the station, previously called...
in New Orleans, Storz discontinued WHB's network affiliation programming and introduced a Top 40 format. WHB became the first station in the country to have a full-time Top 40 format, and became an instant hit in Kansas City, becoming the most popular station by the end of the year. With 10,000 watts in the daytime, WHB became one of the most powerful Top-40 stations in the country, attracting programming directors and station owners from across the country to observe Storz's operations. One observer was Gordon McLendon
Gordon McLendon
Gordon Barton McLendon was a radio pioneer and pirate radio broadcaster. He has been coined the Maverick of Radio. McLendon is widely credited for perfecting, with great commercial success, the Top 40 radio format during the 1950s and 1960s which was first invented by Todd Storz and for developing...
, who went back to Dallas and introduced his version of Top-40 radio at KLIF. Another person, Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar
Rick Sklar was an American radio program director, who while at New York City's WABC was one of the originators of the Top 40 radio format....
, also heard WHB and adapted elements of its format to build Top-40 formats in New York City, most notably Musicradio 77 WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, which became the most listened to radio station in North America during the 1970s. There is another New York connection. Ruth Meyer worked at WHB in the late 1950s, and went on to become the program director of WMCA
WMCA
WMCA, 570 AM, is a radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s. It is currently owned by Salem Communications and plays a Christian radio format...
, leading the station to the position of #1 pop music station in New York between 1963 and 1966.
Storz cultivated listenership numbers by one of his treasure hunts. One day in 1955, WHB broadcast clues telling listeners where they might find a prize worth $1000. After leading listeners throughout the metropolitan area, the final clue resulted in traffic tie-ups outside Loose Park as listeners tried to be the first to find the station's logo painted on the back of a turtle. Although listenership soared to as much as 50 percent, Kansas City, MO police chief Bernard Brannon suggested in the June 4, 1956 issue of Time Magazine that Storz's treasure hunts should be banned. Storz continued to operate daily, weekly, and monthly cash promotions to maintain listenership.
WHB also pioneered the talk radio format with their late-night program "NiteBeat". Using a multi-line system invented by WHB engineer Dale Moody, deejays and hosts could field calls from across the Midwest as guests from all walks of life visited the studio. WHB also kept their listeners informed with "News at 55" and a world time check at the top of every hour, which the station claimed to be accurate "to 1/20000 of a second."
"Yours truly, WHB"
WHB used the melodic and catchy PAMSPAMS
PAMS , based in Dallas, Texas, was the most famous jingle production company in American broadcasting. It produced identification packages for radio stations around the world, as well as some commercial music.-History:The company was founded by William B. Meeks, Jr. PAMS (an acronym for Production,...
jingles to keep listeners tuned to the station, as well as limiting the number of commercials per hour and a tight playlist limited to songs on the Top 40. Those jingles called WHB the "World's Happiest Broadcasters."
WHB's popularity increased as songs on the Top 40 began to include rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
hits by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Months after the Beatles landed in the United States, Todd Storz died of a stroke at age 39. Despite Storz's death, WHB remained on top, as prolific deejays including Johnny Dolan and Phil Jay commanded the WHB Air Force. As late as 1981, WHB's ratings remained in the double digits.
Decline of AM
WHB, however, could not fend off the increasing competition from FM radio. Starting in 1973 with KBEQ-FM, WHB's listenership declined as more Kansas Citians listened to their favorite hits with less interference. While KBEQ and KUDL transitioned from their AM to FM frequencies, WHB never acquired an FM frequency, nor did any of their sister stations. Ironically, the previous owners of WHB and KXOK (St. Louis) were listed in 1950 as holding FM licenses: WHB-FM at 102.1 MHz and KXOK-FM at 94.7 MHz. By the mid-seventies, these frequencies would become homes to KYYS (Kansas City) and KSHE (St. Louis), each filling the air with 100,000 watts of album-based progressive rock music.Oldies (1985-1993)
Storz Broadcasting, then led by Todd's father Robert, sold WHB to Shamrock Broadcasting, a group led by Roy DisneyRoy O. Disney
Roy Oliver Disney was, with his younger brother, Walt Disney, the co-founder of what is now The Walt Disney Company.-Early life:...
, in 1985. WHB discontinued Top-40 in favor of an oldies format, capitalizing on the playlists they maintained in the past. In 1989, KCMO-FM
KCMO-FM
KCMO-FM, branded 94-9 KCMO, is a Classic Hits radio station that serves the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station, owned by Cumulus Broadcasting, was acquired from Susquehanna Radio in 2006. Its transmitter is located in Independence, Missouri.-History:...
became Oldies 95 and quickly won over former WHB listeners. Once commanding 50 percent of Kansas City's 1.1 million radio listeners, WHB only attained a 1.2 rating in Winter 1990.
"The Farm" (1993-1999)
Shamrock leased WHB in 1993 to Apollo Communications, who upon buying the station on September 24, sold the station to Kanza Communications of Carrollton, MissouriCarrollton, Missouri
Carrollton is a city in Carroll County, Missouri, United States. Carrollton won the 2005 All-America City Award given out annually by the National Civic League. The population was 4,122 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County. It has several restaurants including JB's...
. Kanza simulcasted their farm format already playing on FM stations in Carrollton and Tarkio, Missouri
Tarkio, Missouri
Tarkio is a city in Tarkio Township, Atchison County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,583 at the 2010 census . It was platted in 1880 and incorporated in 1881. The name "Tarkio" is from a Native American word meaning "place where walnuts grow"...
. Competing with four other country stations in Kansas City alone (including longtime rival WDAF
WDAF-FM
WDAF-FM is a country music radio station based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Its current assignment to Entercom's 100,000 Watt facility licensed to Liberty, Missouri, combines the history of both the frequency and the WDAF call letters.- The Early Days :WDAF was one of the first...
, still at 610 kHz, and KBEQ, which switched to country in February), WHB struggled to gain a sufficient audience. A frequency swap with talk radio station KCMO-AM
KCMO (AM)
KCMO is a Kansas City area conservative talk radio station. It airs mostly syndicated talk shows as those hosted by Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Dave Ramsey, Michael Savage, and Rusty Humphries. It was formerly affiliated with the CBS Radio Network, but then switched to Fox News Radio...
on October 3, 1998 gave WHB a larger daytime coverage area. However, the station could not remain at 50,000 watts overnight, as KGO
KGO (AM)
KGO is a news/talk-format radio station radio with offices and studios in San Francisco, California. Unlike most other American news/talk stations, KGO originates nearly all of its own programming locally. Since 1978, KGO radio has received Arbitron's number-one ranking in the Bay Area...
in San Francisco and WGY in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
had clear channel dominance.
Today: "Sportsradio"
Union Broadcasting, led by banker Jerry Green, former Royals' players Jeff Montgomery and Brian McRaeBrian McRae
Brian Wesley McRae is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays from to . McRae is the son of former major league All-Star, Hal McRae, and was also managed by the elder McRae for four...
, broadcasters Kevin Kietzman and Duke Frye, and Chad Boeger, owner of the sports station KCTE-AM
KCTE
KCTE is a daytime talk and sports radio station, broadcasting at 1510 kHz from two towers in Independence, Missouri. In 1994, KCTE became the Kansas City metropolitan area's first station devoted to sports, and despite the current "Hot Talk" branding, is still principally a sports station,...
in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, purchased WHB from Kanza for an unprecedented USD$8 million. Because KCTE could only broadcast in the daytime, Union transferred the sports radio format, including news from ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
and games from the Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
radio network, to WHB in October 1999. In response, Entercom
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
moved WDAF to FM in 2002 to make way for a rival sports station, KCSP
KCSP (AM)
KCSP is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel....
. Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock
Jason Lee Whitlock is a sportswriter for Foxsports.com, as well as a former columnist at the Kansas City Star, AOL Sports writer, contributor to ESPN, and radio personality for WHB and KCSP sports stations in the Kansas City area.-College and sports:Whitlock was an all-state offensive lineman at...
, Bill Maas
Bill Maas
William Thomas Maas , is a former American Football defensive tackle who played for the Kansas City Chiefs , and the Green Bay Packers . Maas was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1986 and 1987. In 1984 Maas was named The NFL Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press...
, and Tim Grunhard
Tim Grunhard
Timothy Gerard Grunhard is a former American football center in the National Football League. A second-round draft choice in the 1990 NFL Draft for the Kansas City Chiefs, Grunhard went on to play 169 games in all with Kansas City, the fourth most ever by a Chiefs offensive lineman, and was...
, who were a part of the first years of WHB programming, were hired by KCSP. Soren Petro joined WHB after KMBZ ended sports talk and moved it to KCSP. He started in January 2004.
WHB picked up broadcasting rights to Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
baseball games in 2003, allowing its Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings share to peak in the spring at 4.0. In 2007, WHB withdrew its bid to renew their rights and Entercom
Entercom Communications
Entercom Communications Corporation is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States. As of November 2009, Entercom operates 110 radio stations in 23 markets across the United States....
began broadcasting games on KCSP in 2008. Even when the Royals were not playing or Kansas State, WHB still maintains a sizably larger audience than KCSP, yet consider FM rock stations KQRC-FM
KQRC-FM
KQRC-FM is a radio station licensed to Leavenworth, Kansas, and serves the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station's morning show, hosted by shock jock Johnny Dare, is regularly ranked atop the local Arbitron ratings...
, KYYS (now KZPT (FM)), KMXV
KMXV
KMXV Mix 93.3 is a Top 40 station based in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The Wilks Broadcasting outlet operates at 93.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its current slogan is "Kansas City's #1 Hit Music Station"...
, and KCFX
KCFX
KCFX is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to the suburb of Harrisonville, Missouri, it serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. It first began broadcasting under the call sign KRYP...
their primary rivals for listeners in the 18-49 male market. "Between the Lines," hosted by Kevin Kietzman (former WDAF-TV
WDAF-TV
WDAF-TV, virtual channel 4.1, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas designated market area. The station is owned by Local TV LLC, the media arm of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. Its studios and transmitter are located in the Signal Hill...
sportscaster and resident dbag), from 2-6 PM,with 6 o'clock being a bonus hour, ranks among the top-rated shows in the city. However, Petro ("The Program") consistently obtains high ratings in a less favorable time slot, now from 10 AM to 2 PM. A mid-morning show, Crunch Time (9-11 AM), was originally hosted by Maas, Grunhard and Frank Boal until the first two broadcasters defected, leaving Boal to carry on with a series of rotating co-hosts, including Dave Stewart (also of Metro Sports and formerly of KMBC
KMBC-TV
KMBC-TV virtual channel 9 is a television station affiliated with the ABC television network, located in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBC-TV is owned by Hearst Television and its studios are located on Winchester Ave. near Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri. The station's high guyed mast broadcast...
), George Brett, Kevin Harlan (CBS Sports), Lynn Dickey, and Joe Randa. Stewart took over the reins as primary host upon Boal's retirement in 2008, but the show was cancelled a few months later. Boal and Harlan continue to make regular weekly appearances on the remaining three scheduled shows. The morning drive show, "The Border Patrol," originally began with co-hosts Steven St. John and "Bulldog" Bob Fescoe. The premise emphasizes the border rivalry between the universities of Missouri and Kansas (St. John is a stalwart Missouri fan, while Fescoe is a KU alum). Fescoe left WHB in 2007 for St. Louis sports stations KFNS-AM
KFNS-AM
KFNS is an AM radio station in Wood River, Illinois, located at 590 kHz. KFNS's programming is targeted to the St. Louis metropolitan area with studios in Webster Groves, Missouri....
, and was replaced by Nate Bukaty (also a KU alum). Fescoe returned to the Kansas City market on rival KCSP in January 2009 to battle the Border Patrol with his own show, "Fescoe in the Morning." WHB is now one of the nation's largest all-sports radio stations, with their signal reaching into Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Kansas, except after 8:00 PM when the station must power down.
WHB and Union's programming options have broadened, airing Kansas City Brigade
Kansas City Brigade
The Kansas City Command is a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. The team was founded before the 2006 season. Former Kansas City Chiefs Strong safety Kevin Porter served as head coach...
arena football games in 2006 and 2007. On January 4, 2007, sister station KCXM
KLRX
KLRX is a radio station in the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas area that plays contemporary Christian music It launched in December 2007, replacing an all-sports station....
became a full simulcast of ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, allowing WHB to focus more on local sports talk. Days later, the family of Jerry Green, the majority shareholder in Union Broadcasting, filed suit against Boeger and Union Broadcasting, for the switch to sports talk on KCXM. Green, whose health had been declining, eventually sold his interest in Union Broadcasting and died on August 15, 2007, at the age of 77.
On December 1, 2007, WHB assumed the full ESPN Radio lineup when KCXM was sold to Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that operates the K-LOVE and Air 1 radio networks. EMF is based in Rocklin, California....
, which operates the K-LOVE
K-LOVE
K-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
brand of contemporary Christian
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
radio stations and changed KCXM to that format as KLRX
KLRX
KLRX is a radio station in the Kansas City, Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas area that plays contemporary Christian music It launched in December 2007, replacing an all-sports station....
. Due to the change of ownership on FM and the signal restrictions on AM, Union chose not to renew the Royals radio contract. The new flagship station is KCSP
KCSP (AM)
KCSP is a sports/talk radio station located in Kansas City, Missouri. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel....
, which held the rights for some years in the 1990s as WDAF.
For the 2011-2012 season
2011–12 CHL season
The 2011–12 CHL season is the 20th season of the Central Hockey League .-Team changes:The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, Colorado Eagles , Mississippi RiverKings , Bloomington PrairieThunder, and the Odessa Jackalopes will not be competing this season.A new team, the Bloomington Blaze will join the...
, WHB will broadcast twelve games for the Missouri Mavericks
Missouri Mavericks
The Missouri Mavericks are an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. They play in Independence, Missouri, USA, located near Kansas City, Missouri, at the Independence Events Center.-History:...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
1922-1954
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1954-1993
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Current Sports Radio 810
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