KXBZ

KXBZ
City Manhattan, Kansas
Broadcast area Salina-Manhattan area
Branding Hot Country B 104.7
Frequency 104.7 MHz
First air date 1990
Format New Country
ERP 50,000 watts
HAAT 148.8 meters
Class C2
Facility ID 37775
Transmitter coordinates 39°15′55″N 96°27′56″W / 39.26528°N 96.46556°W / 39.26528; -96.46556
Former callsigns KTDF (1990-1994)
Affiliations Premiere Radio Networks, Westwood One
Owner Manhattan Broadcasting Co., Inc.
Sister stations KACZ, KMAN, KMKF
Website b1047.com

KXBZ (104.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a New Country format. Licensed to Manhattan, Kansas, United States, the station serves the Manhattan-Topeka-Salina area. The station is currently owned by Manhattan Broadcasting Co., Inc.

History

The station went on the air as KTDF on May 3, 1990. On September 30, 1994, the station changed its call sign to the current KXBZ.[1] At the time, it was the third station to be part of Manhattan Broadcasting Company.

The station's original logo featured a grinning, guitar-strumming yellow jacket, and featured the station's original positioning statement "Today's Hot New Country". In 1999, a new logo was created, featuring "B1047" and the new positioning statement was shortened to "Hot Country". In 2016, the station rolled out a new website and began calling itself "Today's Hit Country". B1047 has consistently ruled the country airwaves in the Manhattan/Junction City/Wamego area, and along with sister stations KMAN, KMKF, KACZ, and KBLS makes up the Top 5 of the rankings for its demographic.

Currently, the weekday programming schedule features:

The Morning Show with Chris & Kristen (6a-10a), Middays with Bill Williams (10 am – 2 pm), Afternoons with Mike (2–7 pm), and Nights with Heidi (7–12 pm).

On Saturdays, B1047 airs the "Powered by Fitz Countdown", along with a locally produced show "Red Dirt Road". In addition, B1047 also airs high school football on Friday nights during the fall. B1047 is also the hometown station for the annual Country Stampede Music festival, held every June at nearby Tuttle Creek State Park.

Manhattan Broadcasting owns 5 stations: KXBZ (B1047 – hot country), KMAN (1350 AM – news, talk, sports), KACZ (Z96.3 - Top 40), KMKF (101.5 K-Rock – active rock), and KBLS (Sunny 102.5). Sunny was purchased from Eagle Communications in February, 2017, giving Manhattan Broadcasting an even wider reach and more dominance in the Topeka/Salina market. MBC also has an expanding digital production department, and dominates the Arbitron rankings in Riley, Geary, and Pottawatomie counties.

Richard Wartell, the longtime General Manager at Manhattan Broadcasting, retired effective November 12, 2015. Operations Director Corey Reeves was promoted to succeed Wartell as GM. The Sales Manager at MBC is Andrea Besthorn. John Kurtz, a two-time winner of the Oscar Stauffer Award for Sports Broadcasting, is the Sports Director. Chris Swick serves as the station's Program Director.

References

  1. ↑ "KXBZ Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.


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