KNSS-FM

KNSS-FM (98.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a talk format in Wichita, Kansas. The station is licensed to Clearwater, Kansas and is currently owned by Entercom. The station's studios are located in the Old Ruffin Building (formerly the Pizza Hut headquarters) near Douglass and Webb in Wichita, while the transmitter is located outside Conway Springs, Kansas.

History

The KFH-FM call letters were reprised from those of the Wichita station that began broadcasting on September 19, 1948, at 100.3 mHz as a simulcast partner of sister station KFH (AM) (1330 kHz). Around 1967, KFH-FM moved to 97.9 MHz and became known as "Channel 97."^[1] Channel 97 broadcast with the "progressive rock" music format. It was also affiliated with ABC's American FM Radio Network. In late 1971, KFH-FM dropped the progressive rock format and switched to a "beautiful music" format and the call letters KBRA. (That station is now KRBB, and owned by iHeartMedia, Inc..) The KFH-FM calls were retired on October 12, 2016.

98.7 FM was issued a construction permit on March 27, 1992, issued as KSQB. The station signed on in 1995 with a Country format as KSPG, "The Kansas Pig", and then a 3-month long Hot AC format as KAYY. On June 2, 2000, 98.7 became the new home of Smooth Jazz KWSJ. The format was moved from its temporary frequency at 92.7 and was originally on 105.3 (Now Hot AC KFBZ-FM). KWSJ's Smooth Jazz format was dropped on March 24, 2002, and flipped to a simulcast with AM sister station KFH.^[2]

On May 9, 2011, KFH AM and -FM changed their format to sports talk.

During the summer of 2016, KFH-AM began simulcasting on translator K248CY 97.5 FM in Wichita, enabling the station to be heard on 3 separate frequencies (97.5/98.7 FM & 1240 AM). However, it offered a more stable signal in the eastern part of the Wichita Metropolitan Area. Entercom announced in October of that year that KNSS would be taking over the 98.7 frequency, giving Wichita its first full-power FM news/talk station since May 2011, when KFH dropped News/Talk in favor of a Sports format. The switch has not come without controversy, though, as listeners in the Anthony, Harper, Hutchinson and Winfield/Arkansas City areas are not able to receive the 97.5 frequency well, if at all.

Programming

Its weekday talk line-up consists of the local Steve & Ted in The Morning from 6-9AM followed by the syndicated Glenn Beck Program. KNSS is Wichita's station for the syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show from 11AM-2PM weekdays followed by Sean Hannity from 2-5PM, Mark Levin from 5-8PM & John Batchelor from 8PM-Midnight. KNSS is also Wichita's home for Coast to Coast AM from Midnight-5 AM.

References

External links

• KNSS official website
• Query the FCC's AM station database for KNSS
• Radio-Locator Information on KNSS
• Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for KNSS