KNSS-FM (98.7 MHz, "News Talk 98.7 and 1330") is a commercial radio station licensed to Clearwater, Kansas, and serving the Wichita metropolitan area. It carries a news/talk radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The station simulcasts with co-owned KNSS. Its studios and offices are on East Douglas Avenue in Wichita.[2]

KNSS-FM
Simulcast of KNSS, Wichita
Broadcast areaWichita metropolitan area
Frequency98.7 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingNews Talk 98.7 and 1330 KNSS
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatNews/talk
Subchannels
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
July 4, 1995 (1995-07-04)
Former call signs
  • KSQB (1992–1993)
  • KSPG (1993–2000)
  • KAYY (2000)
  • KWSJ-FM (2000–2002)
  • KFH-FM (2002–2016)
Call sign meaning
"Kansas" and "news station"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID23292
ClassC2
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT150 meters (490 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
37°24′11″N 97°35′23″W / 37.40306°N 97.58972°W / 37.40306; -97.58972
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live (via Audacy)
Websitewww.audacy.com/knss

KNSS-FM has an effective radiated power of 50,000 watts, and its transmitter is on West 100th Avenue North at North Chicaskia Road in Conway Springs, Kansas. KNSS-FM broadcasts in the HD Radio hybrid format. Its HD2 subchannel simulcasts the sports radio format heard on co-owned KFH, and its HD3 subchannel airs the national BetQL Network format along with some CBS Sports Radio programming.

Programming

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Weekdays on KNSS-AM-FM begin with Steve & Ted, a news and interview show featuring Steve McIntosh and Ted Woodward. The rest of the schedule is made up of nationally syndicated conservative talk shows: The Glenn Beck Program, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Sean Hannity Show, The Mark Levin Show, Savage Nation with Michael Savage, The Ben Shapiro Show and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.

Weekends feature shows on money, health, retirement, food and wine, some of which are paid brokered programming. Weekend syndicated shows include: Handel on The Law with Bill Handel, The Truth About Money with Ric Edelman and Sunday Night Live with Bill Cunningham as well as repeats of weekday shows. Most hours begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio. During NFL football season, KNSS-AM-FM carry Kansas City Chiefs broadcasts.

History

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98.7 FM was issued a construction permit on March 27, 1992, issued as KSQB. The station signed on July 4, 1995, with a country format as KSPG, "The Kansas Pig". The station was initially owned by former KBUZ owner Gary Violet, with Wichita-based Great Empire Broadcasting (owners of country formatted KFDI (AM) and FM) providing sales and marketing for the station.[3][4] On May 19, 1997, KSPG flipped to Hot AC as KAYY, "K98.7".[5] Entercom (now Audacy) bought the station in February 2000.[6][7] On May 31, 2000, KAYY became the new home of smooth jazz-formatted KWSJ. The format was moved from its temporary frequency at 92.7 FM (now KGHF) and was originally on 105.3 FM (now KFBZ). KWSJ's smooth jazz format was dropped on March 25, 2002, and flipped to a simulcast with AM sister station KFH; concurrently, the station changed call letters to KFH-FM, which were formerly used on 97.9 FM (now KRBB).[8][9]

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

During the summer of 2016, KFH began simulcasting on translator K248CY (97.5 FM) in Wichita, enabling the station to be heard on three separate frequencies (97.5/98.7 FM and 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 KFH's 2011 switch to sports.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KNSS-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ KNSS.com/contact-us
  3. ^ Bob Curtright, "New radio station", The Wichita Eagle, April 22, 1995.
  4. ^ Diane Samms Rush, "Country station Pig up and running", The Wichita Eagle, July 11, 1995.
  5. ^ Bob Curtright, "Women's radio format", The Wichita Eagle, April 30, 1997.
  6. ^ Chris Shull, "Jazz station will stay on the air", The Wichita Eagle, March 11, 2000.
  7. ^ Denise Neil, "Shock jock out; rest of DJs, too", The Wichita Eagle, May 24, 2000.
  8. ^ Chris Shull, "Smooth jazz station to be all talk", The Wichita Eagle, March 23, 2002.
  9. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2002/RR-2002-03-22.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  10. ^ Entercom Moves Wichita Talkers to New FM Homes
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