KXBZ

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.

KXBZ
CityManhattan, Kansas
Broadcast areaSalina-Manhattan area
Frequency104.7 MHz
BrandingB 104.7 THE Country Station
Programming
FormatNew Country
AffiliationsPremiere Radio Networks, Westwood One
Ownership
OwnerManhattan Broadcasting Co., Inc.
KACZ, KBLS, KMAN, KMKF
History
First air date
1990
Former call signs
KTDF (1990-1994)
Technical information
Facility ID37775
ClassC2
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT148.8 meters
Transmitter coordinates
39°15′55″N 96°27′56″W
Links
Websitewww.b1047.com

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 "B104.7" 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". B104.7 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 Buzz with Bill and Jen (6a-10a), Middays with Chris Swick (10 am – 2 pm), Afternoons with Mike (2–7 pm), and Nights with Dave G. (7–12 pm).

On Sundays, B104.7 airs the "American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks", along with a locally produced show "Red Dirt Road with Chris and Kristen" (10p-Mid). In addition, B104.7 also airs high school football on Friday nights during the fall.

Manhattan Broadcasting owns 5 stations: KXBZ (B104.7 – mainstream country), KMAN (1350 AM – news, talk, sports), KACZ (Z96.3 - Top 40), KMKF (101.5 K-Rock – active rock), and KBLS (Sunny 102.5 - Adult Contemporary). Sunny was purchased from Eagle Communications in February 2017, giving Manhattan Broadcasting an even wider reach and more dominance in the Salina/Manhattan 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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