Suvarna Garge (Editor)

KXBZ

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
City
  
Manhattan, Kansas

Branding
  
Hot Country B 104.7

First air date
  
1990

Broadcast area
  
Salina-Manhattan area

Frequency
  
104.7 MHz

Format
  
New Country

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. 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". B1047 has consistently ruled the country airwaves in the Manhattan/Junction City/Wamego area, and along with sister stations KMAN, KMKF, and KACZ ranks in the Top 4 of the rankings for its demographic.

Currently, the weekday programming schedule features:

The Morning Show with Tyler & Kelsey (6a-10a), Middays with Chris (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 4 stations: KXBZ (B1047 – hot country), KMAN (1350 AM – news, talk, sports), KACZ (Z96.3 - Top 40), and KMKF (101.5 K-Rock – active rock). 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

KXBZ Wikipedia