 | |
| Broadcast area | Wichita metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 97.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| RDS | KRBB |
| Branding | B98 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KTHR,KZCH,KZSN | |
| History | |
First air date | September 19, 1948; 77 years ago (1948-09-19) (as KFH-FM) |
Former call signs | KFH-FM (1948–1971) KBRA (1971–1982) KLZS (1982–1989) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 39902 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 313 meters (1,027 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°46′41″N97°30′40″W / 37.778°N 97.511°W /37.778; -97.511 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | FM/HD1:Listen Live |
| Website | b98fm.iheart.com |
KRBB (97.9FM, "B98") is acommercialradio station inWichita, Kansas. It is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc., and it broadcasts anadult contemporaryradio format, switching toChristmas music for much of November and December. KRBB carries severalnationally syndicated shows, including "Murphy, Sam and Jodi" in morningdrive time, "Delilah" in evenings, and "Ellen K" fromKOST inLos Angeles on Saturday mornings.
KRBB's studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in Downtown Wichita. KRBB has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts; theirtransmitter is located outsideColwich, Kansas. KRBB broadcasts usingHD Radio technology; its HD2digital subchannel formerly carried acontemporary hit radio format, known as "Kiss Radio." The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.
On September 19, 1948, the stationsigned on the air as KFH-FM, and was located at 100.3 MHz. It is Wichita's oldest FM outlet. Like most FM stations at the time, it largelysimulcasted its AM counterpart,KFH (then at 1330 AM, now at 1240 AM). In 1965, KFH-FM relocated to its current frequency. Two years later, KFH-FM broke from the AM simulcast and flipped toprogressive rock as "Channel 97." The station was affiliated withABC's American FM Radio Network.
In October 1971, KFH-FM flipped tobeautiful music asKBRA, named after its previous owners, Phil Kassebaum, Tom Bashaw, John Rees, and Bob Adams.[2] It played quarter hour sweeps of mostly soft instrumentalcover versions of popular songs.[3] On July 28, 1982, KBRA adjusted its format tosoft adult contemporary as "KB-98";[4][5][6] the abbreviated call letters were only phonetically pronounced "bra" once in a promo saying "We're taking off our BRA".[2] On November 6, 1984, KBRA changed its call letters toKLZS, and rebranded as "Class FM 98". On March 23, 1987, KLZS rebranded as "Magic 98", and tweaked its format to include morenew age music andsmooth jazz.[7][8] The long association with KFH-AM was discontinued in 1988, as the two stations were sold to separate owners.[9]
On October 12, 1989, at noon, the station adopted its current format as "B98 FM" (which would later be renamed as simply “B98” in the late 2010s). The call sign switched to KRBB to go along with the new identity.[10] The station's morning show was long hosted by Brett Harris and Tracy Cassidy. Harris was released from the station in July 2012, while Cassidy was let go in May 2014.[11][12] Lukas Cox replaced Harris in September 2012, while formerMiss KansasTheresa Vail joined the show as a co-host for a time before being replaced by Careth Beard.[13][14] In April 2019, Cox and Beard were let go, and were replaced by the syndicated "Murphy, Sam and Jodi", who are based atBaton Rouge sister stationKRVE.[15][16]
KRBB, along with other iHeartRadio stations, partner withKSNW, the localNBCNetwork affiliate, whentornado warnings are issued in the Wichita area. During an emergency, KRBB simulcasts the audio of KSNW's severe weather coverage.[17]