Entercom has appointed Mike Kennedy as Operations Manager and Program Director for Hot AC “99.7 The Point” KZPT Kansas City and Country “106.5 The Wolf” WDAF-FM Liberty MO/Kansas City.
Kennedy retired from Steel City Media where he served as VP/Programming until the end of 2016 and remained in a consulting role through last year. Kennedy joined then CHR “Q104” KBEQ in 1991 and rose to PD/morning host when it flipped to Country in 1993. He also has programmed and worked on air at WDAF predecessor CHR “X106.5” KXXR from 1988-1991 and owned 104.7 KXBZ Manhattan KS.
At WDAF-FM he fills the position held by Wes Poe until July, while at KZPT he succeeds Leigh McNabb. McNabb has programmed KZPT since 2015 after serving as APD for CHR “103.7 Kiss-FM” WXSS Milwaukee. She also hosts middays at KZPT. McNabb tweeted that it was her decision to exit.
If you thought we couldn't possibly have any more big news in the McNabb/Wickett household, you were wrong.
Tomorrow is my last day with @Entercom & @997ThePoint . Totally my choice…
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— Leigh McNabb (@LeighMcNabb) September 3, 2019
That whole three kids in one year thing got @mikewickett and me talking about what the new norm will look like in our house. While we're not sure what that might be, we know it's time to reevaluate the day to day.
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— Leigh McNabb (@LeighMcNabb) September 3, 2019
I do NOT think I'll be out of the game long. Just not sure in what capacity my new role(s) may be. We love a good adventure in our lives and thus we bring on, yet, another one.
I'll save the sappy post for tomorrow.
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— Leigh McNabb (@LeighMcNabb) September 3, 2019
Entercom, a leading media and entertainment company and one of the two largest radio broadcasters in the U.S., today announced Mike Kennedy as Program Director and Operations Manager for 106.5 The Wolf (WDAF-FM), Kansas City’s country station, and 99.7 The Point (KZPT-FM), Kansas City’s one and only hot AC station. Kennedy will assume both roles effective immediately.
“It’s fantastic to welcome a seasoned, celebrated and successful programmer like Mike Kennedy to the Entercom Kansas City team,” said Dave Alpert, Regional President and Market Manager, Entercom Kansas City. “Mike is a natural winner and we are looking forward to him leading The Wolf and The Point to new levels of success.”
“106.5 The Wolf and 99.7 The Point deliver exceptional content to their listeners on a daily basis and I look forward to joining the team,” said Kennedy. “I’m especially excited to continue my career in my hometown.”
Kennedy has 30 years of broadcast experience in the Kansas City market, which includes programming and on-air roles for KBEQ-FM from 2002 to 2017, as well as a consultant role from 2017 to 2018. During that time, Kennedy also owned and operated KXBZ-FM in Manhattan, KS. He also served as Vice President of Programming in Kansas City for Wilks Broadcasting and Steel City Media from 2007 to 2017. Kennedy was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.
markrobt
KXXR wasn’t CHR until June 1990. Before that it was a CHR/AOR hybrid, a/k/a “Rock 40”, which was trendy at the time.
Also…I suppose you could say KXXR is a predecessor of WDAF-FM, though I think it would be more accurate to say they happened to occupy the same channel at different times in history. Ownership and formats were totally different then. As well, there was the move of KXXR, more of an intellectual-property kind of move, to the 107.3 rimshot signal in 1992.