The next change in Cumulus Media’s revamp of its Kansas City cluster took place this morning as Conservative Talk 710 KCMO Kansas City has added a simulcast on 95.7 KCHZ Ottawa KS.
The move gives KCMO a full-powered FM signal in the market to match Audacy News/Talk 98.1 KMBZ-FM. KCMO current features locally originating programming from 6am to 12pm with Pete Mundo in morning drive and the Chicago based Ray Stevens hosting 10am-12pm. The remainder of the lineup features content from syndicated content with Dan Bongino from 12-2pm, Ben Shapiro 2-3pm, Dave Ramsey 3-5pm, Mark Levin 5-8pm, Matt Walsh 8-9pm, the first hour of Bongino from 9-10pm, Chris Plante 10pm-12am, and Red Eye Radio overnight.
KCMO and its current FM simulcast 103.7 K279BI Kansas City were tied for 20th place in the market with a 1.0 share in the September 2023 Nielsen Audio ratings. That trailed KMBZ-FM’s 5.1 share (plus 0.9 from its stream) that tied for fourth place in the market and “Talk 980” KMBZ’s 1.2 share.
The flip of KCHZ follows the move of its “Vibe” CHR format to 107.3 KMJK last week. That was preceded by KMJK’s Hip Hop format replacing Rock “105.1 The X” KCJK os “Power 105.1“.
INSTANT INSIGHT: It won’t matter in terms of ratings with Kansas City being a PPM market, but Cumulus will now have market leading Classic Hits 94.9 KCMO-FM and Conservative Talk “95.7 KCMO” as next door neighbors. At the very least it could lead to some brand confusion.
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) announces that KCMO, Kansas City’s Talk, today added the 95.7 FM frequency to its simulcast of 710 AM and 103.7 FM. The new tri-cast signal now broadcasts KCMO Talk on all three frequencies, expanding coverage and reaching the entire Kansas City market and beyond.
In addition, popular local and national talk show times were adjusted to the updated KCMO weekday programming lineup, including:
6:00am-10:00am Pete Mundo Mornings
10:00am-12:00pm Ray Stevens
12:00pm-2:00pm Dan Bongino
2:00pm-3:00pm Ben Shapiro
3:00pm-5:00pm The Dave Ramsey Show
5:00pm-8:00pm Mark LevinDonna Baker, Regional Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Kansas City, said: “Today Cumulus Kansas City completes the market transformation of our dominant cluster. With recent moves for Kansas City’s Hip Hop and R&B – now Power 105.1, 107.3 The Vibe All The Hits, and now adding 95.7 FM to the simulcast of 710 AM and 103.7 FM for a tri-cast of KCMO Talk, we have the right formats on the right signals reaching the entire Kansas City community. Congratulations to Program Director Pete Mundo and our leadership team for their tireless work on this important step forward.”
Jim Fox, Operations Manager, Cumulus Kansas City, commented: “Leading the conversation with live and local shows and the biggest national names, KCMO Talk Radio is trusted on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Kansas/Missouri state line. The 95.7 signal reach allows even more listeners the opportunity to contribute to these discussions every day.”
Pete Mundo, Program Director and Morning Show host, KCMO, noted: “KCMO has a rich history. As we often say, ‘If it’s IN KCMO, it’s ON KCMO.’ These legacy call letters have been synonymous with shows that engage the audience in conversations about local and national issues that impact their everyday lives. The addition of 95.7 FM provides a crystal-clear audio experience for our rapidly growing fan base and I’m excited to even better serve Talk Radio listeners across the Kansas City region.”
