KCHZ
Encyclopedia
KCHZ known as "95.7 The Vibe", is a Contemporary Hit Radio
radio station
serving the Kansas City metropolitan area
from Ottawa, Kansas
. The Cumulus Broadcasting outlet operates at 95.7 MHz with an ERP of 96 kW. Its transmitter is located near Linwood, Kansas
.
Disc Jockeys during the "Channel Z95.7" era from 1996-1999 included:
The station was sold to Syncom Radio from Radio 2000 in 1999.Syncom continued to adjust the station's image, including updating its logo. It once again migrated in 2000 back to a Top 40/CHR format, followed by a return to Rhythmic in 2002, only to return to Mainstream by late 2003.
By November 2005 (and after years of confusing listeners over what direction the station was taking) the station was acquired by Cumulus Radio, and was given a complete update, with a new name, logo and format. The former Z95.7 would finally make Rhythmic Top 40 the official format by changing its moniker and slogan to 95-7 The Vibe, "The Beat Of Kansas City".
KCHZ began stunting with all-Christmas
music and novelty music at Noon on November 1, 2005, and billed itself as "Jingle 95.7". The station jumped the gun a week before KUDL or KCKC would even start broadcasting Christmas music. At 5 PM on November 3, "95-7 The Vibe" debuted with The Black Eyed Peas
' My Humps
being the first song played.
The Vibe started their online streaming on October 18, 2007.
During its tenure as a Rhythmic station, The Vibe aired a few specialty shows they air during the 4th of July
and New Year's. On the 4th starting at 6 am and all weekend long, they aired their entire song library from A-Z. On New Year's Eve & Day, the station airs the Top 95 songs of that year. However in 2008, they only played the top 30 songs of the year due to time issues.
On January 27, 2009, The Vibe shifted the format to include Pop hits and dropped a lot of old school and hip hop music, but is still maintained its Rhythmic format somewhat. This is gaining some criticism, as one of Kansas City's most listened to stations has almost completely lost its Rhythmic look and went back to Mainstream, just like before it transitioned to The Vibe in 2005. It is also being criticized for content limits, and for dropping Hollywood Hamilton's countdown and Sunday Night Slow Jams. Despite this, KCHZ continued to report to R&R
/Nielsen BDS
Rhythmic Airplay panel
. This kind of direction has also sparked debate from radio message boards about stations that decided to add certain Pop and Dance tracks but stay within the Rhythmic realm.
On October 8, 2009
, The Vibe fully shifted back to a Top 40 Mainstream station (with Kansas City already having KMXV
as the existing top 40 station), including rock songs (which they originally left out), making the shift to a pop format complete. This is part of Cumulus' plan to launch Mainstream Top 40 stations in major markets across the country.
In the latest Arbitron ratings (February 2011), KCHZ is not only beating KMXV with a 6.8 share (compared to Mix's 6.5 share), but also ranking as the #1 ranked station in the market for the first time in the stations entire history. However, it has since moved towards the middle of the ratings, currently ranked at #10.
(Monday – Friday)
(Saturday)
(Sunday)
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
serving the Kansas City metropolitan area
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
from Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
. The Cumulus Broadcasting outlet operates at 95.7 MHz with an ERP of 96 kW. Its transmitter is located near Linwood, Kansas
Linwood, Kansas
Linwood is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States, about east of Lawrence. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 375.-Beginnings:Linwood was founded as "Journeycake," being named after Charles Journeycake, the last Delaware chief...
.
History
KCHZ began targeting Kansas City as a Modern Adult Contemporary outlet on January 16, 1997. The station was initially owned by Radio 2000, Inc. (founded & owned by "Super" Frank Copsidas), and was called "Channel Z95.7". It had several sister stations, including KHTO (Channel Z104.1 in Springfield, MO). In 1998, it flipped formats to Top 40/CHR, then shifting to slightly to Top 40/Rhythmic by 1999.Disc Jockeys during the "Channel Z95.7" era from 1996-1999 included:
- Dave Johnson- "Just Plain Dave" Mornings 5:30am-10am
- Mackenzie- Mornings 5:30am-10am
- Laurie Hill- Mornings 5:30am-10am (Replaced Mackenzie)
- Mike Bowen- "Mike Austin" Afternoons 3pm-7pm
- Howie Nunnelly- "Howie D" Nights 7pm-Midnight (Moved to Mid-Days in September 1998)
- Mike O'Reilly- Nights 7pm-Midnight (Replaced "Howie D" in September 1998, now Program Director KFMB-FM Jack 100.7KFMB-FMKFMB-FM is a commercial radio station located in San Diego, California, broadcasting on 100.7 FM. KFMB-FM airs an adult hits music format branded as "Jack FM".-History:...
) - Matthew CreedMatthew CreedMatthew-Michael Lynford Creed is a disc Jockey and voice actor. He is best known for his DJ work as "Surge" on KCHZ Channel Z95.7 FM, for which he holds the record of being the youngest paid on-air DJ in a Top-30 Nielsen Rated market, being only 14 years old when he did his first broadcast in...
- "Surge" Overnights 12 Midnight-5:30am (Youngest Paid Full-Time DJ in the United States)
The station was sold to Syncom Radio from Radio 2000 in 1999.Syncom continued to adjust the station's image, including updating its logo. It once again migrated in 2000 back to a Top 40/CHR format, followed by a return to Rhythmic in 2002, only to return to Mainstream by late 2003.
By November 2005 (and after years of confusing listeners over what direction the station was taking) the station was acquired by Cumulus Radio, and was given a complete update, with a new name, logo and format. The former Z95.7 would finally make Rhythmic Top 40 the official format by changing its moniker and slogan to 95-7 The Vibe, "The Beat Of Kansas City".
KCHZ began stunting with all-Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
music and novelty music at Noon on November 1, 2005, and billed itself as "Jingle 95.7". The station jumped the gun a week before KUDL or KCKC would even start broadcasting Christmas music. At 5 PM on November 3, "95-7 The Vibe" debuted with The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
' My Humps
My Humps
"My Humps" is the third single by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album, Monkey Business. It samples a section of the song "I Need a Freak" by Sexual Harassment, as well as the 1989 song "Wild Thing" by Tone Lōc and "It's Automatic" by Freestyle. Released in 2005, it reached number three in...
being the first song played.
The Vibe started their online streaming on October 18, 2007.
During its tenure as a Rhythmic station, The Vibe aired a few specialty shows they air during the 4th of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
and New Year's. On the 4th starting at 6 am and all weekend long, they aired their entire song library from A-Z. On New Year's Eve & Day, the station airs the Top 95 songs of that year. However in 2008, they only played the top 30 songs of the year due to time issues.
On January 27, 2009, The Vibe shifted the format to include Pop hits and dropped a lot of old school and hip hop music, but is still maintained its Rhythmic format somewhat. This is gaining some criticism, as one of Kansas City's most listened to stations has almost completely lost its Rhythmic look and went back to Mainstream, just like before it transitioned to The Vibe in 2005. It is also being criticized for content limits, and for dropping Hollywood Hamilton's countdown and Sunday Night Slow Jams. Despite this, KCHZ continued to report to R&R
R&R (magazine)
R&R was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes...
/Nielsen BDS
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, better known as BDS, is a service that tracks monitored radio, television and internet airplay of songs based on the number of spins and detections...
Rhythmic Airplay panel
Rhythmic Airplay Chart
The Rhythmic Airplay Chart is an airplay chart that is featured weekly in Billboard Magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on Rhythmic stations, whose playlist includes mostly hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop, Rhythmic pop, and some Dance tracks...
. This kind of direction has also sparked debate from radio message boards about stations that decided to add certain Pop and Dance tracks but stay within the Rhythmic realm.
On October 8, 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
, The Vibe fully shifted back to a Top 40 Mainstream station (with Kansas City already having KMXV
KMXV
KMXV Mix 93.3 is a Top 40 station based in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. The Wilks Broadcasting outlet operates at 93.3 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its current slogan is "Kansas City's #1 Hit Music Station"...
as the existing top 40 station), including rock songs (which they originally left out), making the shift to a pop format complete. This is part of Cumulus' plan to launch Mainstream Top 40 stations in major markets across the country.
In the latest Arbitron ratings (February 2011), KCHZ is not only beating KMXV with a 6.8 share (compared to Mix's 6.5 share), but also ranking as the #1 ranked station in the market for the first time in the stations entire history. However, it has since moved towards the middle of the ratings, currently ranked at #10.
Current programming lineup as of October 11, 2009
Currently, the air staff is:(Monday – Friday)
- Midnight – 10 am: Jockless
- 10 am – 3 pm: Brodie
- 3 pm – 7 pm: Maurice Devoe
- 7 pm – 11 pm: Billy Bush
- 11 pm – midnight: Jockless
(Saturday)
- Midnight – 10 am: Jockless
- 10 am – 7 pm: Various Jocks
- 7 pm – midnight: Jockless
(Sunday)
- Midnight – 9 am: Jockless
- 9 am – noon: Weekly Top 30 Countdown w/ Billy Bush
- Noon – midnight: Jockless