WDAF-FM

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WDAF-FM
Image:WDAF_Logo.PNG
Broadcast area Kansas City metropolitan area
COL: Liberty, Missouri
Branding Country 106.5
Slogan True Country Variety
First air date 2002
Frequency 106.5 MHz
Format Country Music
ERP 100,000 watts
Class C0
Callsign meaning Assigned in 1922
Owner Entercom
Website www.wdaf.com

WDAF is a country music radio station based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Its current assignment to Entercom's 100,000-watt tower in Liberty, Missouri combines the history of both the frequency (106.5 MHz) and the WDAF call letters.

[edit] WDAF history

WDAF was one of the first four radio stations in Kansas City, alongside WOQ, WPE (now sister station KMBZ) and WHB. The Kansas City Star received authorization to broadcast on May 16, 1922, days after WHB. The two shared the 730 kHz frequency until 1928, when they settled at 610 AM. Some notable journalists who did announcing and newscasting for WDAF radio over the years before its switch to an all-country format include Randall Jesse and Shelby Storck, both of whom later went to WDAF-TV.

The Star gained authorization to begin operating a television station, WDAF-TV, but was forced to give up both stations when ordered by the Federal Communications Commission.

When radio stations began developing specific radio formats, WDAF became a middle of the road station. In 1977, amid the decline of AM, WDAF adopted a country format that grew a developed audience, with personalities who remained with the station for nearly two decades. WDAF competed with several country stations in the market, notably KFKF, for dominance. The two often traded the top spot in Arbitron ratings before urban station KPRS began a long-standing run. Contributing to their run was the addition of country music to KBEQ and WHB.

WDAF's logo, 1977-2003
Enlarge
WDAF's logo, 1977-2003

WDAF remained a respected country station until 2002, when owner Entercom sought to develop a rival sports station to WHB, who dropped country in 1999. Entercom originally eyed the fledgling "alternative" station at 96.5 (KRBZ), but a "Save the Buzz" campaign waged by fans prompted WDAF to instead move to 106.5, replacing a jazz station. WDAF was simulcast on both AM and FM until 2003, when KCSP debuted.

[edit] 106.5 FM

Strauss-Abernathy Broadcasting, owners of Liberty's AM station KCXL, first broadcast on 106.5 FM in 1978 with a Top-40 station, KFIX. The relative infancy of the high-end frequancy, plus the format instability on their AM counterpart, resulted in a new format every 2-3 years, ranging from album rock to soft adult contemporary.

In 1992, rhythmic station X-106 swapped frequencies with a country station broadcasting from Lexington, Missouri at 107.3 FM. Like its predecessors, "Country Junction" only lasted three years before a smooth jazz station, "The City", debuted. Despite its apparent popularity in the workplace over soft rock stations KUDL, KLTH and KSRC and Kansas City's place in jazz history, the format was yanked in 2003 to make way for WDAF. In 2006, Entercom announced that a smooth jazz format will debut on a high definition subchannel of WDAF. The Smooth Jazz format also airs Saturday nights on KUDL.

Today, WDAF retains the popularity it gained from its days at 610 AM. It is also Kansas City's source for Paul Harvey's News and Comment.

[edit] External links

FM radio stations in the Kansas City media market

By frequency: 88.5 | 89.3 | 90.1 | 90.7 | 90.9 | 91.5 | 91.9 | 92.3 | 93.3 | 94.1 | 94.9 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 96.5 | 97.3 | 97.7 | 98.1 | 98.9 | 99.7 | 100.1 | 100.7 | 101.1 | 102.1 | 103.3 | 104.3 | 105.1 | 105.5 | 105.9 | 106.5 | 107.3 | 107.7

By call sign: KANU | KBEQ | KCCV | KCFX | KCHZ | KCJK | KCKC | KCMO | KCUR | KCXM | KFKF | KJHK | KKFI | KKJO | KKWK | KLJC | KLRQ | KLZR | KMAJ | KMJK | KMXV | KMZU | KPOW | KPRS | KQRC | KRBZ | KTBG | KUDL | KWJC | KYYS | WDAF

See also: Kansas City (FM) (AM)

Missouri Radio Markets
St. Louis (AM) (FM) · Kansas City (AM) (FM) · Springfield · Joplin · Columbia
See also: List of radio stations in Missouri and List of United States radio markets
Kansas Radio Markets
Wichita (AM) (FM) · Kansas City (AM) (FM) · Topeka
See also: List of radio stations in Kansas and List of United States radio markets