KBEQ

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KBEQ-FM
Broadcast area Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Branding Q-104
First air date 1973
Frequency 104.3 MHz
Format Country
ERP 99,000 watts
Class C0
Callsign meaning KBE = KBEY and KBEA
Q = used in Q-104 branding
Owner Wilks
Website http://www.q104kc.com/

KBEQ-FM is a country radio station that broadcasts in the Kansas City media market. Prior to adopting its “Young Country” format in 1993, KBEQ was Kansas City's sole Top-40 station.

Like many FM stations in the 1960s, KBEQ served as a counterpart to an AM station. Starting in 1960, KBEY (as it was called) continued to play big band and easy listening music when KBEA (at 1480 kHz) powered down at night. In 1973, with the growing popularity of FM radio, KBEQ debuted and gradually chipped at AM powerhouse WHB's longtime popularity. Many deejays would take their turn playing hits at Q-104's Country Club Plaza studios, including Bobby Day and Randy Miller. Fending off other FM upstarts, KBEQ achieved Top-40 dominance in Kansas City when WHB turned to an oldies format in 1985. By the end of the decade, KBEQ was Kansas City's only Top-40 outlet.

However, country music's popularity increased in Kansas City and throughout the nation. In February 1993, KBEQ made the surprise decision to adopt a country format, leaving the area without a bona fide Top-40 station and entering a crowded country market. Today that market is still crowded, as KBEQ competes against fellow CBS Radio station KFKF, Entercom's WDAF-FM, and country outlets just outside the immediate metropolitan. KBEQ, however, surprised many in October 2005 when KBEQ beat WDAF and perennial ratings winner KPRS to claim the top spot in Arbitron ratings.

KBEQ's studios are still at the Plaza, located alongside the studios of KFKF. The studios of sister stations KMXV and KCKC are in Westport.

KBEQ Logo 1993-2004
KBEQ Logo 1993-2004

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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)

Kansas Radio Markets
Wichita (AM) (FM) · Kansas City (AM) (FM) · Pittsburg · Topeka
See also: List of radio stations in Kansas and List of United States radio markets