KBFB

KBFB (97.9 FM, "97.9 The Beat") is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based radio station with a rhythmic contemporary musical format, although with an urban lean (another urban-leaning rhythmic station is WPGC-FM in Washington, D.C.). It is owned by Radio One with sister station KSOC-FM 94.5. Its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill, Texas.

History

The Belo/Anchor Media/Cox Years

Before the Urban music began, it started out WFAA-FM, initially simulcasting its AM sister station WFAA (570 AM) before adopting an automated beautiful music format by the middle 1960s. In September 1973, WFAA-FM changed its call letters to KZEW and played classic and progressive rock music for 17 years with the on-air slogan The Zoo.^[1] In 1987, KZEW and KRQX (the former WFAA radio, now KLIF) were sold by A.H. Belo Corporation, which retained ownership of the Dallas Morning News and WFAA-TV (channel 8). Three years later KZEW switched formats to a light rock station, changing both calls and branding to KKWM (Warm 97.9). A year later, the station changed its callsign and station nickname again to KLRX (Lite 97.9) while maintaining its light rock format.

The Infinity/CBS Years

In 1993, the station was sold by Cox Enterprises to Infinity/CBS Radio and formats were switched back to progressive rock and re-branded KRRW (Arrow 97.9). In 1997, the station switched formats back to soft rock/adult contemporary music and renamed to the current KBFB, and the slogan became B-97.9. Programming during this soft rock incarnation included Delilah during the nighttime hours via satellite before she was shifted to its former sister station KVIL.

97.9 Today

KBFB made the change to mainstream urban as 97.9 The Beat in 2000 after the station was sold to Radio One. Since The Beat's launch, the station has been in direct competition against longtime heritage Urban station KKDA. In addition to KKDA, they also had a competitor in former Rhythmic Contemporary rival KZZA, which just shifted from a Hispanic Rhythmic direction and in early 2007 lured KBFB staffer DJ Miracle over to their station for nights. KZZA is a rimshot, and therefore only targets part of the Metroplex, meaning KBFB had been always the Metroplex's default rhythmic since they not only rival KKDA-FM, but they rival rhythmic-leaning contemporary hit radio rival KHKS (the top-rated radio station in the Metroplex) & mainstream top 40 rival KLIF-FM. Another rival, KJKK, during their KRBV tenture as Wild 100.3, also had the contemporary hit radio format up until 2004, when they became their current adult hits format.

And despite its Urban format, KBFB leaned more Rhythmic until recently; however, Mediabase continues to list the station on the rhythmic panel (along with sister station WPHI-FM in Philadelphia through 2011, but WPHI-FM is now an urban station again due to WRDW-FM serving as the rhythmic station in that area), making KBFB the only rhythmic station in Dallas due to KZZA going back to Hispanic Rhythmic in 2008, and the only rhythmic station owned by Radio One (along with WCKX in Columbus, Ohio & WHHH in Indianapolis, Indiana).

In the beginning, the station was home to Russ Parr in the Morning (of whom he started his radio career at defunct KJMZ in the Metroplex). Later, it was home to Steve Harvey in the mornings from 2003-2005 through a syndicated simulcast from its sister station in Los Angeles, KKBT (also nicknamed "The Beat"). Eventually, Radio One let Harvey go due to contract disputes (he is now on KRNB), and now KBFB has aired the Rickey Smiley Morning Show since 2006. At first it was local until Smiley signed a syndication contract. KBFB was the original flagship of the show until 2011 when Atlanta sister station WHTA took over as Ricky Smiley's flagship station.

References

External links

• Official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KBFB
• Radio-Locator information on KBFB
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KBFB
• DFWRadioArchives