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KRBB
Wichita, Kansas;
Broadcast area	Wichita metropolitan area
Frequency	97.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	B98
Programming
Format	Adult contemporary
Subchannels	HD2: Contemporary hit radio "Kiss Radio"
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia, Inc.; (iHM Licenses, LLC);
Sister stations	KTHR, KZCH, KZSN
History
First air date	September 19, 1948; 76 years ago (as KFH-FM)
Former call signs	KFH-FM (1948–1971); KBRA (1971–1982); KLZS (1982–1989)
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	39902
Class	C0
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	313 meters (1,027 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	37°46′41″N 97°30′40″W / 37.778°N 97.511°W
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	FM/HD1: Listen Live; HD2: Listen Live
Website	b98fm.iheart.com

KRBB (97.9 FM, "B98") is a commercial radio station in Wichita, Kansas. It is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., and it broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for much of November and December. KRBB carries several nationally syndicated shows, including "Murphy, Sam and Jodi" in morning drive time, "Delilah" in evenings, and "Ellen K" from KOST in Los Angeles on Saturday mornings.

KRBB's studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in Downtown Wichita. KRBB has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts; their transmitter is located outside Colwich, Kansas. KRBB broadcasts using HD Radio technology; its HD2 digital subchannel carries a contemporary hit radio format, known as "Kiss Radio."

History

KFH-FM and KBRA

On September 19, 1948, the station signed on the air as KFH-FM, and was located at 100.3 MHz. It is Wichita's oldest FM outlet. Like most FM stations at the time, it largely simulcasted its AM counterpart, KFH (then at 1330 AM, now at 1240 AM). In 1965, KFH-FM relocated to its current frequency. Two years later, KFH-FM broke from the AM simulcast and flipped to progressive rock as "Channel 97." The station was affiliated with ABC's American FM Radio Network.

In October 1971, KFH-FM flipped to beautiful music as KBRA. It played quarter hour sweeps of mostly soft instrumental cover versions of popular songs.^[2] On July 28, 1982, KBRA adjusted its format to soft adult contemporary as "KB-98."^[3]^[4]^[5] On November 6, 1984, KBRA changed its call letters to KLZS, and rebranded as "Class FM 98". On March 23, 1987, KLZS rebranded as "Magic 98", and tweaked its format to include more new age music and smooth jazz.^[6]^[7] The long association with KFH-AM was discontinued in 1988, as the two stations were sold to separate owners.^[8]

B98 FM

On October 12, 1989, at noon, the station adopted its current format as "B98 FM" (which would later be renamed as simply “B98” in the late 2010s). The call sign switched to KRBB to go along with the new identity.^[9] The station's morning show was long hosted by Brett Harris and Tracy Cassidy. Harris was released from the station in July 2012, while Cassidy was let go in May 2014.^[10]^[11] Lukas Cox replaced Harris in September 2012, while former Miss Kansas Theresa Vail joined the show as a co-host for a time before being replaced by Careth Beard.^[12]^[13] In April 2019, Cox and Beard were let go, and were replaced by the syndicated "Murphy, Sam and Jodi", who are based at Baton Rouge sister station KRVE.^[14]^[15]

Tornado coverage

KRBB, along with other iHeartRadio stations, partner with KSNW, the local NBC Network affiliate, when tornado warnings are issued in the Wichita area. During an emergency, KRBB simulcasts the audio of KSNW's severe weather coverage.^[16]

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for KRBB". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ "Public forum", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, October 17, 1971.
^ Bob Curtright, "No More 'Beautiful Music' for Wichita's KBRA", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, May 25, 1982.
^ Bob Curtright, "KBRA Builds Format to Replace Stalled ABC Plan", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, June 23, 1982.
^ Bob Curtright, "So Much for Those Ratings", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, July 30, 1982.
^ Bob Curtright, "Name that station", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, October 24, 1984.
^ Bob Curtright, "Rump's Music Is Geared for the Middle-Aged Set", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, March 20, 1987.
^ Ellen Dyer, "Midcontinent buys KFH-AM", The Wichita Eagle-Beacon, July 28, 1988.
^ Bob Curtright, "Revamped KLZS targets women", The Wichita Eagle, October 12, 1989.
^ McMillin, Molly (27 July 2012). "Brett Harris out at B98-FM radio". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
^ Rengers, Carrie (2 May 2014). "Tracy Cassidy gone from B98". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
^ "Lukas Cox Joins KRBB for Mornings".
^ "B98 is happy to welcome Theresa Vail to the B98 Morning Show!". B98 Morning Show. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
^ Carrie Rengers, "B98 'going in another direction', fires Brett Harris' successor in similar fashion", The Wichita Eagle, April 12, 2019.
^ "Wichita Pros on the Loose". 14 April 2019.
^ KSN in Wichita takes shelter during tornado. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-11.