KCMO-FM

One of the first FM stations in Kansas City, KCMO-FM signed on as KCFM in February 1948.{{cite web |title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 189 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1950/RADIO%20&%20TV%20AL-MT%20YB%201950%20B&W-11.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com |access-date=August 30, 2019}} It simulcast KCMO (AM), then at 810 AM. During the "Golden Age of Radio", the stations aired ABC Radio Network dramas, comedies, news, sports, game shows, soap operas and big band broadcasts. The KCMO-FM call sign was granted in 1950, the first of several times the station would go by that call sign.

The Meredith Corporation bought KCMO-AM-FM in 1953. On July 23, 1959, as the days of network programming ended, KCMO-AM-FM adopted a full service, middle of the road (MOR) personality format.

On March 16, 1968, KCMO-FM separated its programming from 810 AM, and began airing a mostly instrumental beautiful music format as KCMU. In 1974, the station began adding a few vocals to the format and switched its call letters to KCEZ, "EZ 95".

In 1983, the Meredith Corporation sold KCMO-AM-FM to Richard Fairbanks, a one-time owner of what is now WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, and the head of Fairbanks Broadcasting.{{cite web |title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1985 page B-157 |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-AL-to-MT-BC-YB-1985.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com |access-date=August 30, 2019}}

On October 10, 1983, the station adopted a country music format as "KC 95"."Goodbye, beautiful music; howdy, country at KCEZ", The Kansas City Star, October 11, 1983. The KCMO-FM call sign returned in 1984. The station gained attention when one of its billboards appeared in a Psychedelic Furs music video. Fairbanks sold both stations in 1985 to the Summit Communications Group. Summit changed KCMO-FM to a dance-leaning Top 40 format as KBKC, "B95", on July 26, 1985. The first song as "B95" was "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones.{{cite web |title=R&R Magazine - 07-19-1985 - Page 8 |url=https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1985/RR-1985-07-19.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |date=July 19, 1985}}Barry Garron, "KCMO-FM dropping country", The Kansas City Star, July 11, 1985.

The Gannett Company bought the station in 1986, and shifted the station to a more adult-friendly mainstream Top 40 format as "Power 95” KCPW, on August 25 of that year.{{cite web |title=R&R Magazine 09-05-1986 Page 15 |url=https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1986/RR-1986-09-05.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |date=September 5, 1986}}"KBKC-FM tries on new call letters", The Kansas City Star, August 28, 1986.Barry Garron, "KBKC-FM looks for mass appeal", The Kansas City Star, August 5, 1986. During this period, Dick Wilson began as the morning host. Wilson would continue to host mornings on the frequency until 2017.{{cite web | url=https://www.tonyskansascity.com/2017/11/tkc-told-you-so-dick-wilson-out-at-kcmo.html | title=TKC Told You So!!! Dick Wilson Out at Kcmo 94.9 Fm as Station Starts Christmas Music Marathon!!! }}

On July 28, 1989, at 5 p.m., after playing "Don't Wanna Lose You" by Gloria Estefan, KCPW flipped to an oldies format as "Oldies 95", with the third use of the KCMO-FM call sign acquired days before the switch. The first song on "Oldies 95" was "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison.{{cite web |title=R&R Magazine 08-04-1989 Page 4 |url=https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1989/RR-1989-08-04.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |date=August 4, 1989}}Barry Garron, "Power-95 switches to an oldies format", The Kansas City Star, July 31, 1989.

Another oldies station serving Kansas City, WHB (then at 710 AM), saw most of its listeners switch over to KCMO-FM in a matter of months, prompting that station's conversion to farm radio.

File:KCMO-FM Oldies 95 logo.png

In 1993, Gannett sold KCMO-AM-FM to Bonneville International, which also owned KMBZ and KLTH (now KZPT). Four years later, Bonneville sold all four of its Kansas City stations together with three radio stations in Seattle to Entercom Communications.Brian McTavish, "Radio stations traded", The Kansas City Star, January 7, 1997.

Susquehanna Radio bought KCMO-AM-FM from Entercom in 2000, as Entercom was forced to sell the KCMO stations after its purchase of Sinclair Broadcast Group's radio stations KQRC, KXTR and KCIY, which left Entercom with two stations over the Federal Communications Commission's single-market ownership limit."Entercom sale", The Kansas City Star, July 15, 2000. Susquehanna subsequently merged with Cumulus Media in mid-2006.

File:KCMO-FM 94-9 radio logo.png

KCMO-FM enjoyed strong ratings throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, management became concerned that the name "oldies" appealed to older listeners, less attractive to advertisers. Ratings were not an issue, as the station was often in the top 10. The station dropped its "oldies" moniker in April 2005 and shifted to its current classic hits format, playing only music from the mid-1960s to the early-1980s.

In the mid-2010s, KCMO began playing hits from the early 1990s, and scaled back on music recorded before the 1970s. Today, the station's playlist focuses mainly on music from the 1980s.

On February 14, 2011, the station turned on its HD2 sub-channel and launched an all-comedy format branded as "Funny 102.5". It is also heard on translator station K273BZ (102.5 FM), hence the 102.5 in the moniker.{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/netgnomes/32308/whats-funny-in-kansas-city/|title=What's Funny in Kansas City|date=February 14, 2011 }} On January 2, 2013, 102.5 FM flipped to sports talk, branded as "102.5 The Fan".{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/80039/cumulus-to-launch-102-5-the-fan-kansas-city/|title = Cumulus to Launch 102.5 the Fan Kansas City| date=December 14, 2012 }}

On August 15, 2014, at 3 p.m., the station abruptly dropped the sports format in the middle of a sports update, and began a 7-minute countdown. After the countdown, 102.5/94.9-HD2 became one of the first network affiliates of the new Cumulus-owned "Nash Icon" format as 102.5 Nash Icon, playing country hits from the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s. "Nash Icon" began with "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker.{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/netgnomes/89681/cumulus-prepping-nash-icons-format-launch/|title=Nash Icon Launches Across the Country|date=August 15, 2014 }}

On November 2, 2015, at midnight, after playing "You Ain't Much Fun" by Toby Keith, 102.5/94.9-HD2 changed its format to alternative rock, branded as "102.5 The Underground", beginning with "Kansas City" by The New Basement Tapes. With the change, 102.5/94.9-HD2 became the first Nash/Nash Icon station to drop the format.{{cite web |title=Alternative Underground Comes To Kansas City |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/95095/alternative-underground-comes-to-kansas-city/ |website=radioinsight.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |date=November 2, 2015}}

On June 15, 2016, at 7:30 a.m., after playing "Up&Up" by Coldplay, 102.5/94.9-HD2 swapped formats with co-owned KCJK, adopting that station's adult hits format, and rebranded as "102.5 Jack FM", while the alternative format moved to KCJK. The first song after the move was "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones.{{cite web |title=X105.1 Debuts In Kansas City; Jack Moves To 102.5 |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/106820/x105-1-debuts-in-kansas-city-jack-moves-to-102-5/ |website=radioinsight.com |access-date=August 30, 2019 |date=June 15, 2016}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.949kcmo.com KCMO-FM official website]

{{FM station data|6385|KCMO-FM}}

• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|143354|K273BZ}}
• {{FXL|K273BZ}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060822041158/http://www.949kcmo.com/dwc/index.asp Dick Wilson and Company website]
• [http://www.1025jackfm.com 102.5 Jack FM/94.9 HD2 website]

{{Kansas City Radio}}

{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Kansas}}

{{Cumulus Media}}

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CMO-FM

Category:Classic hits radio stations in the United States

Category:Radio stations established in 1948

Category:1948 establishments in Missouri

Category:Cumulus Media radio stations

Category:Johnson County, Missouri