For generations of Midwest radio listeners, a Class A 50kw clear channel facility that is one of the few facilities that can be heard after dark in both California and along the East Coast of the U.S. has offered news, information, and live sports play-by-play for St. Louis pro teams. In March 2021, an FM translator at 98.7 MHz was added to bring a little “revitalization” for a legendary property with its heritage embedded in the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
Now, KMOX is getting a bigger FM home and branding that sheds the AM signal altogether.
The Audacy Inc. spoken word station, the flagship audio home of the St. Louis Cardinals, is now using its longtime 1120 kHz signal as well as that of WHHL-FM 104.1 in Hazelwood, Mo.
WHHL boasts a Class C2 50kw signal that covers the entire metropolitan area, and it sees a swap of programming, as WHHL’s hip-hop “Hot” brand will now be heard on the FM translator, K254CR. The signal contour of the FM translator means “Hot” will focus its efforts on the city of St. Louis and adjacent African American enclaves. Meanwhile, KMOX will now be heard on FM in important western communities such as O’Fallon and St. Charles, Mo. To the east, O’Fallon and Belleville, Ill., will get KMOX on FM clearly.
“We’re thrilled to expand KMOX’s reach and bring the trusted news and entertainment our listeners rely on, as well as Cardinals baseball, on an enhanced FM signal that covers the greater St. Louis region,” said Becky Domyan, who serves as Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Audacy in both St. Louis and Wichita. “We’re equally as excited to continue delivering the hottest hip-hop and R&B on 98.7.”
The last several months have not been kind to KMOX in the Nielsen Audio ratings for St. Louis. While it remains the market’s leading commercial Talk station, it was behind the NPR Member station for the market, KWMU, in both share and cume. That said, KMOX enjoys a considerably large audience who consume its streaming audio, based on Nielsen Audio results for the market.
As “Hot 104.1,” WHHL was just below KMOX with respect to cume. Its best ratings of late came in the “Holiday” ratings period, when “Hot” earned a 2.5 share. With sibling WFUN-FM the leading African American-targeted FM in the market, Audacy opted to double down on this station as iHeartMedia offers a similar format to “Hot” with its KATZ “100.3 The Beat.”
While “Hot” will live on at 98.7 MHz, it is expected to be largely automated as the station’s entire airstaff was let go as part of a reduction-in-force effort at Audacy last week that cut upward of 200 positions from the company, which sees Soros Fund Management serve as its largest equity interest holder.
