KCXL

Infobox Radio station


name = KCXL
airdate = February 16, 1967
(current license Nov. 21, 1994)
frequency = 1140 kHz
area = Kansas City metropolitan area
COL: Liberty, Missouri
format = Talk radio, with music on weekends
owner = Alpine Broadcasting
power = 500 watts daytime
6 watts nighttime
erp =
branding = KCXL 1140 AM
slogan = Radio Free Liberty
class = D
affiliations = GCN
website = [http://www.kcxl.com/ www.kcxl.com]
callsign_meaning = Kansas City (X) Liberty, or
K (for kilo-) 1000 + CXL, Roman numeral 140|

KCXL is a locally-owned talk station that serves the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. From its tower in Liberty, Missouri, KCXL broadcasts all hours of the day. Despite the "daytimer" correlation with Class D stations, KCXL's six nighttime watts continue the station's operation within Clay County.

History

Kansas Citians first heard a signal on 1140 kHz in 1967, when Liberty business owners, led by furniture store owner George Bedinger, established a country music station under the call letters KBIL. The format continued until 1978, when new owners opted for adult contemporary music. Although the switch proved unsuccessful in a matter of months, the station (as KFIX) included as its deejays Mike Murphy, who later became a legendary voice at KCMO-AM, Randy Miller, who made his name as a shock jock on KBEQ, and Rush Limbaugh, who briefly took his “Jeff Christie” moniker here before finding his niche in talk radio. Some unsuccessful formats would find a reprieve on their sister FM signal at 106.5 MHz.

The station, under various owners, tried different formats. In 1980, KDLY debuted, playing Oldies music. In 1984, KCXL letters debuted alongside an urban contemporary format. Studios were built within Kansas City's urban core. However, because the signal at night was limited to the suburban Northland, it eventually fell short competing with longtime station KPRS. The station ceased operations in 1992 and went silent for two years. Meanwhile, 106.5 was eventually sold to Entercom and is now the country station WDAF-FM.

Current format

Local resident Pete Schartel acquired the 1140 tower in 1994 and introduced an oldies station that eventually gave way to a talk station. With the slogan “Radio Free Liberty”, KCXL's programming is a mix of local talents, wacky cut-ups like the wack pack and national syndicate features that take an activistic approach, as well as usual local radio fare such as tradio. The syndicated programming airing on KCXL is a mixture of brokered programming (such as Joel Wallach's "Dead Doctors Don't Lie") and programming from the Genesis Communications Network and the Accent Radio Network. KCXL operates a bookstore in downtown Independence, and features products from shows carried by the station as well, like water filters , health supplements, books, video's and the always effervescent store manager Jonni. As KCXL principally broadcasts to Liberty, sports coverage includes the Blue Jays of Liberty High School and the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State University.

KCXL also broadcasts online and will soon have a sister station from a tower in Cleveland, Missouri. KCTO, at 1160 AM, started testing its 215-watt signal August 21 playing holiday music. When fully licensed, KCTO plans to increase to 1250 watts during the day and 600 at night.

External links

* [http://www.kcxl.com KCXL official website]
*AMQ|KCXL
*AML|KCXL
*AMARB|KCXL
*AMQ|KCTO