KPRS

KPRS

City of license	Kansas City, Missouri
Broadcast area	Kansas City, MO-KS
Branding	"Hot 103 Jamz"
Slogan	Kansas City's #1 for Hip Hop and R&B, The Big Station!
Frequency	103.3 (MHz)
First air date	1950
Format	Urban Contemporary
ERP	100,000 watts
Class	C
Callsign meaning	K People's Radio Station
Owner	Carter Broadcasting Group
Sister stations	KPRS, KPRT
Webcast	Hot 103 Webstream
Website	http://www.kprs.com/

KPRS is an Urban contemporary radio station that broadcasts on the 103.3 MHz frequency licensed to Kansas City. The station's playlist consists of hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel music. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), it is the oldest continually African American family-owned radio station in the United States.

History

In 1950, Andrew "Skip" Carter began operating KPRS as the nation's first Black radio station west of the Mississippi River with a transmitter donated by former Kansas governor, Alf Landon. KPRS, 1590, debuted as a 500-watt daytimer (now home to sister station KPRT) with a playlist that consisted of R&B and soul. In 1951, KPRS opened its first studio at 12th and Walnut street, Kansas City, Missouri. By 1952, Carter and Ed and Psyche Pate became business partners and purchased the station for $40,000 from the Johnson County Broadcasting Corporation. They moved KPRS to a new site at 2814 East 23rd Street in Kansas City.

In 1969, the Carters had controlling interest in the station. In 1971, KPRS-AM moved its programming to the 103.3 frequency on the FM dial became KPRS-FM, "Hot 103 Jamz" and the 1590 frequency became KPRT-AM, "Gospel 1590, The Gospel Source" an urban gospel-formatted station. The studios and offices moved to the Crown Center and the Carters moved to Florida to open a new corporate headquarters. Then four years later in 1975, KPRS Broadcasting Corporation, which was later renamed Carter Broadcasting Group, became one of the first fully automated radio stations in the Midwest, and in the country for that matter.

Ensuring the business would remain a family-run entity, Michael Carter, Andrew's grandson, was named president of the company. One of his first moves was to take both stations back to the "live" formats. Michael Carter, who actually made his radio debut at age 8 on KPRS-AM, also made KPRS a 24-hour station.

In 1989, station owner Andrew Carter died at his Florida home. The Black radio pioneer's legacy lived on and moved forward. His widow, Mildred Carter became chairperson of the board and the stations continued to grow and to solidify its standing in the Black community with various outreach programs and promotions. In 1990, KPRS-FM jumped from 8th to 5th in the Kansas City market, according to the Arbitrons. Also in the 1990s, KPRS stopped playing what it perceived as negative hip-hop or gangsta rap and explicit and overtly sexual R&B. In 1995, KPRS picked up the Crystal Award from the National Association of Broadcasters. The Carter Broadcast Group celebrated its 45th anniversary in 1995, and had its highest ratings ever, reaching the number one slot for that year. In 2000, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The Carter Broadcasting Group, owners of KPRS and KPRT in Kansas City, along with The Sherman Broadcast Group, were co-owners of an Urban Contemporary station known as KSJM "107-9 Jamz" in Wichita, Kansas. The two groups recently sold KSJM to The Ag Network Group which dropped the Urban format for Country as KWLS "US-107.9" on January 19, 2008.

In the Fall of 2009, the station has started adding more Rhythmic/Pop crossover titles from artists like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Iyaz, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Jason DeRulo. This is most likely to due to the implementation of the PPM in the Kansas City Arbitron ratings. This has caused controversy among the audience, as the only Hip Hop/R&B station in the Kansas City market has attempted to lean Rhythmic to attract a female audience and being more client-friendly towards different race groups. KPRS has ended this tactic later on . In August 2010, the station dropped the Steve Harvey Morning Show due to low ratings, and it decided to do an all music morning block rather than attempt to bring in another syndicated show. As of now, mornings are currently hosted by Tony G and Sean Tyler.

Competition

Apparently as a heritage Urban station, KPRS continues to thrive well in the Kansas City market, even when dealing right now with its main current competitor Urban AC KMJK.

Program schedule

• "The Morning Jam" with Tony G and Sean Tyler - 5-10AM
• Mid-Mornings with Julee Jonez - 10AM-3PM
• JT Quick - 3-7PM
• Various Jocks- 7-10PM
• The Quiet Storm - 10PM-2AM

Fridays

• Friday Night Mixtape - 9PM-Midnight
• Underground Heat with Brian B. Shynin' - Midnight-1 AM

Saturdays

• The Baka Boyz - 9PM-Midnight
• "Underground Heat" with Brian B. Shynin' - Midnight - 1 AM

Sundays

• The Joy of Gospel with Kim Latrice - 5AM-Noon
• Live in the Den with Big Tigger - 7PM-10PM

Other on-air staff

• Robyn Knight
• Ed Atkins
• Dyan Devereaux
• Brian B. Shynin'
• Brooklyn Martino
• Playmaker

Station management

• Operations Manager Andre Carson
• Program/Music Director Myron Fears
• Community Relations/Public Affairs Director Rich McCauley

External links

• Official HOT 103 JAMZ Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KPRS
• Radio-Locator information on KPRS
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KPRS