KCSP (AM)
Encyclopedia
KCSP is a sports
/talk
radio station
located in Kansas City, Missouri
. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel.
Although the station had the slogan "The Football
Channel" when it began in June 2003, it is currently the flagship station of a baseball
team, the Kansas City Royals
, whose rights it reacquired for the Entercom radio network in 2008 which had held the rights on KMBZ before. The Kansas Jayhawks
radio network also appears on KCSP, which switched from covering the Missouri Tigers
to Kansas in 2006, sending the Tigers broadcasts to KMBZ.
, Kansas City's fourth radio station, debuted in late 1922. WDAF was a full service station playing MOR music until 1974 when it became an Adult Contemporary/Oldies based station until they adopted a country music
format in 1977. In 2002, it began simulcasting on the 106.5 FM frequency under the WDAF callsign. When the 610 am frequency adopted a permanent sports format, its callsign was changed to KCSP. Often considered one of Kansas City's most popular stations, some listeners were originally dismayed to see WDAF move to FM, where it became The Wolf
in favor of the new sports format. Since then, KCSP has consistently trailed rival WHB
, which entered the sports format in 1997, after most of the sports staff were broadcasting on 1510 a few years. Based on the most recent ratings reports, 610 Sports experienced some of the quickest growth ever by a sports radio station, but the gap widened as WHB carries the Super Bowl
, World Series
, NCAA Men's Final Four and other major sporting events.
Notable Air Personalities
, the winner of Survivor: Guatemala
, is another personality at KCSP. Despite her million-dollar first prize, she decided to return to the station once she was able to do so. Boatwright, now married to Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann
, was also a contributor to ESPN2
's Fantasy Football Weekly, which only lasted one season, 2006.
Jason Whitlock
was a former personality on KCSP. Having been courted away from WHB
in 2003, when KCSP began, he ran a show for a few years. But in March 2005, he quit due to not being able to both do the show and run a sports column for the Kansas City Star and also be a contributor on ESPN
, which he was doing back then. Jason was also allegedly upset over the stations refusal to pay him overtime pay, which he saw he was owed. The station announced that Jason was a salaried employee and not an hourly employee and therefore was not owed any overtime. Jason opened his radio show on a Tuesday afternoon, at which time he talked about his frustrations, then walked out on the show.
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
/talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
located in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. The Entercom-owned station broadcasts on 610 kHz. Beginning March 31, 2011, its programming is simulcast on KMBZ-FM's 98.1-HD2 subchannel.
Although the station had the slogan "The Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
Channel" when it began in June 2003, it is currently the flagship station of a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team, the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, whose rights it reacquired for the Entercom radio network in 2008 which had held the rights on KMBZ before. The Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
radio network also appears on KCSP, which switched from covering the Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
to Kansas in 2006, sending the Tigers broadcasts to KMBZ.
History
While KCSP debuted in 2003, the 610 frequency has been a well-known in Kansas City. WDAFWDAF-FM
WDAF-FM is a country music radio station based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Its current assignment to Entercom's 100,000 Watt facility licensed to Liberty, Missouri, combines the history of both the frequency and the WDAF call letters.- The Early Days :WDAF was one of the first...
, Kansas City's fourth radio station, debuted in late 1922. WDAF was a full service station playing MOR music until 1974 when it became an Adult Contemporary/Oldies based station until they adopted a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format in 1977. In 2002, it began simulcasting on the 106.5 FM frequency under the WDAF callsign. When the 610 am frequency adopted a permanent sports format, its callsign was changed to KCSP. Often considered one of Kansas City's most popular stations, some listeners were originally dismayed to see WDAF move to FM, where it became The Wolf
The Wolf
The Wolf is the second major-label album by hard rock solo artist Andrew W.K., released on Island Records.-History:In spite of Andrew's party-oriented debut, The Wolf was a more elaborate and ornate effort, with insightful lyrics and a more melodic sound. This did not stop it from being successful...
in favor of the new sports format. Since then, KCSP has consistently trailed rival WHB
WHB
WHB is a commercial sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country...
, which entered the sports format in 1997, after most of the sports staff were broadcasting on 1510 a few years. Based on the most recent ratings reports, 610 Sports experienced some of the quickest growth ever by a sports radio station, but the gap widened as WHB carries the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, NCAA Men's Final Four and other major sporting events.
Notable Air Personalities
- Richard Ward Fatherly
- Fred Everett
- Tom Brown IV
- Jim Gallant
- Dick Wilson
- Dan Henry
- Phil Young
- "Brother" Julian
- Kurt "Mother" Murz
- John Chambers
- "Katfish" Kris Kelly
- Mark Foster
- Jay Mack
- David Lawrence "The Golden Beacon"
- Ed Muscare
- Les Turpin
- Charles Gray (News Anchor)
- Caroline Rooney (News Anchor)
Programming
The station has a regular broadcast schedule and is always on the air. Some of these shows include:- The 'Fescoe in the Morning, hosted by "Bulldog" Bob Fescoe and featuring Josh Klingler.
- The Jim Rome Show, a syndicated talk radio show out of the Premiere Radio NetworksPremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
- The unofficial Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
Post-Game Show — Occurs 30 minutes after a Chiefs game, the show usually opens with a game recap, then the host (a different one each time) takes calls from listeners.
- The official Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
Post-Game Show — Occurs after a Royals broadcast, featuring calls, highlights and game analysis from the hosts.
- The High School Game Of The Week: — Live coverage of KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and MissouriMissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
high school football games; covering a different weekly game. WHB also does this as well as Metro Sports on Time WarnerTime WarnerTime Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
Cable.
Former shows
- The DA Show — Hosted by Damon "D.A." Amendolara, this morning show combined sports commentary with pop culture nuggets. Weather and traffic is provided for morning commuters. The weatherWeatherWeather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
was formerly done by "Stormbot 610," the weather robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
until station management disassembled him. The show's website offered bonus content and archived audio. This show aired from August 2004 until January 2008. Amendolara currently hosts the night show on Boston sports station WBZ-FMWBZ-FMWBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their...
.
- Roger Twibell worked as the host of 'The Morning Drive with Roger Twibell' along side Jeff McCarragher and as host of the '610 Morning Rush' along side Josh Klingler on KCSP 610 Kansas City from January 4, 2008 till January 1, 2010. Roger Twibell is currently a sportscaster for the CBS College Sports Network.
Personnel
Danni BoatwrightDanni Boatwright
Danni Boatwright , a beauty queen and model from Kansas, won $1,000,000 on Survivor: Guatemala, the eleventh season of the reality television show Survivor...
, the winner of Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala
Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire, commonly referred to as Survivor: Guatemala, is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park, located in...
, is another personality at KCSP. Despite her million-dollar first prize, she decided to return to the station once she was able to do so. Boatwright, now married to Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann
Casey Wiegmann
Casey Peter Wiegmann is an American football center for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
, was also a contributor to ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
's Fantasy Football Weekly, which only lasted one season, 2006.
Jason Whitlock
Jason Whitlock
Jason Lee Whitlock is a sportswriter for Foxsports.com, as well as a former columnist at the Kansas City Star, AOL Sports writer, contributor to ESPN, and radio personality for WHB and KCSP sports stations in the Kansas City area.-College and sports:Whitlock was an all-state offensive lineman at...
was a former personality on KCSP. Having been courted away from WHB
WHB
WHB is a commercial sports radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, and is known as the first full-time Top 40 station in the country...
in 2003, when KCSP began, he ran a show for a few years. But in March 2005, he quit due to not being able to both do the show and run a sports column for the Kansas City Star and also be a contributor on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, which he was doing back then. Jason was also allegedly upset over the stations refusal to pay him overtime pay, which he saw he was owed. The station announced that Jason was a salaried employee and not an hourly employee and therefore was not owed any overtime. Jason opened his radio show on a Tuesday afternoon, at which time he talked about his frustrations, then walked out on the show.