KZCH (96.3 FM), also known as "Channel 963," is a

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

radio station licensed to Derby, Kansas, and serving the Wichita area. The station broadcasts with an ERP of 50 kW from its transmitter just north of downtown, and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in downtown Wichita.

History

KZCH signed on November 10, 1977, at 95.9 MHz, and initially aired a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

format as KDRB, "K-96", which had studios located in its city of license (Derby), and a transmitter near Haysville. In April 1980, KDRB changed call letters to KGCS, and rebranded as "96 Country". In December 1982, KGCS flipped to a country/

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

hybrid as KYMG-FM, "Magic 96". At first, the station was automated; in October 1983, the station became locally programmed, and changed call letters to KAKZ-FM. A year later, the station flipped to an automated

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

format, but would revert to adult contemporary in October 1985 as KRZZ. The station flipped to its long-running

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

format on August 29, 1986. To improve their coverage area, in 1987, KRZZ relocated its transmitter to a location near I-235 and South Broadway in south Wichita, which would then be changed to another location near I-135 and 21st Street in north Wichita. The station would also increase its signal strength to 50,000 watts, and relocate to 96.3 MHz, on April 19, 1990. On June 14, 2004, at midnight, KRZZ dropped its 18-year-old format and began stunting with a loop redirecting KRZZ listeners to 107.3 FM, and to listen for the debut of a new format on 96.3 at 3 p.m. on June 16. At that time, 96.3 adopted KKRD's heritage

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

/ CHR format, and rebranded as "Channel 963". The current KZCH calls were adopted on June 28. When the station began, the station leaned heavily on rhythmic material. In 2006, the station readjusted towards a more mainstream direction. In 2009, the station would lean rhythmic again, and also mixed in old school. The move was to counter Rhythmic Top 40 rival KDGS, who is the lone Rhythmic CHR station in the market. As of Summer 2022, the station would again lean rhythmic. KZCH, along with other iHeartRadio stations, partner with

KSNW KSNW (channel 3) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with NBC and Telemundo. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and maintains studios on North Main Street in northwest Wichita (near downtown); its tran ...

when tornado warnings are issued in the Wichita area and simulcast KSN's severe weather coverage.

HD Radio

In 2006, KZCH signed on HD Radio operations. On their HD 2 channel, the station carried Club Phusion. In 2011, it was replaced with

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...

, filling the void KANR left open when that station flipped to Spanish in 2006. In November 2012, 96.3 HD2 flipped back to dance, branded as "Evolution." As of November 2022, 96.3 HD2 is now "Club Jam Christmas."

References

External links

* * {{coord, 37.718, N, 97.318, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations Radio stations established in 1978 ZCH