Welcome to the Family! KZRS 107.9 FM Joins Russell Radio

For many years, KRSL Russell Radio listeners have been asking to have an FM station they could listen to outside of Russell County. That dream became a reality on Wednesday, March 15 when White Communications, LLC completed the purchase of KZRS 107.9 FM.

KZRS is a 100,000 watt station that can be heard over much of central and western Kansas, including Russell, Hays and Great Bend.

A big reason for the station's expansive coverage area is because it broadcasts from a 1,200 foot tower located south of Bunker Hill owned by Smoky Hills PBS.

Mike McKenna, General Manager of White Communications, says "this is a very exciting addition to Russell Radio and Russell County. Listeners are able to hear the station well beyond Russell County and our hope is that KZRS will turn into an economic development tool used by area businesses and organizations to attract people to this area. It's a great opportunity for Russell County and this part of Kansas." 

KZRS first launched on February 3, 1986 as KZXL. Eventually, the call letters were changed to KZLS and then to KZRS in 2008. Like the call letters, the station has had a variety of music formats and programming over the years.

On Wednesday at 5 PM, KZRS flipped to Classic Hits 107.9 and is now playing pop and rock favorites from the 70s and 80s and even some late 60s and 90s mixed in, too.

According to McKenna, the station is programmed locally and not a satellite music station. "The goal with all of our stations is to be local. Local announcers. Local events. Local news. Local sports. Local weather coverage. You can find the music we play many ways, but you cannot find the local programming we do anywhere else. Our staffs in Russell and Concordia work hard each day to be involved in our communities and tell the stories about them."

In addition to the new Classic Hits format, KZRS will continue to be the home in central Kansas for Kansas State sports and carry agriculture reports through the week from the Kansas Farm and Ranch Radio Network. Beyond that, McKenna says the door is wide open. "We are still developing our ideas, but we do have some very fun and exciting plans for KZRS in the coming weeks and months. I encourage you to keep listening to find out."

White Communications, LLC is owned by Russell native Barbara White. The company began in 2006 when Barbara and her late husband and longtime Kansas City Royals announcer Fred White purchased KRSL 95.9 FM and KRSL 990 AM. Since then, the company has grown to include NCK 94.9 and KNCK 1390 AM / 98.3 FM in Concordia and KZRS 107.9 FM.

The KZRS studio is now located in Russell in the same building as the KRSL and KRSL-FM studios at 1984 North Main Street.