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The bi-state market of Kansas City, the most centrally located metropolitan area in the U.S., spans 4,777 square miles across seven counties in Missouri and four in Kansas and includes a Kansas City in each state. The region, with a population of 1.6 million, blends big-city life with many small-town touches.
Kansas City's pioneer traditions as a cattle town still live on with the annual American Royal Livestock Horse Show and Rodeo, which will celebrate its centennial this year, and in the 18th and Vine Historical District downtown. The city also has deep roots as a sports town, having served as home to the Kansas City Monarchs, the longest-running franchise in baseball's old Negro Leagues (the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is a highlight of the historic district). Today, the Royals of Major League Baseball and the Chiefs of the NFL both enjoy rabid local followings.
"People are quite surprised when they come here, because we do have a real cross-section of America," says Toby Boschert, an account supervisor with Saatchi & Saatchi in Kansas City.
"It's an incredibly competitive market in TV and radio," says Linda Leone, a media buyer with TN Media. "Buyers often really want this market to buy in."
The Kansas City radio market, the country's 30th largest, is largely controlled by two powerhouses. Entercom Communications and CBS Corp.'s Infinity Broadcasting command a combined 83.6 percent of the market's radio advertising revenue. Entercom is the overwhelming leader, with an estimated $47 million in 1998 revenue, or 57.3 percent in market share, from 10 stations (see chan on page 22). Entercom's K.C. radio holdings also include a small station whose ratings do not have significant registration in Art bitron diary returns.
Entercom's acquisition last summer of all four of Sinclair Broadcasting's radio properties in Kansas City brought its station roster up to 11 outlets. "We are going to have to sell or trade between three and four stations" to satisfy federal regulations on concentration of ownership, says Bob Zuroweste, Entercom vp and market manager. The company has identified KCMO-AM, KCMO-FM and KCFXFM as outlets to be sold or traded.
Because of the planned sale, Entercom recently announced it will switch its broadcasts of Chiefs games next season from Classic Rock station KCFX-FM...
