July 19, 2003
kcstar

The "smoothest place on your radio" just got a whole lot bumpier.

KCIY-FM, better known as Smooth Jazz 106.5, The City, will change its music format in "the near future," said Bob Zuroweste, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Kansas City, the station's parent company.

Zuroweste informed the station's staff of the pending changes in a meeting Friday afternoon. Zuroweste declined to identify what will replace the current "smooth jazz" musical format or when the change will occur.

However, Entercom reportedly hopes to launch an all-sports station in Kansas City, possibly on 610 AM, WDAF, currently known as 61 Country. That station's news and country-music-playing personalities might move to an FM signal, enabling the station to compete better with the other area FM stations that play country music, KFKF and KBEQ.

"Radio is a very personal, one-on-one medium, and it's difficult to take things away that people love," Zuroweste said. "But Entercom is a business as well, and it is our responsibility to put business models together that generate profits for the company."

The format change at The City appears to put an end to recent speculation that another Entercom station, The Buzz 96.5 FM, KRBZ, would undergo a format change.