About KRSL

Published on Sunday, 14 August 2011 21:54

KRSL AM was established in January of 1956 by the Gleason Brothers. Fred Thompson and two partners purchased the station in 1958, and in 1965 they added the FM station. A new tower was added in 1984 that doubled the height of the original tower to 400 feet.

In 1984 the stations were purchased by a group of investors, Russell Broadcasting LLTD, and then General Manager, Wayne Grabbe began airing satellite programming, a country music format on KRSL AM 990 and an adult contemporary music format on KCAY FM 95.9. KRSL/KCAY were only the second stations in Kansas to use a satellite service, something that is now common in the radio business. 

In 1990, a new group of investors, West Central Radio, purchased the stations. The stations eventually dropped the country music format and began broadcasting the adult contemporary music format on both stations.

In September of 2006, Kansas City Royals broadcaster, Fred White and his wife Barbara (Boxberger) purchased the stations. Upon Wayne Grabbe’s retirement, Larry Calvery was brought in as General Manager in April of 2007.

In 2008, the KCAY call letters for the FM station were changed to KRSL-FM and both stations began airing a classic hits music format.

In 2010, the stations again were split, continuing to air the classic hits music format on “Classic Hits 95.9” and began airing a classic country format on “Russell’s Classic Country AM 990”.

Stay up to date on what’s going on in Russell at www.krsl.com