Today is something of an important day here at BroadcastKC, as we honor one anniversary, celebrate another, and wish a Happy Birthday to a KC radio personality.  A busy day to be sure...

January 11, 2008 -- A date which will live in KC radio infamy.  The last demise of KYYS-FM, when at 1PM after the final chords of Billy Squire's "In the Dark" the station bid farewell to its nearly 12-year home at 99.7FM.  After that "final thank you for the support and good times," they struck a chord (literally - the one I like to call the KY Chord), hit a button, and birthed 99-7 the Boulevard, playing "Kansas City's Quality Rock."  Little did we know that one year, two days, and two hours later The Boulevard would crumble and make way for 99-7 Kiss FM.  We didn't anticipate that outcome then, and I sure didn't expect it either when waxing poetic about KY one year ago today...

January 11, 2009 -- It won't be remembered as a watershed moment in KC media by any means, but I think this is the anniversary we'll actually celebrate around here.  It's not the day I started building the site (that was August 2008) or the day the site "officially" launched (when someone posted about it on another board last May - a few days before I'd planned to "launch"), but I remember it clearly like it was yesterday.  A Sunday night, and despite being closed, I was sitting at my old place of work researching some history (my boss didn't mind me hiding out there on weekends & I enjoyed the quiet and much faster internet).  After spending much of the day listening to old KY audio and finally figuring out how to upload it, I finally decided it was time to start posting, based solely on it being the one-year anniversary of the station's demise.  From that very first post on, everything we've done - the posting local radio news, sharing KC memories, tracking down old personalities, etc - has centered around the fact that this is, quite frankly, a special market.  Filled with special people who have made a unique impact.

It's been a crazy year filled with tons of changes for both me and the site (starting with our second day of posting here, where we got to cover our first format change, continuing through a computer failure, getting invited into the Kansas City Media Legends, and getting downsized out of a job) but I wouldn't trade it for a thing.  One of my favorite parts of doing this is getting asked "do you remember..." or "did you know..."  Or hearing from former KC personalities & sharing their latest successes elsewhere.  Meeting some of the awesome folks who grace our airwaves & bandwidth.  We've got a great town with a great heritage, and all in all I've had a great first year with you fine folks who are kind enough to make BKC a part of your web surfing.  Sometimes we get a bit sidetracked with trying to finish station histories, digitizing & posting old audio, working on a new site design, and lately, job hunting (anyone out there need a communication/marketing/web guy?  No, not kidding.  I'm totally serious...) but I hope we've contributed a bit of information or some fond memories in our first year.  And hang with us as we start year number two for more fun stuff - more audio (including the Dan Diamond collection), a new design, and (as one KC jock would say) "much much less." It starts with the completion of ALL the remaining AM station histories I haven't yet gotten to, hopefully by February 1, but definitely soon - I PROMISE.  :-)

January 11, 2010 -- Today, we have a little anniversary treat for you (and really, for me, since I'd not heard these before) from friend of BKC David Brewer.  Check out our KMBR page for a few jingles from the station, which preceeded KYYS and KBLV at 99.7FM.  Plus, since we share this important day, just wanna wish a big Happy Birthday to longtime KC radio talent Shorty of Shorty and the Boyz.  Hope you have a great one, Shorty! And we end with links to a few of our first posts that you probably never saw...

01/11/09 --  On This Date...  2008 - KYYS Signs Off

01/13/09 --  BREAKING:  KBLV Flips to Kiss-FM

01/14/09 --  Outsider Analysis:  99-7 Kiss-FM

And, this stunning reminder that I originally had no clue what I wanted the Weekly Radio Recaps to be format-wise (or what to call them) and only used one source...

01/17/09 --  KC-Centric Radio Notes (1/11 - 1/17)