KADI-FM (99.5 FM) is a

Contemporary Christian Music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and s ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

Republic, Missouri Republic is a city in Christian and Greene counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 18,750. In 2019, its population was 16,938, making it the second largest city in Greene County in the U.S. state ...

serving the

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

area. The station is owned by Karen and R.C. Amer through its holding company Vision Communications. KADI-FM was also the call sign for a progressive rock station in St. Louis, MO, located first at 96.5, then later at 96.3 on the FM dial. The station was identified as KADI from 1959 until 1987, when the call letters were changed to KRJY.

History

KADI first went on the air as "99.5 KADI" in June 1990. The station employed approximately eight people; Chicago-based Snowmen Broadcasting Inc. owned it and RC Amer was a sales representative. In the years between, Amer moved into the role of sales manager, then station manager, before purchasing KADI through Vision Communications Inc., a company Amer owns with his wife, Karen. The purchase was finalized in 2000, but Vision Communications had a management agreement with KADI since 1994, the year Amer formed the company. Staff grew to the 20 there today, and KADI reached the top spot in Arbitron’s ratings for contemporary Christian stations in the 18- to 34-year-old women category, its target market. KADI was known as "The All New 99 Hit FM" from 2005 through April 2016. In 2015, the station celebrated its 25th Anniversary and utilized "Celebrating 25 years" in much of their advertising and commercial bumpers. On April 25, 2016, KADI returned to its original moniker "99.5 KADI" and slightly modified their slogan from "Springfield, Missouri's #1 Christian Hit Music Station" to "Today's #1 Christian Hit Music".

Recent growth

Some of the station’s biggest points of pride are in its community involvement. The station and its listeners have taken on causes from the Good Samaritans Boys Ranch to Ozarks Food Harvest. KADI has sponsored the annual Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon, which raised more than $30,000 in 2006. The station has also sponsored Relay for Life events for the

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

. KADI and was the first Springfield media outlet to promote and broadcast live from the annual "I Love America" Celebration hosted by

James River Assembly of God James River Church (formerly, James River Assembly) is a Pentecostal multi-site megachurch based in Ozark, Missouri. It is affiliated with Assemblies of God USA The Assemblies of God USA (AG), officially the General Council of the Assemblie ...

every

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

. KADI has helped bring some of the top names in Christian music to Springfield, including

tobymac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...

Casting Crowns Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall, who serves as the band's lead vocalist, as part of a youth group at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida. They lat ...

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MercyMe MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Edmond, Oklahoma. The band consists of lead vocalist Bart Millard, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul. The b ...

, and

The Newsboys Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of whi ...

. KADI is known within the industry for breaking new bands and artists like Sanctus Real,

Superchic Superchick, originally known as Superchic was an American Christian rock, Christian alternative pop/rock band. Their music incorporated various styles such as Pop music, pop, Punk rock, punk, Rock music, rock, hip hop music, rap, and Contemp ...

, Barlow Girl, and

Decemberadio DecembeRadio was an American Christian rock band formed in 2003 and composed of bassist and lead vocalist Josh Reedy, lead guitarist Brian Bunn, rhythm guitarist Eric Miker and drummer Boone Daughdrill. Reedy, Bunn and Miker first ventured out o ...

Current on-air personalities

Current On-air personalities include RC Amer, Steve Largent, Michael Gibson, and Kyndal.

Former on-air personalities

Former on-air personalities include Josh "The Kid" Wellborn, Rod Kittleman, Matt Wilkie, Gary McElyea, and Brenton Miles (Host of the nationally syndicated "Sunday Morning Drive", also a recording artist and lead singer of Cor Captis).

References

External links

Official KADI Facebook pageKADI Official website
* {{Springfield MO Radio ADI-FM Radio stations established in 1990 1990 establishments in Missouri ADI-FM