KZSN (102.1 FM, "102.1 The Bull") is a

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 ...

broadcasting a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

format. Licensed to

Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city and county seat in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 cen ...

, the station serves the Wichita area. The station is currently owned by

iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

Its studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in Downtown Wichita, and the transmitter is located outside

Colwich, Kansas Colwich is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States, located northwest of Wichita. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,455. History Colwich was founded in 1887. The name is a portmanteau of Colorado and Wichita, o ...

History

The station began in Hutchinson in 1969 as

KSKU KSKU (94.7 FM broadcasting, FM, "Hit Radio 94.7") is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Sterling, Kansas, United States, the station serves the Hutchinson, Kansas area. The station is currently owned by Ad A ...

and played a

Beautiful Music Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator musi ...

format. It was owned by Margurite Sours and managed by Sam Kahalewai. The station also aired live area high school football and basketball games with Kansas sportscasting legend and

Kansas Association of Broadcasters The Kansas Association of Broadcasters is a group supporting broadcasters in Kansas, United States, primarily through lobbying and coordination. History The Kansas Association of Broadcasters began in 1951 as the Kansas Association of Radio Broa ...

Hall of Fame member Hod Humiston providing the play-by-play. The syndicated "

Hawaii Calls ''Hawaii Calls'' was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra conducted by Harry ...

" program of Hawaiian music was also aired. In 1973, KSKU became one of a very few radio stations in America that broadcast in

Quadrophonic Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic and sometimes quadrasonic) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for th ...

stereo (four-channel sound). In 1976, the station switched to a

Rock 40 Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

format, later onto a

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

direction. In 1983-84, KSKU upgraded its signal for better coverage over Wichita to compete against then Top 40 stations

KEYN KEYN-FM (103.7 MHz) is a radio station operating in Wichita, Kansas, owned by Audacy, Inc. The station broadcasts a classic hits music format, featuring hits from the 1970s and 1980s. The station's studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in E ...

(Now

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

) and KKRD (now

Alternative Rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

KTHR KTHR (107.3 FM broadcasting, FM, "ALT 107.3") is a radio station operating in Wichita, Kansas. The station airs an alternative rock radio format, format. Its studios are located on East Douglas Avenue in Downtown Wichita, and the transmitter is ...

) in three-way Top-40 battle. In the late 1970s, the station was sold to Jack Sampson and Sampson Communications. In early 1986, the station's studios were moved to Wichita, and on February 14, 1986, at 3 p.m., the station's call letters were changed to KZSN and flipped to a

format as "Kissin' 102" to compete with longtime Wichita ratings leader

KFDI KFDI-FM (101.3 MHz) is a 100 kW radio station operating in Wichita, Kansas. Identifying as "Today's KFDI-FM 101.3, Wichita's Country Favorites," the station runs a contemporary country music format. KFDI has a strong emphasis on news, weat ...

AM/FM. The final song on "KSKU" was " American Pie" by

Don McLean Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1971 hit song " American Pie", an eight-and-a-half-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early ...

, while the first song on "Kissin' 102" was "

Sweet Country Music "Sweet Country Music" is a song recorded by American country music group Atlanta (band), Atlanta. It was released in February 1984 as the third single from the band's first album, ''Pictures (Atlanta album), Pictures''. It was their highest chartin ...

" by

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. In the mid-2000s, the station rebranded slightly to "Kissin' Country 102.1". On February 8, 2013, at Noon, KZSN rebranded as "102.1 The Bull". The final two songs on "Kissin' Country" were "

How Country Feels ''How Country Feels'' is the third studio album by American country music artist Randy Houser. It was released on January 22, 2013, through Stoney Creek Records. Houser wrote seven of the album's fifteen tracks. The album was produced by Derek G ...

" by

Randy Houser Shawn Randolph Houser (born December 18, 1975) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Universal South Records in 2008, he charted the single "Anything Goes". It was a top 20 hit on the '' Billboard'' country singles chart a ...

and "

These Days These Days may refer to: Music Albums * ''These Days'' (Bon Jovi album), and the title song (see below) ** These Days Tour, a 1995–1996 tour by Bon Jovi in support of the above album * ''These Days'' (Crystal Gayle album), 1980 * ''These ...

" by

Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999. The band members were Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousi ...

, while the first three songs on "The Bull" were "

Anywhere with You "Anywhere with You" is a song recorded by American country music artist Jake Owen. It was released in February 2013 as the fourth single from his third studio album, ''Barefoot Blue Jean Night''. The song was written by Ben Hayslip, David Lee Mur ...

" by

Jake Owen Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, '' Startin' with Me'', that year. This ...

, "

Even If It Breaks Your Heart "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" is a song written by Will Hoge and Eric Paslay in April 2009 and originally recorded by Hoge on his seventh studio album, '' The Wreckage''. The song was made popular by American country music group the Eli Young Band ...

" by

Eli Young Band Eli Young Band is an American country music band composed of members who met while students at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas: Mike Eli (lead vocals, guitar), James Young (guitar), Jon Jones (bass guitar), and Chris Thompson (drum ...

and " Pirate Flag" by

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...

. The station is home to "The Bobby Bones Show" from 5-10am, Jim Dorman 10-3, and Michelle Buckles from 3-7pm.

Previous logo

(KZSN's logo under previous "Kissin' Country" branding)

References

External links

* {{IHeartMedia ZSN Radio stations established in 1969 1969 establishments in Kansas Country radio stations in the United States IHeartMedia radio stations