Steve Moore Preparing to Move KMOX Into Next Era After Audacy Adds 104.1 FM Signal

On Monday, Audacy announced KMOX would move from its 98.7 FM translator to the full-fledged, 50,000-watt signal on 104.1 FM. Brand Manager Steve Moore admitted it has been a long time coming.

After Audacy began a round of widespread layoffs last week that resulted in the elimination of jobs at HOT 104.1, speculation began to ramp up that the company was preparing to move the legendary KMOX brand to the signal. WHHL offers 50,000 watts of power, encompassing the entire St. Louis metro.

And while KMOX was heard on an FM translator at 98.7, and it’s 250 watts of power, as well as 102.5-HD2, those options can’t hold a candle to what the 104.1 FM signal can do.

Steve Moore said he’s an AM Radio fan, but noted that the shift to 104.1 is a welcomed one for the brand.

“I’m personally thrilled. This has been part of my goal or mission for a long time. I probably drove everybody at Audacy crazy,” he said with a chuckle. “I probably drove everybody at CBS (Radio) crazy beforehand. It’s part of the evolution. I don’t think this is the end game. I don’t think this is a panacea. But I think this is a part of a process. We just want the radio station to be as accessible to as many people as we possibly can.”

Some could question why, if making the station as accessible as possible was the goal, why didn’t KMOX move to KFTK-FM, Talk 97.1 FM, which features a 100,000 watt signal compared to the 50,000 watts provided by WHHL on 104.1.

Steve Moore shared that the Talk 97.1 FM brand has a quarter century of brand identity in the market and that it continues to perform well in the ratings and revenue categories that matter most, so the company never considered placing the AM news/talk station on that signal.

While KMOX is a legendary, heritage brand in St. Louis, Moore admitted that changing listener habits necessitated the move.

“Nobody wants to chase the signal. they don’t want to drive down Manchester Road and get to a certain place, and unfortunately, the signal runs out to them at that time. That’s not user-friendly,” said Moore. “I understand the value of (the AM signal). I think it served its purpose and I think we did well with it.

“But the idea that the full market signal allows the consumer, allows the listener, allows the client to have trust that when somebody is driving down the road and they’re heading home, and they’re headed out highway 40 or 70, they’re going to be able to experience the radio station without any issue, all the way to the time they get home or to their office.”

The shift to the 104.1 FM signal will take place on Monday, March 24th. Moore joked that in spite of asking both Audacy and predecessor CBS Radio to move the brand to the FM signal, the next two weeks include “a heck of a lot more than I realized.”

“It seemed like it was going to be a lot easier. ‘You just kind of flip a switch and then it’s done.’ No, it doesn’t really work that way,” he said while laughing. “Just all the little bitty details. that you don’t think about. There’s a client party on the 24th, that night, to kick it all off. So, there’s lots of things. Lots of busy work to do before we get to the 24th.”

An outsider might not think a move to the FM band would signal content changes for KMOX. But Steve Moore was upfront in sharing that there are going to be adjustments to what listeners of the heritage brand can expect.

“KMOX is not a conservative radio station. It’s not an overly political radio station. It’s a community-based news, information, and entertainment radio station that also has St. Louis Cardinals baseball,” said Moore. “We need to make sure that we lean into that so that we’re not in the way of Talk 97.1 FM, that we’re not in the conservative lane, and that the audience gets to know what we’re doing so they understand what we’re doing. It’s about refining that and making sure that we’re evolving the news.

“We want to enterprise news a little bit more. And we want to be more creative and go a little bit deeper into some of the news stories that we’re doing. I refer to it as suburban and stories, or pocketbook stories. Things that matter in our community. Those kinds of stories you’ll hear, those get our talk shows, more than you will necessarily about Trump’s tariffs, unless tariffs affect people at the grocery store or at the gas pump, things like that.”

The move to the FM signal isn’t simply a practical one. It’s also symbolic, as KMOX will take the 50,000 watt signal from 104.1 in advance of Opening Day for MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals. The two brands have be inextricably linked in each other’s history. And Moore remained adamant that the MLB franchise is an integral part to the future of KMOX.

“There’s a huge following for the Cardinals. Whether they’re winning or losing, whether the fan base is happy or restless, the Cardinals make news,” he shared. “So to get on (FM) before the 27th, which is Opening Day, and be able to kickstart this — whether they’re off to a great start or they struggle — there will be a lot of buzz about them. We want to be the place that people can come and not only hear the games but talk about the games and share their feelings about their games and everything else.”

When the addition of the FM signal takes place, KMOX will remain on the 1120 AM signal which, like 104.1 FM, is a 50,000-watt signal.

When asked if that made the brand a potential player in other sports rights, with one signal carrying one franchise’s games and the other carrying another — similar to how Audacy sister station WFAN operates its signals on 660 AM and 101.9 FM in New York, Steve Moore said “I think it certainly creates the opportunity and we would have to investigate any option or opportunity that presents itself.”

Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.