97.9 KICK-FM

What 97.9 KICK-FM does

97.9 KICK-FM is a country music FM radio station operating at 97.9 MHz under the branding '#1 For New Country,' serving the Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri markets across the Illinois/Missouri border region. The station was established in 2019 and is wholly owned and operated by Townsquare Media, Inc. (NYSE: TSQ), a publicly traded diversified local media company; 97.9 KICK-FM functions as a single-asset local broadcast affiliate within Townsquare's broader radio station portfolio rather than as an independent corporate entity. The underlying technology stack consists of traditional over-the-air FM broadcast infrastructure supplemented by digital distribution channels including web-based live streaming via the station's website, native iOS and Android mobile applications (Android package: com.tsm.kickfm979; iOS app ID: 1209035382), an Amazon Alexa skill ('KICK on Alexa'), and a Google Home integration. No APIs, SDKs, proprietary data assets, AI/ML capabilities, or patents are disclosed.

The company's revenue model is advertising-based, generating income by selling advertising spots to local and regional businesses. The advertiser offering bundles radio spots with targeted digital, mobile, social, and video advertising, plus local celebrity endorsements and event partnership opportunities, positioning the sales motion as an integrated multi-channel SMB advertising solution rather than spot-only sales. Customers served are primarily small and medium-sized local businesses in automotive, food/beverage, professional services, and entertainment verticals. On the audience side, the station reports approximately 53,000 CUME listeners (radio), 162,845 monthly digital unique visitors, and 31,454 combined social media followers.

Operationally the station features named on-air personalities (Curt and Samm in the Morning; The Drive Home With Sam; Jess; Brett Alan) alongside syndicated country programming (Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40; Taste of Country Nights; Taste of Country Weekends). Supplementary products include a Radio On Demand service, a Recently Played playlist, recurring contests and VIP sweepstakes (e.g., Hall Pass Cash with $500 Visa Gift Card prizes), a community events calendar featuring the Hannibal BBQ Fest, and a digital newsletter. The headquarters is located at 408 North 24th Street, Quincy, IL 62301, with named personnel including Market President Amanda Steiner and Accessibility Coordinator Samantha Barnes. The station has no independent funding history, M&A activity, or standalone financial reporting.

Name

97.9 KICK-FM

Legal name

Townsquare Media, Inc.

Website

https://979kickfm.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

97.9 KICK-FM is a country music FM radio station serving the Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri markets, owned by Townsquare Media (NYSE: TSQ), generating revenue primarily through multi-channel SMB advertising sales across radio, digital, mobile, social, and event platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Country radio broadcasting
• Local radio advertising
• Terrestrial radio programming
• Digital audio streaming
• Community radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

Quincy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: The station generates revenue primarily through selling advertising spots to local and regional businesses. The advertising page indicates they offer targeted digital, mobile, social, video advertising combined with radio spots, local celebrity endorsements, and event partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

97.9 KICK-FM is a country music radio station broadcasting on 97.9 FM, serving the Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri markets with live radio programming including morning shows, midday shows, and evening segments. The station distributes content through over-the-air FM broadcast, website live streaming, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and smart speaker integrations (Amazon Alexa and Google Home). Its primary revenue is generated by selling advertising airtime and integrated marketing packages to local and regional businesses.

Product overview

97.9 KICK-FM is a country music radio station operated by Townsquare Media, serving the Quincy and Hannibal markets. The station's product portfolio centers on its core live radio broadcast (97.9 FM) supplemented by multi-platform distribution including mobile apps (iOS/Android), web streaming, and smart speaker integrations (Alexa, Google Home). Additional offerings include on-demand radio content, a recently played playlist feature, listener contests and VIP sweepstakes, and a community events calendar. The station positions itself as #1 for New Country music, featuring programming from personalities including Curt and Samm in the Morning, Jess, The Drive Home With Sam, Taste of Country Nights, Brett Alan, Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40, and Taste of Country Weekends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 97.9 KICK FM Live Radio Broadcast Country music radio station broadcasting at 97.9 FM serving the Quincy, Illinois and Hannibal, Missouri markets. Provides live radio programming including 'Curt and Samm in the Morning', 'The Drive Home With Sam', 'Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40', and other syndicated and local country music shows, targeting local country music listeners.
• Listen Live Streaming Web-based streaming service enabling listeners worldwide to tune in to KICK FM live online through desktop and mobile browsers at 979kickfm.com/listen-live.
• KICK FM Mobile App (iOS/Android) Native mobile applications for iOS (App Store ID 1209035382) and Android (Google Play package com.tsm.kickfm979) that enable users to listen to live radio streams, access recently played tracks, and engage with on-demand content on mobile devices.
• Alexa Skill (KICK on Alexa) Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration that allows users to request live KICK FM radio streams through Alexa-enabled devices using voice commands.
• Google Home Integration (KICK on Google Home) Google Home voice assistant integration enabling users to stream KICK FM live content hands-free through Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and devices.
• Radio On Demand On-demand audio content service providing access to archived shows and podcast-style programming from KICK FM personalities and syndicated country shows.
• Listener Contests and VIP Sweepstakes Listener engagement program offering recurring giveaways, prize drawings, and exclusive contests including the Hall Pass Cash sweepstakes offering $500 Visa Gift Cards, designed to drive audience loyalty and tune-in.
• Community Events Calendar Local events listing service featuring community gatherings such as Hannibal BBQ Fest, with event submission functionality allowing local organizations to promote their events to listeners.
• Digital Newsletter Email subscription service delivering KICK FM station updates, exclusive offers, and personalized country music content directly to subscribers' inboxes.
• Local Radio and Digital Advertising Advertising sales offering to local and regional businesses that bundles on-air radio spots with targeted digital, mobile, social, and video advertising, plus local celebrity endorsements and event partnership opportunities. Sold to SMB and mid-market advertisers seeking reach to the Quincy/Hannibal market.

Quantifiable outcome

• 53,000 CUME (cumulative unique listeners) for radio audience reach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Townsquare Media Country Stations (WUSN, WQYK): Other country-formatted stations within the same Townsquare Media portfolio. Operate with the same digital platform stack (apps, streaming, smart speakers), similar SMB advertising sales motion, and shared parent infrastructure as 97.9 KICK-FM.
• WCOY 99.5 FM Quincy: Country-formatted competitor radio station broadcasting in the same Quincy, Illinois market. Directly contests for the same local country listener and SMB advertising dollar that KICK FM targets.
• WTAD 930 AM Quincy: News/talk radio station operating in the same Quincy/Hannibal market. While format differs, it competes for the same local advertising budgets and listener attention from the same geographic audience base as KICK FM.

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: The largest U.S. radio broadcaster with over 850 stations. iHeart operates competing country stations in comparable small markets and runs a parallel iHeartRadio streaming platform that competes for both listener share and digital ad spend against KICK FM.
• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. radio operator with ~400 stations including country formats in mid-size markets. Competes with Townsquare/KICK FM for both local advertising budgets in overlapping Midwestern markets and syndicated country programming talent.
• Audacy: U.S. radio broadcaster with extensive country and music-format stations plus a streaming platform. Directly comparable broadcast-plus-digital model with overlap in mid-market country listeners and SMB advertiser targeting.

Emerging players

• Pandora: Internet radio and ad-supported streaming service with strong country music genre penetration. Competes with KICK FM for in-car and mobile country listening time and offers programmatic digital audio advertising that pulls budget from traditional radio.
• Spotify: Global music streaming leader competing for the same incremental listening time as KICK FM and increasingly for audio advertising budgets. KICK FM's online streaming distribution directly mirrors Spotify's on-demand audio model at the local/linear level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KICKFM979
• Facebookfacebook.com/979kickfm
• Xx.com/979kickfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 97.9 KICK-FM