Manhattan Broadcasting Company

What Manhattan Broadcasting Company does

Manhattan Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a privately held radio broadcasting company founded in 1950 and headquartered at 2414 Casement Road in Manhattan, Kansas. The company operates a portfolio of five FCC-licensed radio stations in Northeast Kansas: News Radio 1350 KMAN (news/talk AM, also on 93.3/93.7 FM), Real Rock 101.5 K-Rock (KMKF), Hot Country B104.7 (KXBZ), All The Hits Z96.3 (KACZ), and Sunny 102.5 (KBLS). Collectively the stations reach more than 100,000 listeners per week across multiple format segments (news, rock, country, hits, adult contemporary) and serve Manhattan, Kansas State University, and the surrounding Flint Hills region.

The company's primary revenue model is the sale of advertising airtime to local and regional businesses, executed through a sales-led go-to-market motion employing marketing consultants who build radio campaigns directly with advertisers. Complementing broadcast revenue, Manhattan Broadcasting operates MBC Digital Services, a professional-services division offering web design, videography, graphic design, and SEO/analytics to small and medium businesses in the Manhattan area seeking to establish or upgrade their digital presence. Pricing across both advertising and digital services is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is over-the-air radio for broadcast content and direct project-based engagement for digital services.

Beyond broadcasting, the company promotes community programming including the McCain Performance Series, a live entertainment partnership with McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University featuring touring Broadway and international acts. The company is led by General Manager Ned Seaton, Sales Manager Andrea Besthorn, and Program Directors Brandon Peoples (KMAN) and Chris Swick (KBLS/KXBZ/KMKF/KACZ). Ownership is local/privately held with no disclosed parent company, institutional investor, or external funding.

Name

Manhattan Broadcasting Company

Legal name

Manhattan Broadcasting Company, Inc.

Website

https://manhattanbroadcasting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Manhattan Broadcasting Company operates five FCC-licensed radio stations and an MBC Digital Services division (web design, video, graphic design, SEO), selling advertising and digital marketing to local businesses in Northeast Kansas and reaching 100,000+ weekly listeners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Radio Station Groups (Owned & Operated/Station Chains) (MPABACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Radio broadcasting services
• Local radio advertising
• Digital marketing services
• Web design services
• Commercial broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Radio Advertising Sales: Sale of advertising airtime to local and regional businesses targeting the station's weekly audience of 100,000+ listeners across five radio stations
2. Digital Services: Web design, videography, graphic design, and SEO services sold to business clients

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Manhattan Broadcasting Company operates five radio stations in Northeast Kansas (News Radio 1350 KMAN, Real Rock 101.5 K-Rock, Hot Country B104.7, All The Hits Z96.3, and Sunny 102.5), selling advertising airtime to local and regional businesses and reaching more than 100,000 listeners weekly. The company also sells in-house digital services (web design, videography, graphic design, and SEO/analytics) to local business clients seeking to build a digital presence.

Product overview

Manhattan Broadcasting Company operates a portfolio of five radio stations across Northeast Kansas: News Radio 1350 KMAN (news/talk), Real Rock 101.5 K-Rock (rock music), Hot Country B104.7 (country music), All The Hits Z96.3 (hit music), and Sunny 102.5 (adult contemporary). The company has been serving Northeast Kansas for over 70 years, reaching over 100,000 people weekly. Complementing its radio broadcasting business, Manhattan Broadcasting offers MBC Digital Services providing web design, videography, graphic design, and SEO/analytics to help businesses with their digital marketing needs. The company also promotes community events including the McCain Performance Series featuring live performances at McCain Auditorium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• News Radio 1350 KMAN AM news and talk radio station (1350 AM, 93.3 & 93.7 FM) serving as the voice of Manhattan and the Flint Hills, featuring local news, morning news programs, and community coverage. Audience: Northeast Kansas listeners and advertisers seeking news/talk format reach.
• Real Rock 101.5 K-Rock (KMKF) FM rock music station broadcasting classic and contemporary rock music to the Manhattan, Kansas area. Audience: rock-format listeners and advertisers targeting that demographic.
• Hot Country B104.7 (KXBZ) FM country music station playing contemporary country hits for Northeast Kansas listeners. Audience: country-format listeners and advertisers targeting that demographic.
• All The Hits Z96.3 (KACZ) FM station featuring hit music across multiple genres for the Manhattan area. Audience: hit-music listeners and advertisers seeking broad-format reach.
• Sunny 102.5 (KBLS) Adult contemporary music station serving the Manhattan, Kansas region. Audience: adult contemporary listeners and advertisers targeting that demographic.
• Radio Advertising Services Marketing consultation and airtime sales service enabling local and regional businesses to advertise across Manhattan Broadcasting's portfolio of five top-rated radio stations in Northeast Kansas, reaching over 100,000 listeners weekly. Audience: local and regional SMBs seeking local consumer reach.
• MBC Digital Services Comprehensive digital services division offering web design, videography, graphic design, and SEO/analytics to help businesses establish and improve their digital presence. Audience: local and regional businesses needing professional online marketing assets.
• McCain Performance Series Events Live performance event series hosted at McCain Auditorium featuring concerts, theater productions, dance performances, and cultural events including touring Broadway shows and internationally acclaimed performers. Audience: Northeast Kansas arts patrons and the broader community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weekly reach of 100,000+ listeners

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• McCain AuditoriumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2026McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University is the venue for the McCain Performance Series, a major entertainment programming series promoted and presented by Manhattan Broadcasting featuring national touring acts including Hadestown, The Choir of Man, Drum Tao, and other performers.
• Accord HospiceminorOthers · 9 May 2026Accord Hospice partners with Manhattan Broadcasting to promote Camp SOAR, a grief support camp for children. Manhattan Broadcasting provides event promotion through its platform while Accord Hospice delivers the program.
• Manhattan Veterans of Foreign WarsminorOthers · 2 May 2026Manhattan Broadcasting promotes the 4th Annual VFW Golf Scramble to assist veterans, widows/widowers, and children of veterans in the Manhattan, KS area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: The largest U.S. radio broadcaster operating thousands of stations across all major and mid-sized markets. Comparable in core business (multi-format radio station groups selling local ad inventory), though at vastly greater scale and with a national footprint.
• Alpha Media: Large U.S. radio operator with hundreds of stations in mid-sized markets. Comparable in operating multi-format station clusters sold primarily to local advertisers.
• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. radio station operator with hundreds of stations in mid-sized and small markets. Direct business-model parallel: local radio advertising sales, multi-format portfolios, and digital content services.
• Salem Communications: Multi-platform radio operator with stations in many U.S. markets plus digital media properties. Comparable in local ad-driven radio model, though often with a different content niche.
• Townsquare Media: Operates radio stations concentrated in small and mid-sized U.S. markets, with complementary digital marketing services. Highly comparable to Manhattan Broadcasting's positioning as a regional cluster plus digital services bundle.

Direct peers

• Emmis Communications: Operates multi-format radio stations in select U.S. markets with associated digital services. Comparable in combining local radio operations with diversified content and digital offerings.
• Saga Communications: Operates radio stations in small and mid-sized U.S. markets with a similar focus on local advertising and community-oriented programming. Closely comparable in scale and operating philosophy.
• Mid-West Family Broadcasting: Independent regional radio broadcasting company operating clusters of stations in small-to-mid Midwest markets. Strong peer match given geographic adjacency and similar community-focused, multi-station model.
• Bonneville International: Privately held broadcaster operating radio stations in select U.S. markets with a focus on local content and community engagement. Highly comparable ownership and operating profile to Manhattan Broadcasting.

Regional players

• Stephens Media Group: Family-owned operator of local radio and media properties across multiple U.S. regions. Comparable in privately held, community-rooted operating style and focus on regional advertising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manhattan-broadcasting-company-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Manhattan Broadcasting Company