KBXX 97.9 The Box

What KBXX 97.9 The Box does

KBXX 97.9 The Box is a Houston, Texas-based urban contemporary radio station broadcasting at 97.9 FM, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Interactive One, LLC under Urban One, Inc. (NASDAQ: UONE), one of the largest US radio groups targeting African American consumers. The station delivers a hip-hop and R&B format alongside local news, community programming, and branded daypart shows including The Afternoon Sauce with G-Man (2pm-7pm), Posted On The Corner with Incognito and DJ Misses (7pm-12am), and The Box Uncut (12am-5am), with additional specialty verticals such as BMW Studio and Good Morning H-Town news segments.

The product surface combines traditional over-the-air FM broadcast in the Houston DMA with digital streaming via the station website and Amazon Alexa integration, enabling on-demand listening through smart speakers. Content distribution is supported by an active social presence on Facebook, X, and Instagram, plus email newsletters, contests, and live event promotion (e.g., the Bun B 'Been Ridin' Dirty' 30th Anniversary concert). Technology stack is standard broadcast-plus-CMS with no proprietary AI/ML components disclosed in the input.

The business model is advertising-funded: broadcast and streaming are free to listeners, and revenue is generated through quote-based advertising sales whose rates are not publicly disclosed. Station-level financials are not separately reported and are consolidated within Urban One. Customer segments are end listeners (Houston metro, hip-hop/R&B demographic) and B2B advertising buyers; no specific advertiser roster was disclosed.

Name

KBXX 97.9 The Box

Legal name

Interactive One, LLC

Website

https://kbxx.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KBXX 97.9 The Box is a Houston hip-hop and R&B FM radio station (97.9 FM) operated by Interactive One, LLC under Urban One (NASDAQ: UONE), serving the Houston metro with music, local news, and branded shows distributed via broadcast, web streaming, and Amazon Alexa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Radio Networks (Format-Based) (MPABABAF), Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Urban radio broadcasting
• Hip-hop music programming
• FM radio station
• Digital audio streaming
• Local advertising

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

KBXX 97.9 The Box is a Houston, Texas-based urban contemporary radio station broadcasting on 97.9 FM, delivering hip-hop and R&B music programming, local news, entertainment coverage, and community event information. The station operates as Interactive One, LLC, a subsidiary of Urban One (Radio One), and distributes content via over-the-air FM broadcast in the Houston metropolitan area plus digital streaming through its website and Amazon Alexa integration.

Product overview

97.9 The Box (KBXX) is a Houston-based urban contemporary radio station operated by Radio One (Urban One). The station offers a unified platform combining FM radio broadcast with online streaming capabilities. The core product is the radio station itself, supplemented by multiple branded show programs including 'The Afternoon Sauce with G-Man,' 'Posted On The Corner,' and 'The Box Uncut,' along with specialty content categories like BMW Studio and 'Good Morning H-Town' news segments. Listeners can access programming through traditional FM radio, live online streaming, and Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 97.9 The Box (KBXX)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KMJQ Majic 102.1: Houston urban R&B/hip-hop FM station operated by the same parent, Urban One; sister station competing for overlap in audience and ad dollars within Houston's urban format cluster.
• KQBT 93.7 The Beat: Houston hip-hop FM station owned by iHeartMedia competing directly with KBXX for the same urban/hip-hop audience and advertising budgets in the Houston metropolitan market.
• V-103 (WVEE-FM): Atlanta hip-hop/R&B FM station operated by Audacy; comparable urban format in another top U.S. market with similar advertiser packaging and community engagement model.
• Power 105.1 (WWPR-FM): New York hip-hop FM station owned by iHeartMedia; direct format peer demonstrating the urban/hip-hop FM model scaled in another major U.S. market.

Broad incumbents

• Cumulus Media: Major U.S. terrestrial radio broadcaster with stations in major markets; competes for the same local and national ad budgets as KBXX via aggregated station portfolios.
• Audacy: Multi-format U.S. radio operator (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio) with both FM and streaming distribution; overlaps with KBXX in audience monetization and digital audio ad sales.
• iHeartMedia Houston: Largest U.S. radio operator with multiple Houston-market stations across formats; competes with KBXX via KQBT and other urban-leaning outlets and offers cross-platform digital ad products (iHeartRadio).
• Urban One Inc. (Radio One): Public parent company (NASDAQ: UONE) of KBXX; owns multiple urban-format stations nationwide and digital properties including Interactive One, providing portfolio-level comparable scale and strategy.

Others

• TuneIn: Internet radio streaming aggregator that carries KBXX and other broadcast stations globally; ecosystem enabler extending distribution, and also a partial substitute for traditional FM listening.

Emerging players

• Spotify: On-demand music streaming platform competing for the same hip-hop/R&B listener hours as KBXX; not a direct radio competitor but reshapes the addressable ad-supported audio market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/979TheBox
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBoxHouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/979thebox
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kbxx-97.9-the-box

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 KBXX 97.9 The Box