By Ad Astra News
LINDSBORG, Kan. — Ad Astra Radio’s Smoky Hills Rock 95.5 placed in operation a new transmitter, allowing it to operate at its full licensed power for the first time in over five years.
Ad Astra Radio had the high bid to acquire what is now KLBG in an auction of multiple Kansas radio stations last October and assumed ownership in April of this year.
“We knew it was going to be a long slog to get it up to our standards,” Ad Astra Radio President, Chris Shank said.
Completion of the project took considerably longer than expected due to supply chain issues that delayed shipment of the new state-of-the-art transmitter until this week.
Since returning to the air in late April, Smoky Hills Rock 95.5 has been operating at a very small fraction of its licensed power due to issues with the existing transmitter on White Cross Hill off Burma Road north of Lindsborg. With completion of the project, Smoky Hills Rock 95.5 can now be heard extending to the Hutchinson and Newton area north, between Concordia and Minneapolis, and from Wilson east near Junction City.
Smoky Hills Rock 95.5 is based in Ad Astra Radio’s McPherson facility, which also houses KMCP 1540 AM, 98.9 FM, and KMPK 96.7 FM. Over the past 15 months, Ad Astra Radio has undertaken a major rebuilding project in McPherson which has involved replacement of nearly all studio and production equipment. The AM transmitter of KMCP has also been replaced and that of KMPK will be shortly.
95.5 KLBG Smoky Hills Rock – The Smoky Valley, Salina and McPherson’s only Rock station out of Lindsborg, 95.5 KLBG Smoky Hills Rock features ABC News, Brownfield Ag News Reports, and is the exclusive voice of the Smoky Valley High School Vikings and Bethany College Swedes. It plays ROCK 2.0, which provides a tremendous variety in texture and era with the strength and balance of familiarity of over 30 years of Rock. While the core muscle of the format is heavily built on 90’s hit makers like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots, it traces its DNA from a skeletal structure built by Ozzy Osbourne and Guns & Roses. It also reaches forward embracing newer acts like Disturbed, Pretty Reckless and Cage The Elephant.
About Ad Astra Radio – On Oct. 1, 1986, KSKU signed on the air with Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4”. From that first song on one station, Ad Astra Radio has grown into the largest family-owned radio company based in Kansas entertaining, informing and interacting with thousands of listeners daily across Kansas on its network of 11 local stations. The family owned and operated company is now in its second generation. Ad Astra Radio also takes great pride in bringing live play-by-play coverage from over 60 high schools across Kansas with Football, Boys & Girls Basketball, Baseball and Softball Broadcasts across all 11 stations, the exclusive Ad Astra Radio App, smart speakers, the IHeart Media, Tune In and on www.adastraradio.com.
