A cease & desist forced Kansas stations to abandon “The Rock of Kansas” branding. Audacy has owned the “Rock of Kansas City” trademark since 2000.
What We Know Murfin Media launched the “Rock of Kansas” format across five Kansas stations in March: 94.9 KIND-FM (Elk City/Independence), 97.7 KSNP (Burlington), 105.5 KKOY-FM (Chanute), 1340 KSEK/107.9 K300DE (Pittsburg), and 1550 KWLE (Winfield). Moreover, Audacy sent a cease & desist letter citing its longtime trademark on “The Rock of Kansas City” for 98.9 KQRC in Kansas City. By midday today, the stations scrapped all imaging. Currently, hosts are either calling themselves “Today’s Classic Rock Station” or reverting to prior branding like “The Dawg.”
What They Said Nycki Pace, the Murfin midday host and former KQRC personality, posted a lengthy Facebook response to the shutdown. “The handful of people behind this with Audacy KC are petty,” she wrote. Additionally, she argued that Audacy’s legal move was disproportionate: “Audacy taking the time to present a legal issue with The Rock of Kansas (that you can barely hear in city limits) is a joke and honestly embarrassing.” Notably, she accused Audacy of deliberately suppressing her voice in the Kansas City market.
What Remains Unclear Neither Audacy nor Murfin Media has commented on the dispute. It’s also unknown whether Murfin will pursue alternative branding or further legal action to challenge the trademark claim.
What It Means Yeah, basically, you can’t do that—Audacy called them on the carpet for it. Look, direct competition probably doesn’t exist here, but needless to say, Audacy’s protecting their rights, which sits squarely in their domain. That comment button won’t be popular, but Audacy definitely needs to protect what they own.
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David Hill serves as a Music Radio Editor, Columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. A radio lifer with more than 30 years behind the mic, in the control room, and in the program director’s chair, David’s career spans influential stops at brands such as WIYY 98 Rock, WBAL-AM, and 99X. He has worked across multiple formats and ownership groups, including iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media, developing talent, breaking music, and navigating every major industry shift from diary to PPM and terrestrial dominance to streaming disruption. When he’s not writing or analyzing the industry, Dave runs The Tune Farm, a marketing firm built to help artists and brands grow audience the same way great radio always has—by creating connection, not just impressions. He can be reached at David@BarrettMedia.com.