KCTE primarily carries ESPN Radio programming while WHB mainly airs local sports shows during the day.

However, because AM 810 is a clear-channel frequency reserved for Class A stations KSFO in San Francisco and WGY in Schenectady, New York, at night WHB reduces power to 5,000 watts.

The station published a quarterly magazine called Swing, keeping readers up to date with the Kansas City music scene, which had waned in the wake of the Pendergast Machine's downfall and World War II.

Building on his successful attempts at increasing listenership at KOWH in Omaha (now KCRO) and WTIX-AM in New Orleans, Storz discontinued WHB's network programming and introduced a Top 40 format.

Although listenership soared to as much as 50 percent, Kansas City police chief Bernard Brannon suggested in the June 4, 1956 issue of Time Magazine that Storz's treasure hunts should be banned.

Using a multi-line system invented by WHB engineer Dale Moody, disc jockeys and hosts could field calls from across the Midwest as guests from all walks of life visited the studio.

In the 1950s, Moody also fashioned a unique programming idea for WHB during the overnight hours, "Silent Sam, the All-night Deejay Man."

WHB's popularity increased as songs on the Top 40 began to include rock and roll hits by Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, and The Beatles.

Starting in 1973 with KBEQ-FM, WHB's listenership declined as more Kansas Citians listened to their favorite hits in FM stereo and with less interference common to AM broadcasting.

By the mid-1970s, these frequencies would become homes to KYYS (Kansas City) and KSHE (St. Louis), each filling the air with 100,000 watts of album-based progressive rock music.

[8][9][10][11] Dan Diamond, a lifelong friend of the Carter family, aired a Saturday morning request show and Wayne Combs headed up the News Department at WHB.

A frequency swap with talk radio station KCMO-AM on October 8, 1997[12] gave WHB one of the largest daytime coverage areas in the Midwest, providing at least secondary coverage to almost half of Missouri, almost half of Kansas (as far west as the Wichita suburbs), along with large slices of Nebraska and Iowa.

[13][14] In September 1999, Union Broadcasting purchased WHB from Kanza for $8 million, considered a high price for an AM radio station.

Jason Whitlock, Bill Maas, and Tim Grunhard, who were a part of the first years of WHB programming, were hired by KCSP.

Soren Petro joined WHB in January 2004 after KMBZ ended its sports talk programming and moved it to KCSP.

WHB picked up broadcasting rights to Kansas City Royals baseball games in 2003, allowing its Arbitron ratings share to peak in the spring at 4.0.

Between the Lines, hosted by Kevin Kietzman (former WDAF-TV sportscaster), from 2 to 7 PM, ranks among the top-rated sports shows in the city.

A mid-morning show, Crunch Time (9-11 AM), was originally hosted by Maas, Grunhard and Frank Boal until the first two broadcasters defected, leaving Boal to carry on with a series of rotating co-hosts, including Dave Stewart (also of Metro Sports and formerly of KMBC), George Brett, Kevin Harlan (CBS Sports), Lynn Dickey, and Joe Randa.

The morning drive time show, The Border Patrol, originally began with co-hosts Steven St. John and "Bulldog" Bob Fescoe.

Fescoe left WHB in 2007 for St. Louis sports station 590 KFNS, and was replaced by Nate Bukaty (also a KU alum).

On January 4, 2007, sister station 97.3 FM KCXM became a full-time affiliate of ESPN Radio, allowing WHB to focus more on local sports talk.

Due to the change of ownership on FM and the signal restrictions on AM, Union chose not to renew the Royals radio contract.