About Big Dog 97.9
Joplin's Rock Station Since 1996
Since August 1996, Big Dog 97.9 (KXDG) has been more than just another radio station broadcasting from Joplin, Missouri. For three decades, we've been the soundtrack to road trips, Friday night football games, backyard barbecues, long workdays, and unforgettable memories across the Four States.
Whether you've been listening since day one or just discovered us yesterday, you're part of a legacy. It's built on great rock music, local personalities, and a commitment to serving our community.
Station Facts
- Station
- Big Dog 97.9
- Call Letters
- KXDG
- Frequency
- 97.9 FM
- On Air Since
- August 1996
- Format
- Classic Rock & Mainstream Rock
- Coverage Area
- Four States (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas)
- Studio Location
- Joplin, Missouri
- Morning Show
- Chris "Purple" Hayes & Bobby Show
- Parent Company
- Zimmer Marketing
- Tagline
- Everything That Rocks
Three Decades of Rock Radio in the Four States
When Big Dog 97.9 signed on in August 1996, rock music was changing. Grunge had reshaped the music world, alternative rock dominated the charts, and classic rock legends continued filling arenas around the globe. Big Dog embraced it all.
From the beginning, the station built a reputation for delivering a powerful mix of classic rock favorites alongside today's biggest rock artists. That commitment has never changed.
Over the past three decades, listeners have turned to Big Dog 97.9 to hear music from legendary bands including
- Metallica
- AC/DC
- Guns N' Roses
- Led Zeppelin
- Def Leppard
- Aerosmith
- Nirvana
- Pearl Jam
— and countless others. As rock evolved, so did Big Dog, adding artists like
- Shinedown
- Disturbed
- Godsmack
- Five Finger Death Punch
- Breaking Benjamin
- Volbeat
— and many more.
While musical trends have come and gone, Big Dog has remained committed to one thing: great rock music. It's in our name — Everything That Rocks!
More Than the Music
What makes Big Dog 97.9 different isn't the playlist — it's the relationship we've built with our listeners over the last 30 years.
Radio has always been about connection. Our listeners invite us into their vehicles during the morning commute, into workshops and factories throughout the workday, onto job sites, into living rooms, garages, hunting camps, fishing trips, and family vacations. Being part of those everyday moments is a responsibility we take seriously. That's why Big Dog has always focused on being local, reaching listeners throughout Joplin, Carthage, Neosho, and the rest of the Four States Area.
We're here for the biggest concerts, the biggest contests, local events, breaking news, weather updates, and the stories that matter to the people who live here.
Meet the Chris "Purple" Hayes & Bobby Show
At the heart of Big Dog 97.9 is the Chris "Purple" Hayes & Bobby Show, because every great radio station is built around great personalities. Their morning show has become one of the most recognizable voices in regional radio.
- Best Morning Show in the State of Kansas
- Missouri Best Social Media Stars — two years running
Their chemistry, humor, community involvement, and connection with listeners have earned significant recognition. Those awards represent more than industry recognition — they reflect the loyalty of listeners who tune in every morning because they know they're hearing familiar voices who genuinely care about the communities they serve.
Whether it's making people laugh before work, interviewing artists, highlighting local events, or giving away concert tickets, Chris "Purple" Hayes and Bobby continue a tradition that has helped define Big Dog 97.9 for today's generation of listeners.
Meet the show
A Station Built Around Its Community
For thirty years, Big Dog has believed that serving listeners extends beyond the airwaves. Supporting our community has always been part of who we are.
St. Jude Radiothon
Every year we host a full day on the air raising money and awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the families it helps.
See the RadiothonHonor Flight
Honor Flight gets our support too, recognizing local veterans for the courage and sacrifice they gave this country.
March of Dimes & Children's Miracle Network
Over the years, Big Dog has stood behind both, helping raise funds and hope for families across the region.
These partnerships reflect something we've believed since 1996: a great radio station should make its community stronger.
How to Listen to Big Dog 97.9
The way people listen to radio has changed dramatically since 1996, but the signal still reaches the same ground: Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Today, that means catching Big Dog 97.9 at 97.9 FM (KXDG), streaming online, through our app, on a smart speaker or straight from the car.
Over the air across the Four States.
Right here, from any page on the site.
iPhone
Android
AlexaAsk your smart speaker for Big Dog 97.9, or tune in on the road.
Technology keeps changing. What we deliver hasn't: great rock music, real support for our community, and a station that still feels like home, no matter how you tune in.
Everything That Rocks, for 30 Years and Counting
Thirty years is an incredible milestone, but we're just getting started. As rock music continues to evolve, Big Dog 97.9 remains committed to discovering new artists while celebrating the legendary bands that built the genre. Generations of listeners have grown up with us, introducing their own kids to the music along the way, and we'll keep bringing all of them exclusive contests, unforgettable promotions, local personalities, community involvement, and the soundtrack that powers life across the Four States.
Whether you've been listening since August 1996 or you just found us today, thank you for making Big Dog 97.9 part of your life. Here's to the next chapter. Here's to the next generation of rock. Here's to another 30 years.
Part of Zimmer Marketing
We're owned and operated by Zimmer Marketing, a local, full-service media company based in Joplin, Missouri, serving listeners across the Four States. That means the decisions about what you hear on Big Dog 97.9 — the music, the local news, the contests — are made right here, not somewhere else.
