KBXX ("97.9 The Box") is a Houston-based radio station with a rhythmic contemporary musical format. It is owned by Radio One. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. 97.9 The Box is currently the only station that plays hip hop and modern R&B music in the Greater Houston area after the demise of KPTY in 2009, when they returned to rhythmic.
The morning show has been hosted by Madd Hatta since March 2001. He has been on 97.9 The Box since 1995, starting off in afternoons, then hosting mornings.
"The Box", which originally debuted in 1991 as a rhythmic contemporary station and was part of Radio & Records' Rhythmic Airplay panel, moved over to its Urban Contemporary Airplay panel in 2006 (particularly because Houston had KPTY as a rhythmic), however it still remains on Mediabase's Rhythmic Airplay Panel. Despite still on the BDS urban panel, they are a rhythmic contemporary because of KMJQ as its sister urban adult contemporary station and due to KBXX rivaling contemporary hit radio stations KKHH & KRBE. Houston is the second-largest American market without an urban contemporary, the largest being in Los Angeles when KDAY flipped to classic hip-hop from urban in 2009.
According to Operations Manager Terri Thomas, she pointed out KBXX's reasons behind its unique approach: "Rhythmic takes things into a specific focus,” and cites its target audience, saying that “We have Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and Caucasians,” and that “We are the #1 station in the market because, for us, it is more about the people who happen to love the music. It cuts across all race lines. We super serve African-Americans. We attempt to do the same with English-speaking Hispanics, and anyone else who is a lover of the music that we play. We try to super-serve them in any way possible.”