KISS-FM (brand)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States. Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio or Detroit itself.

Contents

The KISS-FM brand originated at WXKS-FM in Boston, which has used the "KISS-FM" brand name since 1979. The Logo for KISS-FM is a blue ball with KISS-FM in red lettering with yellow around the lettering and the radio frequency at the bottom in yellow.

There are some stations never owned by Clear Channel that license the KISS-FM branding. In Peoria, Illinois, WPIA 98.5 is a Mainstream Top 40 station using the KISS-FM brand.

On November 17, 2006, Clear Channel announced that the company intends to be sold to a group of private equity firms.[1].

Clear Channel announced on the same day its intent to sell off many radio stations in smaller radio markets - including some KISS-FM formatted stations. Former Clear Channel KISS-FM branded stations that have been sold and retained the KISS brand as of March 2007 include WDKS 106.1 KISS-FM Evansville, Indiana; KTRS 104.7 KISS-FM in Casper, Wyoming.

Clear Channel's main competitor, CBS Radio, owns two "Kiss" FM stations that are formatted as Top-40: WNKS in Charlotte, North Carolina, and KBKS in Seattle, Washington, but neither station uses the KISS ball logo.

Clear Channel has pursued legal claims against some station owners using branding similar to KISS-FM.

Some stations have dropped KISS branding as a result - for example: Mainstream Urban station WKYS in Washington, DC (owned by Radio One) used it before, then they dropped it, but most recently added the moniker backrecently (need source).

  • In May 1999, Radio One station WENZ in Cleveland (ironically acquired in a divesture from Clear Channel) changed format from modern rock over to mainstream urban as "KISS 107.9" (emulating WKYS) and also intended to change the stations' call sign. Two weeks later, Clear Channel flipped the format of recently acquired WZLE-FM in Lorain to "KISS 104.9", with a CHR format emulating KIIS. Following a long legal fight with Clear Channel, Radio One aburptly dropped the "KISS" moniker in October 1999 for "Z-107.9", a play of the WENZ calls which were never changed. WZLE then changed their calls to WAKS three days later. To this day, both stations still feature the same formats, nicknames and call letters.
  • In 2001, Clear Channel went to federal court to force American General Media (AGM) to give up the "Kiss" slogan that was used as the on-air moniker for Rhythmic Top 40 KISV in Bakersfield, California. Clear Channel wanted to use the slogan for its then-recent acquisition KKXX in 2000. AGM argued they had the rights to the "Kiss" slogan three years before Clear Channel came to Bakersfield; Clear Channel said otherwise and claimed AGM used it without permission. (need Source and details of the outcome of the legal action)
  • In Chicago, Clear Channel sent a Cease And Desist letter to former CHR-Dance WKIE. Clear Channel sued WKIE and successfully won the case, causing WKIE to drop the KISS name and rebrand itself as Energy 92.7. Clear Channel changed their Rhythmic Oldies 103.5 The Beat to CHR-Pop as 103.5 KISS-FM with call letters WKSC respectfully meaning KSC (KISS Chicago).[citation needed]

Clear Channel or Former Clear Channel Owned "KISS FM" branded Stations
Station Frequency Region
WKSB 102.7 Williamsport, Pennsylvania
KHFI-FM 96.7 Austin, Texas
KHKS-FM 106.1 Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
KIFS 107.5 Medford, Oregon
KIIS-FM 102.7 Los Angeles, California
KISS-XM XM21 United States (SDARS)
KKDM 107.5 Des Moines, Iowa
KSFT-FM 107.1 Sioux City, Iowa
KSME-FM 96.1 Fort Collins, Colorado
KZZP-FM 104.7 Phoenix, Arizona
WAEV-FM 97.3 Savannah, Georgia
WAKS-FM 96.5 Cleveland, Ohio
KISN-FM 96.7 Bozeman, Montana
WAZR-FM 93.7 Woodstock/Harrisonburg, Virginia
WBKS-FM 107.1 Ironton, OH/Huntington, WV
WFKS-FM 97.9 Jacksonville, Florida
WHKF-FM 99.3 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
WKFS 107.1 Cincinnati, Ohio
WKGS 106.7 Rochester, New York
WKKF-FM 102.3 Ballston Spa, New York
WKSB-FM 102.7 Williamsport, Pennsylvania
WKSC-FM 103.5 Chicago, Illinois
WKSI-FM 98.3 Winchester, Virginia
WKST-FM 96.1 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
WAKZ-FM 95.9 Youngstown, Ohio
WVKF-FM 95.7 Wheeling, WV/Steubenville, OH
WVKS-FM 92.5 Toledo, Ohio
WXKS-FM 107.9 Boston, Massachusetts
WKSS-FM 95.7 Hartford, Connecticut
WKZP-FM 107.3 Cookeville/Crossville, Tennessee
KCRS-FM 103.3 Odessa/Midland, Texas
KVVS-FM 97.7 Lancaster/Antelope Valley, California
WVZA-FM 92.7 Carbondale/Marion, Illinois
WZKF-FM 98.9 Louisville, Kentucky
WKSL-FM 93.9 Raleigh, North Carolina
WBVD-FM 95.1 Melbourne, Florida
WSKS/WSKU 97.9/105.5 Whitesboro/Little Falls, New York
Clear Channel Urban "KISS FM" branded Stations
Station Frequency Region
KISQ 98.1 San Francisco, California
WKUS 105.3 Norfolk, Virginia
WKSP-FM 96.3 Augusta, Georgia
WMRZ-FM 98.1 Albany, Georgia


Non-Clear Channel Affiliated "KISS-FM" Stations
Station Frequency Owner Region
WKSZ-FM 95.9 Woodward Communications, Inc. DePere, Wisconsin
KBKS-FM 106.1 CBS Radio Seattle, Washington
KISS-FM 99.5 Cox Radio San Antonio, Texas
KKSS-FM 97.3 Univision Santa Fe, New Mexico
KMML-FM 96.9 Gap Broadcasting Amarillo, Texas
KSSM-FM 103.1 Cumulus Media Copperas Cove, Texas
KYIS-FM 98.9 Citadel Broadcasting Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
WALR-FM 104.1 Cox Radio Atlanta, Georgia
WBHK-FM 98.7 Cox Radio Warrior/Birmingham, Alabama
WDMK 105.9 Radio One Detroit, Michigan
WKIS-FM 99.9 Beasley Broadcast Group Miami, Florida
WKJS/WKJM 99.3/105.7 Radio One Richmond/Petersburg, Virginia
WKSE 98.5 Entercom Buffalo, New York
WKYS-FM 93.9 Radio One Washington, DC
WLXC 98.5 Citadel Broadcasting Columbia, South Carolina
WNKS-FM 95.1 CBS Radio Charlotte, North Carolina
WPIA 98.5 Independence Media Peoria, Illinois
WRKS-FM 98.7 Emmis Broadcasting New York, New York
WDKS-FM 106.1 Regent Communications Evansville, Indiana
WXSS-FM 103.7 Entercom Milwaukee, Wisconsin
WDCI-FM 104.1 Withers Broadcasting Bridgeport, West Virginia
KGKS-FM 93.9 Mrr Liscensing Cade Girardeau, Missouri
WKSO-FM 97.3 First Natchez Broadcasting Natchez, Mississippi
WKKZ-FM 92.7 Kiry Broadcasting Dublin, Georgia
WUVA-FM 92.7 University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia
KXXZ-FM 95.9 Johnson Broadcasting Victorville, California
WCKS-FM 102.7 Graddick Communications Carrollton, Georgia
WKZA 106.9 Cross Country Communications Jamestown, NY

Advanced Search
Included Web Search Engines


Safe Search

close

Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

Sponsored Links

This section contains paid listings which have been purchased by companies that want to have their sites appear for specific search terms and related content. These listings are administered, sorted and maintained by a third party and are not endorsed by Search.com.

Search Results

Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.