KBKS-FM
Encyclopedia
KBKS-FM better known as "106.1 KISS FM
", is a radio station
in the Seattle, Washington
area that plays current popular (Top 40 Mainstream
) music. The Clear Channel
outlet broadcasts at 106.1 MHz with an ERP of 68 kW and is licensed to Tacoma, Washington
.
format that targeted Tacoma, its city of license, and South Puget Sound. KLAY-FM was the first FM station in the Pacific Northwest broadcasting in Stereo.
Sometime in the late 1960s, the station flipped to a progressive rock
format, but kept the KLAY-FM call letters. Many famous Seattle radio personalities got their start here during this time period.
In March of 1980, the station was sold to Heritage Media. The station flipped to Country as "K106", and the call letters changed to KRPM. The station competed against EZ Communications' KMPS
. At the time, the Country format was quite popular, and crowded. The station simulcasted on KYCW-AM for a brief period (and also simulcasted on KRPM-AM and KULL (now KTTH
) from 1986 to 1995). The station would also hold the call sign KCIN-FM (when the station rebranded to "Kickin' Country 106") from November 1, 1995 to April 5, 1996 (as the AM signal was 1090 AM, which was still KRPM-AM, and that frequency would be used after EZ purchased KRPM on March 18, 1996, to simulcast KYCW, and then KMPS). The station would reacquire the KPRM call letters on April 5. In the same year, EZ Communications would be bought out by American Radio Systems. Before the merger, EZ bought KYCW-FM
(which also ran a Country format) from Infinity Broadcasting, which would later be reacquired after American Radio Systems and Infinity merged in 1997.
On April 15, 1996, the station flipped to a gold-leaning Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
format known as "Kiss 106". The station would adopt the current call letters on the same day.
In February 1997, the station flipped to its current Top 40 format and added the ".1" in the "Kiss 106" moniker. This marked the first Top 40 station in Seattle since 1992 when KUBE evolved to rhythmic top 40 and KPLZ-FM
shifted to Hot AC.
At first, KBKS' direction leaned more towards Modern Rock
/Modern Adult Contemporary as a way to counter KUBE's Rhythmic Top 40 direction. This formula worked well, but the station didn't have much ratings growth. In 2007, the station began broadening up its direction by embracing some R&B/Hip-Hop
tracks in the hopes to dent KUBE's dominant ratings in the Seattle Top 40 wars. With the introduction of the PPM in Arbitron ratings measurement, KBKS jumped from 13th place (in the old diary system) to 3rd place. As of August 2010, KBKS's ratings have gone up to a 4.6 in the ratings, placing at #2 behind KPLZ-FM
(Adult Contemporary) but still beating stations such as KKWF-FM (Country), as well as beating KUBE
. It also plays more punk-rock/pop tracks that most Top 40 stations in the United States don't play, which is also a benefactor in their rise in the ratings. As of the November 2010 ratings report, KBKS is ranked #2 with a 5.1 share, while KUBE is ranked #3 with a 4.4 share. However, in recent months, ratings for the station have started to cool down to a 3.3 share, while recent CHR convert KQMV is ahead of KBKS with a 3.8 share. In the latest Arbitron ratings report (July 2011), KBKS has jumped to a 4.7 share, placing at #5, while KQMV has settled to a 3.6 share, placing them at #12.
On December 14, 2005, Infinity Broadcasting would be renamed CBS Radio
. With this, KBKS became a CBS-owned and operated station.
In mid-2007, the station altered its moniker to "106.1 KISS FM".
On December 10, 2008, CBS Radio
announced it would swap 5 of its stations (including KBKS) to its current owner Clear Channel in trade of 2 stations in Houston, Texas
; the deal was approved by the FCC on March 31, 2009 and consummated on April 1.
In June of 2011, the station would back off of its longtime rock lean and shift towards a more mainstream direction.
The acquisition by Clear Channel
joined former long-time rival rhythmic top 40 station KUBE, leaving KBKS to compete against Sandusky Broadcasting's pair of CHR
KQMV
(Movin' 92.5) and AAA
/modern AC KLCK-FM (Click 98.9), and Fisher Broadcasting's hot adult contemporary KPLZ-FM
(Star 101.5).
operations on January 19, 2006. The station's HD2 channel first aired a New CHR format branded as "New Kiss 2". New Kiss 2 had a website (http://www.newkiss2.com) and had on-air personalities. In April 2009, with the selling of the station to Clear Channel, the HD2 channel flipped to Mainstream Urban
as "The Beat".
Previous morning shows include Dana Deardon & The Kiss Boys from March 1996-February 1997, Chris (Collins) & Dana In The Morning from February 1997-February 2000, and Candy & Jer from February 2000-January 18, 2001.
KISS-FM (brand)
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, Texas itself .-Origin and...
", is a radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
area that plays current popular (Top 40 Mainstream
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
) music. The Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
outlet broadcasts at 106.1 MHz with an ERP of 68 kW and is licensed to Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
History
KBKS signed on the air in 1959 as KLAY-FM, a sister station to KLAY-AM. Like most FM stations at the time, the station aired a beautiful musicBeautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format that targeted Tacoma, its city of license, and South Puget Sound. KLAY-FM was the first FM station in the Pacific Northwest broadcasting in Stereo.
Sometime in the late 1960s, the station flipped to a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
format, but kept the KLAY-FM call letters. Many famous Seattle radio personalities got their start here during this time period.
In March of 1980, the station was sold to Heritage Media. The station flipped to Country as "K106", and the call letters changed to KRPM. The station competed against EZ Communications' KMPS
KMPS
KMPS-FM is a country music station based in Seattle, Washington. The CBS Radio outlet broadcasts at 94.1 MHz with its main transmitter operating at 69 kW effective radiated power and its three auxiliary transmitters operating at 57 kW, 55 kW and 53 kW ERP. All four of its transmitters are located...
. At the time, the Country format was quite popular, and crowded. The station simulcasted on KYCW-AM for a brief period (and also simulcasted on KRPM-AM and KULL (now KTTH
KTTH
KTTH is a conservative talk radio station, owned by Bonneville International, broadcasting at 770 kHz in Seattle, Washington.-Programming:...
) from 1986 to 1995). The station would also hold the call sign KCIN-FM (when the station rebranded to "Kickin' Country 106") from November 1, 1995 to April 5, 1996 (as the AM signal was 1090 AM, which was still KRPM-AM, and that frequency would be used after EZ purchased KRPM on March 18, 1996, to simulcast KYCW, and then KMPS). The station would reacquire the KPRM call letters on April 5. In the same year, EZ Communications would be bought out by American Radio Systems. Before the merger, EZ bought KYCW-FM
KJAQ
KJAQ is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington. KJAQ airs an adult hits music format branded as "Jack FM".-History:...
(which also ran a Country format) from Infinity Broadcasting, which would later be reacquired after American Radio Systems and Infinity merged in 1997.
On April 15, 1996, the station flipped to a gold-leaning Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
format known as "Kiss 106". The station would adopt the current call letters on the same day.
In February 1997, the station flipped to its current Top 40 format and added the ".1" in the "Kiss 106" moniker. This marked the first Top 40 station in Seattle since 1992 when KUBE evolved to rhythmic top 40 and KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington. KPLZ-FM airs an adult top 40 music format branded as "Star 101.5".-History:...
shifted to Hot AC.
At first, KBKS' direction leaned more towards Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
/Modern Adult Contemporary as a way to counter KUBE's Rhythmic Top 40 direction. This formula worked well, but the station didn't have much ratings growth. In 2007, the station began broadening up its direction by embracing some R&B/Hip-Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
tracks in the hopes to dent KUBE's dominant ratings in the Seattle Top 40 wars. With the introduction of the PPM in Arbitron ratings measurement, KBKS jumped from 13th place (in the old diary system) to 3rd place. As of August 2010, KBKS's ratings have gone up to a 4.6 in the ratings, placing at #2 behind KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington. KPLZ-FM airs an adult top 40 music format branded as "Star 101.5".-History:...
(Adult Contemporary) but still beating stations such as KKWF-FM (Country), as well as beating KUBE
KUBE
KUBE is a rhythmic contemporary radio station licensed in Seattle. The station's slogan is "Hits & Hip Hop." KUBE offers a mix of personality-driven DJs and current-based hit driven R&B/Hip-Hop fare...
. It also plays more punk-rock/pop tracks that most Top 40 stations in the United States don't play, which is also a benefactor in their rise in the ratings. As of the November 2010 ratings report, KBKS is ranked #2 with a 5.1 share, while KUBE is ranked #3 with a 4.4 share. However, in recent months, ratings for the station have started to cool down to a 3.3 share, while recent CHR convert KQMV is ahead of KBKS with a 3.8 share. In the latest Arbitron ratings report (July 2011), KBKS has jumped to a 4.7 share, placing at #5, while KQMV has settled to a 3.6 share, placing them at #12.
On December 14, 2005, Infinity Broadcasting would be renamed CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. With this, KBKS became a CBS-owned and operated station.
In mid-2007, the station altered its moniker to "106.1 KISS FM".
On December 10, 2008, CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
announced it would swap 5 of its stations (including KBKS) to its current owner Clear Channel in trade of 2 stations in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
; the deal was approved by the FCC on March 31, 2009 and consummated on April 1.
In June of 2011, the station would back off of its longtime rock lean and shift towards a more mainstream direction.
The acquisition by Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
joined former long-time rival rhythmic top 40 station KUBE, leaving KBKS to compete against Sandusky Broadcasting's pair of CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
KQMV
KQMV
KQMV , known as "Movin' 92.5," is a Rhythmic-leaning CHR radio station serving the Puget Sound area. The Sandusky Radio outlet operates at 92.5 MHz with an ERP of 56.8 kW and its community of license is Bellevue, Washington...
(Movin' 92.5) and AAA
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
/modern AC KLCK-FM (Click 98.9), and Fisher Broadcasting's hot adult contemporary KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM
KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington. KPLZ-FM airs an adult top 40 music format branded as "Star 101.5".-History:...
(Star 101.5).
HD Radio
The station signed on HD RadioHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
operations on January 19, 2006. The station's HD2 channel first aired a New CHR format branded as "New Kiss 2". New Kiss 2 had a website (http://www.newkiss2.com) and had on-air personalities. In April 2009, with the selling of the station to Clear Channel, the HD2 channel flipped to Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
as "The Beat".
Morning show
The station's morning show is currently hosted by Jackie and Bender, who have been on air since January 21, 2001. The show also includes co-host Ben, who runs KISS TV, a 5-camera system that displays the show live to viewers online.Previous morning shows include Dana Deardon & The Kiss Boys from March 1996-February 1997, Chris (Collins) & Dana In The Morning from February 1997-February 2000, and Candy & Jer from February 2000-January 18, 2001.