KSSK-FM
Encyclopedia
KSSK-FM is an adult contemporary radio station licensed to Waipahu, Hawaii, serving the Honolulu, Hawaii
market, and owned by Clear Channel Communications
. It is simulcast on AM 590 (licensed to Honolulu). The station is home to the "Perry & Price
" morning show. It is also transmitting on Oceanic Time Warner Cable
digital channel 867 for the entire state of Hawaii
, via the DishHD
satellite tv service in Taiwan, and also USEN's Sound Planet satellite radio service in Japan.
The station uses as its slogan, "Hawaii's Favorite," and Arbitron consistently ranks KSSK as Honolulu's most listened-to radio station annually. Like other Clear Channel stations in many markets, KSSK continuously plays holiday music during the month leading up to Christmas
, returning to its normal format on December 26.
KSSK's rise to the top in the Honolulu market (based on Arbitron
) started when the station's call letters were KGMB. During the attack on Pearl Harbor
, KGMB dispatched reports to CBS
, which in turn were cited on-air by John Charles Daly
, who anchored the network's coverage of that day's news. It was an AM station and home to Hal J. Akuhead Pupule Lewis
, better known as Aku. Upon Aku's passing in 1983, the station (now known as KSSK) moved afternoon personality Michael W. Perry
to the morning slot and paired him with morning show substitute (while Aku was ill), Larry Price, former National Football League
player and head coach of the University of Hawaii
Rainbow Warriors football team. The pairing was known as "Perry & Price".
KSSK had a sister FM station, KULA. The format was light rock and positioned themselves in the market as "Light rock, less talk." Later in the late 1980s, KULA became KXPW (Power 92) under long time CHR programmer, Jay Stone
(deceased).Power 92 became 92X with Brad Barrett as program director, then KXPW eventually became KSSK-FM and the radio station simulcast part of the day with KSSK-AM, including the now #1 "Perry & Price" morning show.
KSSK's jingle melody was adapted from that of WPLJ
in New York City
--in fact, KSSK used WPLJ's jingle packages until TM Century created a jingle package for KSSK, entitled "Big Time Honolulu."
s on KSSK include:
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
market, and owned by Clear Channel Communications
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...
. It is simulcast on AM 590 (licensed to Honolulu). The station is home to the "Perry & Price
Perry & Price
Perry & Price is a morning radio show which airs six days a week on KSSK-AM and KSSK-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii. The show is currently the number one morning radio show in Hawaii, capturing a 25 percent share of the state's listening audience...
" morning show. It is also transmitting on Oceanic Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
digital channel 867 for the entire state of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, via the DishHD
DishHD
DishHD is a high-definition direct-to-home satellite television service in Asia. The DishHD channel lineup is sold in two packages . DishHD programming includes both high-definition video channels as well as premium audio channels...
satellite tv service in Taiwan, and also USEN's Sound Planet satellite radio service in Japan.
The station uses as its slogan, "Hawaii's Favorite," and Arbitron consistently ranks KSSK as Honolulu's most listened-to radio station annually. Like other Clear Channel stations in many markets, KSSK continuously plays holiday music during the month leading up to Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, returning to its normal format on December 26.
History
The AM side of the stations first signed on the air on Friday, May 11, 1922 as KDYX. The then governor of Hawaii was the first to greet the audiences. Along with KDYX, KGU 760, signed on the same day.KSSK's rise to the top in the Honolulu market (based on Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
) started when the station's call letters were KGMB. During the attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, KGMB dispatched reports to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, which in turn were cited on-air by John Charles Daly
John Charles Daly
John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (generally known as John Charles Daly or simply John Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, game show host and radio personality, probably best known for hosting...
, who anchored the network's coverage of that day's news. It was an AM station and home to Hal J. Akuhead Pupule Lewis
Hal Lewis (Aku)
Hal Lewis , aka J. Akuhead Pupule or Aku, was the morning air personality in 1965 at KGMB, an AM station in Honolulu, Hawaii.-Brief biography:...
, better known as Aku. Upon Aku's passing in 1983, the station (now known as KSSK) moved afternoon personality Michael W. Perry
Michael W. Perry
Michael William Perry is the co-host, along with Larry Price, of the Perry & Price show on KSSK-FM in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also hosts the Hawaiian Moving Company television show on KGMB in Honolulu.- Biography :...
to the morning slot and paired him with morning show substitute (while Aku was ill), Larry Price, former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player and head coach of the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
Rainbow Warriors football team. The pairing was known as "Perry & Price".
KSSK had a sister FM station, KULA. The format was light rock and positioned themselves in the market as "Light rock, less talk." Later in the late 1980s, KULA became KXPW (Power 92) under long time CHR programmer, Jay Stone
Jay Stone
Jay Stone was the 'Chief of the Correspondence Division' in the United States War Department in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In a period without 'Assistant Secretaries', this was the second highest-ranking civil service position in this cabinet-level department, under the...
(deceased).Power 92 became 92X with Brad Barrett as program director, then KXPW eventually became KSSK-FM and the radio station simulcast part of the day with KSSK-AM, including the now #1 "Perry & Price" morning show.
KSSK's jingle melody was adapted from that of WPLJ
WPLJ
WPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
--in fact, KSSK used WPLJ's jingle packages until TM Century created a jingle package for KSSK, entitled "Big Time Honolulu."
Current on-air staff
As of April 16, 2009, current staff who also have their own blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s on KSSK include:
- Perry and Price
- Sweetie Pacarro
- Kathy with a K
- Curt Williams
- Chris Peters
- Steven Storm
- Jason Yotsuda
- Jamie Hyatt
Notable former on-air staff
Some notables who have passed through KGMB/KSSK include:- Earl McDaniel (General Manager credited with putting the station on top)
- Hal Aku LewisHal Lewis (Aku)Hal Lewis , aka J. Akuhead Pupule or Aku, was the morning air personality in 1965 at KGMB, an AM station in Honolulu, Hawaii.-Brief biography:...
(deceased) - George "Granny Goose" Groves
- Don Lamons
- Dave Lancaster
- Susan Cruz (who was actually Noland Cruz though while on air as Susan Cruz, he was never a female impersonator. The only link to being female was his name that was given to him by the General Manager)
- Ruth Ann "Hana Ogi" Ogata
- Shawn Sweeny
- Cliff Richards (deceased)
- Myk Powell
- Mike Murray
- Harvey Weinstein (deceased)
- Kimo Kahoano
- Jim Peters
- Jim Collins
- Shawnee (Smith)
- Noel Grey
- Alan Zukercorn
- Wild Bill Logan
- Steve Carpenter
- Michael Shishido
- Maxwell the night guy (kris sereno)
- Erika Engle (news)
- Dave Curtis (news)
- Maureen Borromeo(Pescaia)-(news)
- Jamie Hartnett, Director of Marketing and Promotions
- Brad Barrett, Director of Programming
- Dick Wainwright
- Denny McPhee
- Jim Erickson
- Lisa D
- Steve Kelly