KZII-FM
Encyclopedia
KZII-FM known as "102.5 Kiss FM" is a Top 40 (CHR)
formatted radio station
serving Lubbock, Texas
. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.
Rex was owned by Jim Sloane, and had filed for the station on 102.5 in 1977. A couple of other local stations (580 KDAV and 1590 KEND) also filed for the channel. The original engineering had been prepared by Guy Smith at the Ray Moran stations (Albuquerque and Roswell). Moran filed for 101.1 in 1973 and received it unopposed in 1973, went on air in 1974. Sloane delayed filing until the later seventies and ended up in a comparative hearing for the station.
KRUX was sold to the owners of crosstown 790 KFYO (AM)
in mid 1985. Z102/KFYO studios were located at the KFYO transmitter site on Slide Road south of Lubbock near FM 1585. The studios were then moved to the then Gulfstar (later AM/FM, and currently Clear Channel) studios at 4413 82nd Street (82nd and Quaker) in the late 90s. By year end in 1985, the transmitter had been relocated to a temporary location in north Lubbock, and in 1985-1986 the transmitter was moved to a new tower at 82nd and Avenue P (The Lubbock Tower) shared by then 94.5 KFMX, 96.3 KLLL, 99.5 KRLB (now KQBR), and 102.5 KFYO-FM. In the late 1990s 98.1 KKCL moved on to The Lubbock Tower, with 95.5 KAIQ-FM moving onto The Lubbock Tower in 2004.
After Gulfstar's parent company, Capstar, merged with Chancellor Broadcasting, these stations were eventually sold to one of the Hicks family controlled groups that were later rolled up into Clear Channel Communications
.
In 2006, Clear Channel announced they were going private, and later announced they would sell many of their smaller market stations, including their cluster in Lubbock. GAP Broadcasting purchased these stations, including KZII-FM.
On Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at midnight, GAP Broadcasting dropped the Z102 format in favor of the "Kiss FM
" branding. The station became 102.5 Kiss FM at 5 p.m. on March 20, 2009.
What eventually became Gap Central Broadcasting (following the formation of GapWest Broadcasting) was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010.
On Saturdays from 8PM to 11PM. KISS FM broadcasts live from Heaven Nightclub called "Saturday Night Heaven"
On air, Z102's positioning included "Hot Hitz, 102.5 Z102"; "H - I - T - Z102" (How you spell Hits); "Continuous Hit Music, 102.5 Z102"; "Your #1 Hit Music Station, 102.5 Z102"; and was "Lubbock's #1 Hit Music Station, Z102" prior to changing to the "Kiss FM" branding.
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...
formatted 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...
serving Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.
History
KZII went on air as KRUX in mid-March 1982. Studios were on the third floor of the Plains Bank building at 5010 50th, and the transmitter was at 98th and University (the KJTV tower). Station featured "six packs" of country music. It was owned by Rex Broadcasting Corporation of owner of KCUB (AM) and KIIM (FM) in Tucson, Az, and KROD (AM) and KLAQ (FM) in El Paso, Texas.Rex was owned by Jim Sloane, and had filed for the station on 102.5 in 1977. A couple of other local stations (580 KDAV and 1590 KEND) also filed for the channel. The original engineering had been prepared by Guy Smith at the Ray Moran stations (Albuquerque and Roswell). Moran filed for 101.1 in 1973 and received it unopposed in 1973, went on air in 1974. Sloane delayed filing until the later seventies and ended up in a comparative hearing for the station.
KRUX was sold to the owners of crosstown 790 KFYO (AM)
KFYO (AM)
KFYO is a Lubbock, Texas, based news/talk radio station operating on 790 kHz AM.-Staff:KFYO News Staff includes: Robert Snyder, Rex Andrew, Cole Shooter, Bob Horton & Julie FisherKFYO Morning Show Host: Chad Hasty...
in mid 1985. Z102/KFYO studios were located at the KFYO transmitter site on Slide Road south of Lubbock near FM 1585. The studios were then moved to the then Gulfstar (later AM/FM, and currently Clear Channel) studios at 4413 82nd Street (82nd and Quaker) in the late 90s. By year end in 1985, the transmitter had been relocated to a temporary location in north Lubbock, and in 1985-1986 the transmitter was moved to a new tower at 82nd and Avenue P (The Lubbock Tower) shared by then 94.5 KFMX, 96.3 KLLL, 99.5 KRLB (now KQBR), and 102.5 KFYO-FM. In the late 1990s 98.1 KKCL moved on to The Lubbock Tower, with 95.5 KAIQ-FM moving onto The Lubbock Tower in 2004.
After Gulfstar's parent company, Capstar, merged with Chancellor Broadcasting, these stations were eventually sold to one of the Hicks family controlled groups that were later rolled up into 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...
.
In 2006, Clear Channel announced they were going private, and later announced they would sell many of their smaller market stations, including their cluster in Lubbock. GAP Broadcasting purchased these stations, including KZII-FM.
On Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at midnight, GAP Broadcasting dropped the Z102 format in favor of the "Kiss FM
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...
" branding. The station became 102.5 Kiss FM at 5 p.m. on March 20, 2009.
What eventually became Gap Central Broadcasting (following the formation of GapWest Broadcasting) was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010.
Programming
Kiss FM's current format is Mainstream CHR which is a variant of Top 40, although the station has shifted between Mainstream CHR and Rhythmic CHR over the past 10 years, as different stations entered the Lubbock market to compete.On Saturdays from 8PM to 11PM. KISS FM broadcasts live from Heaven Nightclub called "Saturday Night Heaven"
On air, Z102's positioning included "Hot Hitz, 102.5 Z102"; "H - I - T - Z102" (How you spell Hits); "Continuous Hit Music, 102.5 Z102"; "Your #1 Hit Music Station, 102.5 Z102"; and was "Lubbock's #1 Hit Music Station, Z102" prior to changing to the "Kiss FM" branding.