WKSZ
Encyclopedia
WKSZ is a Top 40 (CHR)
formatted radio station
licensed
to De Pere, Wisconsin
, that serves the Green Bay
and Appleton
-Oshkosh
areas. The station is owned by Woodward Communications.
formathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZGGg3cbwk&mode=user&search= until October 1995, when LeDuc sold the station to Woodward Communications. (LeDuc would resurrect the WJLW call letters, and its country format, one year later at the 106.7 frequency in Green Bay.)
The 95.9 frequency went dormant for a month until November 1995, when Woodward launched WKSZ as "95.9 Kiss FM." The station was positioned as a contemporary hit radio station, putting it in direct competition with Midwest Communications' heritage CHR station, WIXX.
Kiss FM's ratings managed to stay only in the middle of the Arbitron
ratings for the Green Bay market, thanks to the long-time dominance of WIXX as the premiere hit radio station in Northeast Wisconsin. However, a ratings surge by WKSZ in 2001-2002 had the station beating WIXX in several key younger demographics. In response, Midwest Communications
changed the format of their low-rated adult contemporary station, WLTM, to a rhythmic
format as WLYD "Wild 99.7."
In April 2003, after a stellar first book performance by Wild, Woodward pulled the plug on "95.9 Kiss FM." A local research project commissioned by Woodward indicated a format "hole" for Hot Adult Contemporary, and after stunting
with Christmas music, Woodward launched the new Hot AC format on WKSZ as "Today's Best Variety, Mix 95.9". The move to Hot AC, however, backfired for Woodward, as Mix 95.9's listener share sank to at or near the bottom of the Arbitron
ratings in the Green Bay market.
In February 2006, Midwest Communications
dropped WLYD's rhythmic format in favor of Variety Hits (as WZBY). One month later, on March 13, 2006, Woodward would fill the void "Wild 99.7" left behind, flipping WKSZ from Hot AC back to "Kiss FM", mixing Kiss' contemporary hit music with some rhythmic
music formerly heard on "Wild 99.7." (Reviving the "Kiss FM" moniker was an acknowledgment that listeners still referred to WKSZ by that name, even during its "Mix" days.) "Kiss-FM" makes an effort of identifying each song played by adding a recorded artist/title identification at the end of each song (regardless of whether a DJ will be heard afterwards).
The 2006 return of Kiss paid off, for in the first Arbitron
ratings book after the flip (Spring 2006), WKSZ leaped to a 4th place ranking (of 21 stations) with an audience share that was 5 times greater than the share "Mix 95.9" pulled in during its waning days. The station finished 2nd place in the most recent (Fall 2010) Arbitron ratings for the Green Bay market.
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...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Registered historic places:...
, that serves the Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
and Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 62,916 people, 24,082 households, and 13,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,662.2 people per square mile . There were 25,420 housing units at an average density of 1,075.6 per square mile...
areas. The station is owned by Woodward Communications.
History
The history of the 95.9 MHz frequency in the Green Bay area dates back to the mid-1980s, with WJLW. Locally owned by Jack LeDuc (from whom the "JL" of the call letters originated), WJLW broadcast a Country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMZGGg3cbwk&mode=user&search= until October 1995, when LeDuc sold the station to Woodward Communications. (LeDuc would resurrect the WJLW call letters, and its country format, one year later at the 106.7 frequency in Green Bay.)
The 95.9 frequency went dormant for a month until November 1995, when Woodward launched WKSZ as "95.9 Kiss FM." The station was positioned as a contemporary hit radio station, putting it in direct competition with Midwest Communications' heritage CHR station, WIXX.
Kiss FM's ratings managed to stay only in the middle of the 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...
ratings for the Green Bay market, thanks to the long-time dominance of WIXX as the premiere hit radio station in Northeast Wisconsin. However, a ratings surge by WKSZ in 2001-2002 had the station beating WIXX in several key younger demographics. In response, Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications, Inc. consists of Midwest Communications, Inc. and WRIG, Inc., which collectively own forty-six radio stations. The Company got its start in Wausau, Wisconsin, with WRIG, Inc. and the acquisition by the D.E. Wright family of a 1400 kHz, 250 watt AM facility from the...
changed the format of their low-rated adult contemporary station, WLTM, to a rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
format as WLYD "Wild 99.7."
In April 2003, after a stellar first book performance by Wild, Woodward pulled the plug on "95.9 Kiss FM." A local research project commissioned by Woodward indicated a format "hole" for Hot Adult Contemporary, and after stunting
Stunting (broadcasting)
In radio broadcasting, stunting occurs when a station abruptly airs programming that is seemingly uncharacteristic compared to what they normally play...
with Christmas music, Woodward launched the new Hot AC format on WKSZ as "Today's Best Variety, Mix 95.9". The move to Hot AC, however, backfired for Woodward, as Mix 95.9's listener share sank to at or near the bottom of the 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...
ratings in the Green Bay market.
In February 2006, Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications
Midwest Communications, Inc. consists of Midwest Communications, Inc. and WRIG, Inc., which collectively own forty-six radio stations. The Company got its start in Wausau, Wisconsin, with WRIG, Inc. and the acquisition by the D.E. Wright family of a 1400 kHz, 250 watt AM facility from the...
dropped WLYD's rhythmic format in favor of Variety Hits (as WZBY). One month later, on March 13, 2006, Woodward would fill the void "Wild 99.7" left behind, flipping WKSZ from Hot AC back to "Kiss FM", mixing Kiss' contemporary hit music with some rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
music formerly heard on "Wild 99.7." (Reviving the "Kiss FM" moniker was an acknowledgment that listeners still referred to WKSZ by that name, even during its "Mix" days.) "Kiss-FM" makes an effort of identifying each song played by adding a recorded artist/title identification at the end of each song (regardless of whether a DJ will be heard afterwards).
The 2006 return of Kiss paid off, for in the first 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...
ratings book after the flip (Spring 2006), WKSZ leaped to a 4th place ranking (of 21 stations) with an audience share that was 5 times greater than the share "Mix 95.9" pulled in during its waning days. The station finished 2nd place in the most recent (Fall 2010) Arbitron ratings for the Green Bay market.