WSKU
Encyclopedia
WSKS and WSKU (105.5 FM) are radio station
s simulcasting a Top 40 (CHR)
format. Licensed to Whitesboro, New York
and Little Falls
, New York
, the stations serve the Utica
-Rome
area and are currently owned by Roser Communications Network.
The station was put on the air by the Professional Broadcasting Corporation (a joint venture of Frank DuRoss
and Kenneth Roser) as an adult-contemporary simulcast with WOWB-FM, 105.5, licensed to Little Falls, N.Y. WOWB-FM was owned by Towpath Communications Limited at the time and had been on the air since 1990.
"Wow-FM", the common name for the simulcast of WOWZ/WOWB, became a Top 40 Rhythmic Station in December 1996. As Wow-FM, "The Beat of Central New York", the station went in a dance direction with Program Director J.P. Marks at the helm. Marks had previously worked on the station as the nighttime air personality under the adult contemporary format.
WOWZ was sold to Clear Channel Communications
in 2000. The Top 40 Rhythmic format was abandoned and in 2001, the station became WSKS-FM, "Kiss FM". It continued the simulcast with 105.5, which became WSKU during the sale to Clear Channel. WSKS was previously on 102.5 FM.
Clear Channel closed its operations in Utica, NY in 2007, and the KISS-FM stations on 97.9 WSKS and 105.5 WSKU were bought back by founder Ken Roser's "Roser Communications Network." The format of the station remained the same. The current program director is Shaun Andrews.
In a news released issued by the Roser Group on Friday, May 15, 2009, the company announced that effective 7:30AM on Monday, May 18 the station was going to switch formats due to "financial constraints".
On Monday, May 18 2009 the station officially signed off at 7:31 AM and played new music for approximately 2 hours calling themselves "Beautiful Music", before coming clean to announce that all of the "format changes" were actually a publicity stunt and part of announcing their new program lineup and radio hosts.
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...
s simulcasting a Top 40 (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...
format. Licensed to Whitesboro, New York
Whitesboro, New York
Whitesboro is a village in Oneida County, New York, United States. United States. The population was 3,943 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Hugh White, an early settler.The Village of Whitesboro is inside the Town of Whitestown....
and Little Falls
Little Falls (city), New York
Little Falls is a city in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract near the city....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the stations serve the Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
-Rome
Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
area and are currently owned by Roser Communications Network.
History
WOWZ were the call letters originally assigned to 97.9 FM in the Utica-Rome, New York market beginning in September 1994. The city of license was Whitesboro, New York. It was the first allocation of this frequency in this market.The station was put on the air by the Professional Broadcasting Corporation (a joint venture of Frank DuRoss
Frank DuRoss
Frank DuRoss is the owner of multiple professional sports franchises in the United States. His most recent acquisition is Carolina RailHawks F.C., USL First Division soccer team located in Cary, North Carolina....
and Kenneth Roser) as an adult-contemporary simulcast with WOWB-FM, 105.5, licensed to Little Falls, N.Y. WOWB-FM was owned by Towpath Communications Limited at the time and had been on the air since 1990.
"Wow-FM", the common name for the simulcast of WOWZ/WOWB, became a Top 40 Rhythmic Station in December 1996. As Wow-FM, "The Beat of Central New York", the station went in a dance direction with Program Director J.P. Marks at the helm. Marks had previously worked on the station as the nighttime air personality under the adult contemporary format.
WOWZ was sold to 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 2000. The Top 40 Rhythmic format was abandoned and in 2001, the station became WSKS-FM, "Kiss FM". It continued the simulcast with 105.5, which became WSKU during the sale to Clear Channel. WSKS was previously on 102.5 FM.
Clear Channel closed its operations in Utica, NY in 2007, and the KISS-FM stations on 97.9 WSKS and 105.5 WSKU were bought back by founder Ken Roser's "Roser Communications Network." The format of the station remained the same. The current program director is Shaun Andrews.
In a news released issued by the Roser Group on Friday, May 15, 2009, the company announced that effective 7:30AM on Monday, May 18 the station was going to switch formats due to "financial constraints".
On Monday, May 18 2009 the station officially signed off at 7:31 AM and played new music for approximately 2 hours calling themselves "Beautiful Music", before coming clean to announce that all of the "format changes" were actually a publicity stunt and part of announcing their new program lineup and radio hosts.