WKSS

Radio station


name = WKSS
city = Hartford, Connecticut
area = Hartford, Connecticut
branding = "Kiss 95.7"
slogan = All of Today's Hit Music
airdate = 1977
frequency = 95.7 MHz
format = Top 40 (CHR)
erp = 16,500 watts
haat = 268 meters
class = B
facility_id = 53384
owner = Clear Channel
sister_stations = WHCN, WPOP, WURH, WWYZ
webcast = [http://www.kiss957.com/cc-common/streaming_new/index.html?refreshed=yes Listen Live!]
website = [http://www.kiss957.com/ www.kiss957.com]
callsign_meaning = W KiSS
former_callsigns = WMMW-FM (late 1960s-1977)

WKSS (Kiss 95.7) is a Top 40 Mainstream station based in Hartford, Connecticut. The city of license is Hartford-Meriden, Connecticut, a unique two-station legal identifier. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 95.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 50 kW. Their motto is "All of today's hit music." The station broadcasts from West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut, on a tower with sister station WURH. Their studios are at 10 Columbus Boulevard, in Hartford, Connecticut with its other Clear Channel Hartford cluster stations.

History

The station started as WMMW-FM, Meriden, sister station to WMMW-AM in the late 1960s. In 1977, WMMW-FM adopted a Beautiful Music format, changed its callsign to WKSS and used the slogan "96 KISS". The station was lowly rated and was not making a lot of money, when in October, 1984, programmer Bob Mitchell, who would later go on to become an influential radio consultant, flipped the station to Top 40 as "95.7 Kiss FM" with the motto "Connecticut's Hot Rockin' Hit Radio." In the Fall of 1989, "95.7 Kiss FM" became known as "Kiss 95.7" and began shifting toward a Dance-leaning CHR format under the slogan "Connecticut's 10 In A Row Power Station".

In its early days, WKSS airstaffers Jeremy Savage, Marc Wainwright, Curt Monday, Tom Casey, Sky Michaels, Robin King, and the legendary Cadillac Jack were some of the most prominent announcers of the era, while programmers such as Jefferson Ward, Jay Doud, Steve McVie, Tracy Austin, Rick Vaughn and many others have also called WKSS home at one point or another. WKSS is frequently a stepping stone to bigger markets for up and coming jocks.

After several years of a heated CHR war with rival station "96 TIC-FM", which included longtime WTIC morning-show host Gary Craig briefly moving to WKSS, "95.7 Kiss-FM" eventually won the ratings battle, forcing WTIC to flip formats to Adult Top 40. Throughout the 1990s, they had several leans towards other formats, including dance and rhythmic for a time. Friday Night Mix Shows with DJ Chris Walsh "Kiss Club" were a staple during this era.

The station was consistently top 5 in the Hartford Arbitron ratings until Infinity flipped jammin' oldies outlet WZMX Z-93.7 to a rhythmic top 40 format as "Hot 93.7".

Kiss immediately fell out of the top 10 in the Hartford Arbitrons, where it stayed until 2005, when the station began to rebound under the strong guidance of Program Director Rick Vaughn & Assistant Program Director Jojo "Joey" Brooks, both of which now program Q102 Philadelphia.

Since then, the station has retreated to its previous lower stature under the leadership of Stan "The Man" Priest.

Current On-air schedule

Weekdays

*5:30-10:00AM - Courtney and Kiss In The Morning (Courtney, Jordan and Walmart Jeff)
*10AM-3PM - Justin Sane
*3PM-7PM - Munchie
*7PM-12MID - Skillet

Weekends & fill-ins

*Friday/Saturday 9P-1A - Club KISS
*Saturday 1A-8A - Prolifik
*Saturday 8A-12P - Jamie
*Saturday 12P-3P - Skillet
*Saturday 3P-6P - PJ
*Saturday 6P-12A - DC
*Sunday 12A-4A - "Buzz" with DJ Randy Boyer
*Sunday 4A-7:30A - Prolifik
*Sunday 7:30A-8A - "Viewpoints"
*Sunday 8A-12P - "American Top 40" with Ryan Seacrest
*Sunday 12P-4P - BJ
*Sunday 4P-7P - Jordan
*Sunday 7P-10p - Prolifik
*Sunday 10P-Mid - In Tha Cypher with Prolifik

Past Personalities and Staff

* Jeremy Savage (Currently Director of Broadcast Automation at Sirius Satellite Radio)
* Kandy Klutch (Currently at XM Radio "80s on 8")
* Gary Craig (Currently at WTIC-FM)
* Michael Maze (Current Morning Host of KC101/WKCI in New Haven Connecticut)
* Mike McGowan (Currently at WEZN)
* Stick "On The Radio" (Currently Afternoons WXXL-FM)
* Chris Marino (Current Morning Host of K104/WSPK in the Hudson Valley of New York)
* Chris Walsh
* Rob Walker (Consultant in Seattle, Washington)
* Sky Michaels (Michael E. Silverman; Currently Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY)
* Steve McVie (Currently Director of Operations, WRZE, WXTK & WCOD)
* Tom Casey (Real name Tom Calococci - currently OM/PD WPOW, Power 96 Miami, FL

Station logos, past and present

External links

* [http://www.kiss957.com Station website]
*FMQ|WKSS
*FML|WKSS
*FMARB|WKSS