KPOI-FM (105.9

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean. It is the county seat of the Consolidated city-county, consolidated City and County of Honol ...

, known as "105.9 The Wave, Hawaii's Relaxing Favorites." The Pacific Media Group outlet broadcasts a

soft adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

, switching to

Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of Music genre, genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of Christmas ...

for part of November and December. The

radio studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for recording and mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enough to record a single sin ...

s are in Downtown Honolulu. KPOI-FM has an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 100,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s horizontal polarization, 92,000 watts vertical. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is on Palehua Road in Akupu, amid the

towers A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

for other Honolulu-area FM and TV stations.

History

Seeking an FM license

Entertainment entrepreneur Edward "Chip" Uehara-Tilton and veteran Hawaii radio personality Jacqueline L. "Skylark" Rossetti created "Kasa Moku Ka Pawa Broadcasting" (KMKP), a Delaware Corporation, with plans for starting an FM station. The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

opened a new Class C license window for Honolulu in early 1987. KMKP was formed to pursue that opportunity, vying with 13 other original applicants. Under the FCC policy of integration and diversification of broadcast ownership, almost 11 years of documenting and negotiating took place. KMKP's business plan for a Hawaii oriented live music and roving DJ format prevailed as an FCC Broadcast Station

Construction Permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

was issued February 8, 1999. The transmitter and antenna equipment was designed by engineers Clayton Caughill and son Cris, and constructed by JAMPRO and Broadcast Electronics. After initial tests were conducted, a license to broadcast for BLH-20000706ADU awarded July 21, 2000. At the same time, KMKP sold the license, but not the business plan.

Active and Alternative Rock

The station signed on the air in 2000 as Active Rock KAHA, known "Lava Rock." The format changed in 2002 when the station shifted to

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

. The station also picked up the KPOI

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

in 2004 after the previous KPOI flipped formats to

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

. This is the third station to adopt the KPOI call letters, first used on the AM band as a Top 40, then later used on its FM sister at 97.5, when it was billed as KPOI 98 Rock playing

Album Rock Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM broadcasting, FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of Rock music, rock albums and is currently associated ...

and later alternative rock prior to its sale to

Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wha ...

in 2004. In 2012, 105.9 KPOI shifted back to an

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

format, with a

playlist A playlist is a list of video or audio files that can be played back on a media player, either sequentially or in a shuffled order. In its most general form, an audio playlist is simply a list of songs that can be played once or in a loop. ...

focused on 1980s & 1990s titles, along with some new alternative. KPOI shifted its format again in late October 2013, focusing on 1990s alternative rock with some contemporary alternative songs. In 2014, the station rebranded as "Alt 105.9 – Hawaii's Real Alternative". The station also began transmitting on Charter Spectrum digital cable channel 857 for the entire state of Hawaii. Around June 2010, KPOI made a shift in format, adding to the playlist more

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

tracks, 1980s rock, 1990s alternative, complete/uncut songs, and metal. The station's playlist became a mixture of 1980s rock & alternative, 1990s alternative, & some contemporary alternative rock. KPOI rebranded as "Alt 105.9" on August 13, 2014.

Soft Adult Contemporary

On May 1, 2020, KPOI exited a two-way Alternative battle with rival KUCD after six years and struggling ratings. It became "105.9 The Wave", playing

music. It began competing with established AC stations KSSK-FM and KRTR-FM. KPOI leans softer than those stations with some Hawaiian music elements.“KPOI Flips To Soft AC”
from Radio Insight (May 3, 2020)

Previous Logos

References

External links

{{coord, 21.394, N, 158.098, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title POI-FM Soft adult contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2000 2000 establishments in Hawaii