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WKST-FM (96.1
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 radio station licensed to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, United States. The station is owned by
iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
and airs a
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
format, branded as ''96.1 Kiss.'' WKST operates with 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 44,000 watts, making it a class B station. The station broadcasts from a transmitter located in Baldwin. Its studios and offices are located on Abele Rd. in Bridgeville next to I-79.


History

The station signed on August 8, 1960 as WCAE-FM, co-owned with WCAE (AM) and
WTAE-TV WTAE-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, affiliated with ABC. It has been owned by Hearst Television since the station's inception, making this one of two stations that have been built and signe ...
, and had a MOR format until
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, when it
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...
ed WTAE (AM) during the day and played
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
at night, and became known as "Disco 96." As disco began to wane in popularity, the station flipped to a
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
-leaning top 40 format as WXKX (96KX or "96 Kicks"). 96KX added live talent and thrived for the next five years, becoming the frequency's most highly rated format for three decades. WXKX also aired
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
games, including the Steelers' 35-31 victory over the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in
Super Bowl XIII Super Bowl XIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1978 Dallas Cowboys season, Dallas Cow ...
. On January 17, 1983, faced with new competition from WBZZ (B-94), the station shifted to a more mainstream top 40 format and became "HitRadio 96." The call letters were changed to WHTX on March 25, 1983. Later in the decade, the station evolved into a gold-based
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 ...
format as "Gold 96". On June 26,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, it switched calls to WVTY ("Variety 96") and format to an
Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Syste ...
approach, which in turn would lead to a Modern AC format ("96.1 The River") beginning November 26, 1997. New call letters WDRV followed on February 27, 1998. On February 12,
1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
at 5 p.m., WDRV returned to Adult Top 40, this time as WPHH ("Mix 96.1"). On September 29, 2000, at 5 p.m., they switched to the current CHR format and became WKST-FM, "96.1 Kiss". During its first four years, WKST waged a battle with WBZZ by countering WBZZ's conventional Top 40/CHR approach with WKST's Rhythmic flavor. In 2007, the rivalry resumed again when CBS revived " B94" and began going after the same 18-34 audience that WKST had managed to attract. However, B94 still could not compete with WKST-FM and would switch formats again, this time to
sports talk Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
in 2010. In 2012, WKST-FM became the first Top 40 (CHR) in Pittsburgh radio history to record #1 6+ and 12+ ratings.


Programming

WKST's musical direction had always favored rhythmic and dance hits since its 2000 debut. With B94 changing formats after Valentine's Day
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, WKST-FM became the only top 40 station in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
. WKST is the Pittsburgh affiliate for "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" weekdays, the iHeartRadio Countdown on Saturday mornings, and "American Top 40" on Sunday mornings.


WKST-FM HD2

On April 25, 2006,
iHeartMedia iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
(then Clear Channel Communications), announced that WKST-FM's HD2 subchannel would carry a format focusing on Dance hits. The HD2 signed on July 17, 2006, broadcasting the
Club Phusion Club Phusion was a radio station on Clear Channel HD2's across the country that played commercial free dance music 24/7 from 2006 to 2013. History Club Phusion was launched on March 31, 2006, over the subcarrier channel of Top 40 Mainstream KZCH/W ...
format, which was later replaced with the EDM-focused Evolution brand. In 2015, WKST-FM HD2 changed formats to "My 2K," a 2000s hits format. In March 2016, My 2K moved to WXDX-FM HD2, and was replaced with
Pride Radio Pride Radio (United States) is an LGBTQ+ electronic dance music and top 40 radio network launched by Clear Channel Communications Format Lab under the direction of Michael Albl, who conceived the format, on terrestrial HD2 & HD3 stations and on ...
.


References


FCC: WKST-FM Callsign History


External links


Official website

"Pride Radio" on WKST-HD2
{{coord, 40.3970, N, 79.9617, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title KST-FM Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1960 IHeartMedia radio stations