WKSZ-FM
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WKSZ (95.9 FM, "Kiss FM") is 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 ...
station
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to
De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area. History When the first European, Jean Nicolet, visited the p ...
, serving Green Bay and
Appleton Appleton may refer to: People and fictional characters * Appleton (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters * Appleton family, an American political, religious and mercantile family * Appleton P. Clark Jr. (1865–1955), Am ...
- Oshkosh and owned by Woodward Communications. WKSZ's studios are located on College Avenue in Appleton, while its transmitter is located near Shirley in the Town of Glenmore.


History

The history of the 95.9
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 ...
frequency in the Green Bay area dates back to the mid-1980s, with the station signing on as WJLW on September 29, 1984. Locally owned by Jack LeDuc (from whom the "JL" of the call letters originated), WJLW broadcast a
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
forma

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 13, 1995, when Woodward launched WKSZ as "95.9 Kiss FM". The station was positioned as 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 ...
, putting it in direct competition with Midwest Communications' heritage station, heritage Top 40/CHR,
WIXX WIXX (101.1 FM) is an adult Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin and the Fox Cities region of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communications, and is ...
. The original airstaff included Keith Kelly in mornings, Bob Masters in middays, Program Director Miles Ryker in afternoons, and Ace Adams in evenings. Kiss FM's ratings managed to hold steady in the middle of the
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings for the Green Bay market, thanks to the long-time dominance of
WIXX WIXX (101.1 FM) is an adult Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin and the Fox Cities region of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communications, and is ...
as the premier 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, Inc. is a Wausau, Wisconsin–based radio broadcasting company. It owns 82 radio stations located primarily within the Midwest United States, in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Il ...
changed the format of their low-rated
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 ...
station, WLTM, to a
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...
format as
WLYD WLYD (93.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Chandler, Indiana, United States, the station serves the Evansville area. The station is currently owned by Midwest Communications, Inc. and features programmin ...
, "Wild 99.7"," and WIXX gravitated to a
modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...
-leaning Top 40/CHR format. On April 18, 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 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 ...
, and after a weekend of stunting with Christmas music, Woodward launched the new format on WKSZ as "Today's Best Variety, Mix 95.9" on April 21. The first (and ultimately, last) song on "Mix" was " Why Georgia" by
John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but he left for Atlanta in 1997 with fellow guitarist Clay Cook, with whom he formed the short-liv ...
. The move to hot AC, however, backfired for Woodward, as WKSZ's listener share sank to at or near the bottom of the
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings in the Green Bay market. In February 2006,
Midwest Communications Midwest Communications, Inc. is a Wausau, Wisconsin–based radio broadcasting company. It owns 82 radio stations located primarily within the Midwest United States, in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Il ...
dropped WLYD's rhythmic format in favor of adult hits (as WZBY). One month later, on March 13, at 10 a.m., 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 may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which gymnasts perform individually or in groups on a floor ...
music formerly heard on "Wild". The first song on the revived "Kiss" was " In Da Club" by
50 Cent Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
(by coincidence, also the last song on the first incarnation of "Kiss"). (Reviving the "Kiss FM" moniker was an acknowledgment that listeners still referred to WKSZ by that name, even during its "Mix" days.) A noticeable addition to "Kiss-FM" after its return was the "tagging" of each song (artist and song title) at its conclusion, regardless of whether a DJ will be heard afterwards (this would later be discontinued). The 2006 return of “Kiss” paid off, for in the first
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings book after the flip (spring 2006), WKSZ leaped to a fourth-place ranking (of 21 stations) with an audience share that was ''five times greater'' than the share "Mix 95.9" pulled in during its waning days. The station finished second place in the fall 2010 Arbitron ratings for the Green Bay market. On February 15, 2016, WKSZ started simulcasting on sister station
WKZY WKZY (92.9 FM) is an American radio station, licensed to Chilton, Wisconsin, and transmitting from the Lake Winnebago community of Stockbridge to provide a city-grade signal to both Oshkosh and the Fox Cities. The station is owned and operat ...
(92.9 FM), which formerly repeated sister station WKZG. The move was done to expand WKSZ's reach to the Fox Valley, as well as southern areas of the market. In addition, Doug Erickson and Mary Love, who were WKSZ's morning hosts from November 2004 until December 2012 (when they moved to WKZG upon that station's launch), returned to host mornings on WKSZ. They remained until September 2017, when they were let go and replaced with former WIXX personalities Jake Kelly and Tanner Jay, who returned to Green Bay after two years at
WKTI-FM WKTI (94.5 FM) – branded 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee – is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Owned by Good Karma Brands, WKTI is an affiliate for ESPN Radio. WKTI is know ...
in
Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
. In November 2023, Jake and Tanner were let go, and were replaced by Otis Day, formerly of WIXX. In January 2024, Woodward announced that Katie Schurk and Nick Vitrano, also formerly of WIXX, would join as co-hosts following the expiration of their non-compete clauses in June. On September 3, 2021, WKSZ debuted a new logo. The WKSZ call letters were first used in the
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
market at 100.3 FM (now
WRNB WRNB (100.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Media, Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia–Delaware Valley radio market. It is owned by Radio One and airs an urban adult contemporary radio format. In afternoon drive time, WRNB carri ...
) before being relocated to WJLW in 1995.


References


External links

* * {{coord, 44.359, N, 87.985, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States KSZ