WKSZ-FM
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WKSZ-FM (95.9 Kiss FM) is a radio station licensed to De Pere, Wisconsin and serving the Green Bay and Fox Cities area of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned by Woodward Communications, Inc. of Dubuque, Iowa, and broadcasts a contemporary hit radio format.
[edit] Station History
The history of the 95.9 MHz frequency in the Green Bay area dates back to the mid-1980s, with WJLW. Locally owned by Jack LeDuc (from whom the "JL" of the call letters originated), WJLW broadcast a Country music format 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 1995, when Woodward launched WKSZ as "95.9 Kiss FM." The station was positioned as a contemporary hit radio station, putting it in direct competition with Midwest Communications' heritage CHR station, WIXX.
Kiss FM's ratings managed to stay only in the middle of the Arbitron ratings for the Green Bay market, thanks to the long-time dominance of WIXX as the premiere 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 changed the format of their low-rated AC station, WLTM, to a rythmic/urban format as WLYD, "Wild 99.7." In April 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, and after stunting with Christmas music, Woodward launched the new Hot AC format on WKSZ as "Today's Best Variety, Mix 95.9".
The move of WKSZ to Hot AC backfired for Woodward, with Mix 95.9's listener share sinking to at or near the bottom of the Arbitron ratings. When Midwest Communications changed WYLD's format in February 2006 from rythmic to Variety Hits (as WZBY, "99.7 The Bay"), Woodward moved quickly to fill the void "Wild 99.7" left behind. In March 2006, WKSZ brought back the "95.9 Kiss FM" format, mixing contemporary hit music with some rythmic music formerly heard on "Wild 99.7." The return of Kiss paid off, as WKSZ leaped to 4th place (of 21 stations) in the Spring 2006 Arbitron ratings with an audience share that, though still trailing WIXX, was 5 times greater than the share "Mix 95.9" pulled in during its waining days.
As of October 2006, WKSZ is one of 119 Top 40 stations monitored by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems as part of its Top 40/CHR panel.
[edit] External Links
WHID 88.1/WRST 90.3/WHDI 91.9 | WRGX 88.5 | WVFL 88.9 | WPNE 89.3/WHND 89.7 | WORQ 90.1 | WRPN 90.1 | WPFF 90.5 | WOVM 91.1 | WSTM 91.3 | WEMY 91.5/WEMI 91.9 | WSHS 91.7 WLTU 92.1 | WAUN 92.7 | WOZZ 93.5 | WBFM 93.7 | WDOR 93.9 | WROE 94.3 | WZOR 94.7 | WKSZ 95.9 | WTCX 96.1 | WBDK 96.7 | WWWX 96.9 | WFDL 97.7 | WSRG 97.7 | WLKN 98.1 | WQLH 98.5 | WPKR 99.5 | WZBY 99.7 | WNCY 100.3 | WIXX 101.1 | WDTS 101.9 | WRKU 102.1 | WAUH 102.3 | WQTC 102.3 | WRVM 102.7 | WOGB 103.1 | WVBO 103.9 | WRLU 104.1 | WECB 104.3 | WXER 104.5 | WPCK 104.9 | WAPL 105.7 | WHBZ 106.5 | WJLW 106.7 | WFON 107.1 | WOCO 107.1 | WDUZ 107.5
