WVKS

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WVKS
Broadcast area	Toledo, Ohio
Branding	92.5 KISS-FM
Slogan	"We play all the hits...not just some of them!"
First air date	October 14, 1957 as WMHE
Frequency	92.5 (MHz)
Format	CHR
ERP	50,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	(WV) KiSs-FM
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Website	www.925kissfm.com

92.5 KISS FM is a Clear Channel-owned station serving Toledo, Ohio with a Top-40 format; it is the most popular Toledo station in this format. Its prime competitor in this radio market is WTWR FM, Tower 98.3.

WVKS' studios and offices are located at Superior and Lafayette in downtown Toledo. The station's transmitter is located at McCutcheonville near Eckel Junction Road in Perrysburg Township, OH.

[edit] Inception and early usage

92.5 went on the air in the Toledo area as WMHE on October 14, 1957, playing the music of teen idols, which was losing popularity at the time to early rock and roll. The station was founded by William A. Hillebrand (1917-2005). FM radio was just beginning to catch on, but Mr. Hillebrand believed it was better in quality than AM stations for music and took a chance. "He foresaw things that he thought was going to be successful and he was right," Mrs. Hillebrand said. The call letters stood for "Wired Music Hillebrand Electronics". WMHE began as a station geared toward adults with classical music, jazz, and big band music. In 1975, the station switched to contemporary music.In the late '70s, it switched to a beautiful music format and even went through a disco format. In the early 1980s, WMHE was named one of the 500 most-listened-to stations in the country. In the late 1980s, it switched to Top 40/CHR. To compete better with then rival WRQN, 93Q, the station dropped the call letters WMHE in favor of WVKS and moved to an Adult Top 40 presentation. Their slogan was "The Right Music, Right Now." In the mid-90s the station was sold to Noble Broadcasting. WVKS left its original studio on Bancroft Street and moved downtown with Sister Stations WRVF and WSPD in 1998 when Clear Channel took over operations. Shortly thereafter 92.5 KISS FM lost its individual identity and became part of Clear Channel's standard issue KISS format.

Past Owners- Osborne Communications, Noble Broadcasting

Past Air Talent: Brad Hanson, Timm Morrison now at WWWM in Toledo, Ron Finn now PD at WRQN in Toledo Dave Kennedy (1971) (Now CEO of Susquehanna Media), Fred Lefevre now AM drive at WSPD in Toledo, Mike Wheeler, Jim Biggins and Mark Olsen (The Breakfast Club), Kim Carson now at WLHT Grand Rapids, MI, Dave Fuller, Greg Brady, Denny Schaffer, Stacey Latona, Curt Kruse, Russ Ryder, still at KISS FM as well as sister stations WDFM Mix 98.1 in Defiance, OH, and WLWD in Lima, OH, Johnny D now at WLWD in Lima, Kramer aka Munchie now at WKSS Hartford CT.

[edit] Today

92.5 Kiss FM is the #1 CHR format radio station in the Toledo area. On Sundays, it plays Ryan Seacrest's broadcast of American Top 40 live; this is unusual for a syndicated program.