KISW
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| KISW | |
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| Broadcast area | Seattle/Tacoma |
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| Slogan | The Rock Of Seattle |
| Frequency | 99.9 (MHz) (Also on HD Radio) |
| Format | Active rock |
| ERP | 57,000 watts horiz 54,000 watts vert |
| HAAT | 714 meters |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 47750 |
| Callsign meaning | In Seattle Washington / Independent State of Washington |
| Owner | Entercom |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.kisw.com |
KISW (99.9 FM) is a radio station in Seattle, Washington. Currently their format is active rock, with the slogan, "The Rock of Seattle".
Contents |
[edit] Programming
KISW has a long history in Seattle as a hard rocking album-oriented rock station with the slogan "Seattle's Best Rock". Over the years the station has employed some of Seattle's most successful on-air hosts and DJs, including Bob Rivers, "Those Dudes", Crow and West, Robin and Maynerd, Steve Slaton and others. KISW's license is held by Entercom who operates seven stations in the Seattle metropolitan area.
KISW's current weekday air staff includes The BJ Shea Morning Experience (5-10am), Ricker (10am-2pm), The Men's Room (2-6pm), Jolene (6-10pm), and the syndicated Tom Leykis (10pm-2am), Metal Shop (11pm-2am)on Saturday's.
[edit] History
During the 1950s this station played classical music.
In 1969 the station was purchased by Kaye-Smith. At that time Kaye-Smith were also the owners of the number one pop music station in Seattle, KJR-AM. By 1971 KISW had switched to a rock based progressive or underground style of format pioneered by Tom Donahue at KMPX and KSAN in San Francisco.
KISW was not the first commercial station in the Seattle/Tacoma market to experiment with rock and roll programming on the FM radio dial - KOL had already accomplished some success with their FM frequency. Through the early and mid-seventies KISW evolved, as most of the FM progressive stations did, into the more tightly controlled album oriented rock (AOR) format.
A key period in KISW’s history began in the late 70s, when the station adopted the slogan “Seattle’s Best Rock”. Seeming to embrace a younger, more blue-collar aesthetic than Seattle’s other (AOR) stations, KISW added hard rock and heavy metal into the music mix - even in the mornings.
KISW worked with radio consultants Burkhart/Abrams. Lee Abrams had developed a successful hybrid of AOR that applied the principles of Top 40.
Station Manager Steve West and Program Director Beau Phillips developed what would be a long line of top-notch, clever and irreverent KISW radio personalities. The air staff in 1980 included the morning team John Langan and Mike West who went by the moniker Those Dudes. Gary Crow and Bob Hovanes worked together in the afternoon. Both duos ran outrageous skits of Leave It To Beaver and Mr. Bruce’s Neighborhood, along with fake news and other off color parodies.
After a couple shuffles in the mid 1980s, Crow & West aired during afternoon drive, while Robin & Maynard were paired together for the mornings with their sidekick Roy Otis. Both proved extraordinarily popular. But after KISW was sold and management changed, both teams left the station together in 1987 to start a fondly remembered, but relatively brief station KXRX.
The exit of Crow & West with Robin & Maynard threw KISW into a long search for a top notch air-talent to compete for Seattle listeners. Eventually, Bob Rivers debuted on KISW in 1989. Bob had gained notoriety in Boston and Baltimore for his parody songs and an 11-day, on-air marathon during a Baltimore Orioles losing streak.
A disgruntled former employee, Vincent L. Hoffart, who was fired from KISW in the late 70s has continually challenged the FCC renewal application of KISW. In 1987 he wrote a book about his dealings with the FCC, KISW, and Kaye-Smith titled A Case Of Notorial Imperfections which was reprinted in 2006 as Gippergate.
In 1991 as an April Fool's prank the radio station changed their format to "classical rock" for a day.
In August 2000 the popular "Twisted Radio" show led by Bob Rivers left to join rival radio station KZOK-FM, resulting in a slump in the station's ratings. Howard Stern's nationally syndicated show was signed in May 2001 as a replacement. But by 2005 Stern switched to satellite radio.
On November 30, 2005, the Tom Leykis Show was moved to KISW from sister station KQBZ (which flipped to country), after nearly 1,000 fans called the station and sent emails to stop the switch through protest sites.
On January 3, 2006 at 5:00 am PST, The BJ Shea Morning Experience replaced Howard Stern.
[edit] Ownership
Kaye-Smith 1969-1982 - Kaye-Smith was a joint venture between actor/comedian Danny Kaye and businessman Lester Smith. Kaye-Smith owned several radio stations including KJR, the dominant AM top 40 station in Seattle during the 1960s and 1970s. Together they also owned Seattle's Kaye-Smith studios (where records by Heart, Steve Miller and BTO were recorded), Concerts West (with Pat O'Day, a booking and promotion company that handled Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Eagles, Paul McCartney, and others); and were original owners of the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
Alexander Broadcasting Company 1982-1987 - In 1982 Danny Kaye sold his interest to Lester Smith's company, Alexander Broadcasting.
Nationwide Communications, Inc. 1987-1996 - A subsidiary of the Nationwide Insurance Company, Nationwide Communications originally established itself in the Radio business in 1947. Nationwide had sold off its radio stations by 1997.
Entercom Communications Co. 1996-present Entercom is the 4th largest radio broadcasting company in the United States. Entercom operates seven stations in Seattle and is the market's leading operator in terms of revenue. Data from the Arbitron ratings company shows that the Entercom's Seattle holdings regularly draw more than 20% of all radio listening in the Seattle/Tacoma market.
[edit] KISW historical programming features
The following programming features were largely phased out as KISW made the transition from AOR to the active rock format. Nonetheless, these were in place and part of the programming for a bulk of the station's existence, including some of the station's most successful years during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
[edit] Electric Lunch
This program aired weekdays, 12 noon until 1 p.m. and mainly featured the artists and music of the late 1960s. The name was a reference to the psychedelic aesthetic in the music and culture of the era this show celebrated – as in The Electric Prunes, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and perhaps when Dylan went electric. The program was hosted by the mid-day DJ, for many years Dan Wilke.
[edit] The Lowdown
Played several times each day, this was basically a music news feature with a rundown of the interesting facts and happenings. Hosted by Dan Wilke, the background music, or music bed for this feature was an instrumental by the British blues band Savoy Brown called “Sitting And Thinking”, from their 1970 LP titled Looking In. Dr. Rock (Jeff McIntosh) was the host during the early 80s.
[edit] Doubleshot Thursday
For the full 24 hours each Thursday KISW DJs played two songs in a row by every artist. To entice their audience, the station gave away $100 if listeners called after hearing only one song by an artist.
[edit] Leave It To Beaver
Written and produced by members of the KISW airstaff, these skits were an over the top and irreverent take-off of the 1950s CBS television show Leave It To Beaver (commonly seen as syndicated reruns during the 1970s and 1980s). In various skits The Beaver was portrayed as a black child with an affected voice, Ward and June as cocaine addicts, Mrs. Cleaver in an affair with Wally's friend Eddie, and Beaver's pal Whitey as a drug dealer. These episodes ran on the Langen and West (Those Dudes) morning show, 1979-1982.
Vincent Hoffart cited complaints about this feature in his 1982 challenge to the renewal of KISW’s FCC Broadcast License.
[edit] Historical station IDs
Through the 1980s, KISW’s trademark station ID included the opening power-chord slam from the Thin Lizzy song “Jail Break”, followed immediately by the voice of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth naming the call letters K-I-S-W, and the station’s slogan, “Seattle’s Best Rock”. Another ID featured all four member of Van Halen yelling the call letters with David Lee Roth over the end with the slogan. This was acceptable to the FCC as a legal ID, required at the top of each hour, because the call letters were said directly before the city.
Audio Files:
[edit] Past logos
 KISW 1970s Logo |
 KISW 1980s Logo |
[edit] Epic rock
KISW released an LP in 1981 that feartured a mix of on-air DJ "bits" and live performances by artists on the KISW playlist.
Side 1
- 1. Langen & West part one (DJ)
- 2. Cheap Trick - "Day Tripper" (live performance)
- 3. Langen & West part two (DJ)
- 4. Angel City - No Secrets (live performance)
- 5. Dr. Rock (DJ)
- 6. Molly Hatchet - Beatin The Odds (live performance)
Side 2
- 1. Crow & Hovanes part one (DJ)
- 2. Gary Myrick - She Talks In Stereo (live performance)
- 3. Crow & Hovanes part two (DJ)
- 4. Steve Slaton (DJ)
- 5. REO Speedwagon - 157 Riverside Avenue (live performance)'
- 6. Jessie Brandon (DJ)
- 7. John Napier (DJ)
[edit] Mascots
[edit] Duck
KISW Radio Seattle had a Duck mascot that promoted the station from 1977 to 1980. The KISW Duck attended public gatherings, fairs, festivals, rock concerts, sporting events and other area events to promote the station visiblility in the station listener area. The KISW Duck attended the 1978 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California and was briefly seen on the National TV broadcast. The game featured Washington and Michigan. The game was won by Washington 27 to 20. The KISW Duck regularly attended rock concerts and once performed with the TUBES rock group during their show at the Paramount Theater in Seattle in 1978. The KISW Duck was also well known for giving away donuts to listeners who drove by the station every Friday morning. The KISW Duck is probably best known for being the victim of a police beating that happened at a Richard Pryor show in 1979 outside the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Although it was never clear what triggered the incident the charges were eventually dropped by the Seattle city attorney. The story of the beating was covered in several national music trade publications at the time. The KISW duck was portrayed by Daniel O'Brien a Seattle native and local promoter who was, beside being the KISW duck, one of the founders of a local entertainment magazine known as "The Rocket". The KISW Duck quacked his last quack in 1980 when the station dropped the promotion.
[edit] KISW Miss Rock hydroplane
Around 1980, KISW purchased a hydroplane, painted it black, and added the station's fiery black “rock” logo to it. They didn’t even qualify to race the first year. The boat rarely placed, but drew cheers anyway. The Miss Rock has become a fixture at Seattle’s Seafair.
[edit] Previous KISW DJs, personalities and on-air hosts
- 1972-1977 Steve Nicolet
- 1973-1992 Steve Slaton
- 1975-???? Tracy Mitchell
- 1975-1979 Terry MacDonald
- 1977-1978 Brent Alberts
- 1977-1983 Mike West (on-air w/John Langan as "Those Dudes") (see also 1984)
- 1977-1987 Gary Crow (on-air w/Bob Hovanes through '84, then w/Mike West thru '87)
- 1977-1984 Bob Hovanes
- 1978-1979 John Evens
- 1978-1983 John Langan later known as C. Foster Kane (on-air w/Mike West as "Those Dudes") (see also 1988)
- 1978-???? Jim Arnold
- 1980-???? Steve Akrish
- 1980-1984 Larry Sharp
- 1980-1982 Steve Cooper
- 1980-1982 Jesse Brandon
- 1978-1984 Dr. Rock Jeff McIntosh
- 1980-???? John Napier
- 1980-???? Rick Evens
- 1980-???? Mike Luchino
- 1981-2002 Dan Wilke
- 1982-1984 Marie McCallister
- 1983-1984 Gary Bryan
- 1983-1987 Beau Roberts
- 1983-???? Gary Bryan
- 1983-1987 John Maynard (on-air w/Robin Erickson)
- 1982-1987 Robin Erickson (on-air w/John Maynard starting in 1984)
- 1984-1987 Mike West (teamed with Gary Crow) (see also 1977)
- 1984-1985 Lisa Walker
- 1985-1987 Dean Carlson
- 1987-2001 Cathy Faulkner
- 1987-2002 Damon Stewart
- 1987-2000 Mike Jones
- 1987-1989 Sky Daniels
- 1987-1997 Jon Ballard
- 1997-2002 "Scott 'the worm' Vanderpool"
- 1988-1988 John Langan aka C. Foster Kane (Mornings w/ John Rody "Two White Guys") (see also 1978)
- 1987-1988 Mike Bell (Also Writer/Producer/Voice talent for "The Two White Guys" morning show" 1987 - 1988)
- 1987-1988 John Rody (Mornings w/ John Langan "The Two White Guys")
- 1989-2000 The Bob Rivers Show
- 1989-1995 Steve O'Neill (Steve-O)
- 1990-1991 Bill Reid
- 1997-2004 Andy Guyer
- 1998-2003 Adam Gehrke
- 2001-2002 John Sebastian
- 2002-2003 Lisa Wood
- 2002-???? Steve Rock
- 2002-2004 Reed Wacker
- 2002-2002 Rover
- 2002-2003 Kylee Brooks
- 2002-???? Ricker
- 2002-2003 Tommy Hough
- 2002-2004 Ditch
- 2005-2006 Seaman
[edit] Awards
In 2007, the station was nominated for the Radio & Records magazine Active Rock station of the year award in a top 25 market. Other nominees included WIYY in Baltimore, WAAF in Boston, KBPI in Denver, WRIF in Detroit, and WMMR in Philadelphia. [1]
[edit] References
- Kent Burkhart I Was There
- The Seattle Times Slaton Gets Ax At Kisw
- Sound Rider Gary Crow, Radio, Motorcycles and Chili
- Jet City Blues Steve West, Golden Boy Of Radio
- Original flame logo, circa 1980
- ^ "2007 Industry Achievement Awards", Radio and Records, September 28, 2008.
[edit] External links
- KISW official website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for KISW
- Radio Locator information on KISW
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for KISW
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