WKKF

WKKF (102.3 Kiss FM) is a Contemporary Hit Radio radio station licensed to Ballston Spa, New York and serving the Capital District and Adirondacks. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 102.3 FM at 4.1 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Clifton Park, New York on a tower shared with WDCD-FM and WTMM-FM.

Programming

WKKF currently has a strong lean towards rhythmic CHR, including hip-hop, R&B, and dance music, however, at times the station plays some non-rhythmic pop and rock tracks that are not aired as often on the station; in addition, the station also plays an occasional 1990s or early-2000s track about once an hour. Its primary competitors include Mainstream CHR WFLY, Rhythmic CHR WAJZ, and sister Hot AC WRVE.

Programming currently featured on WKKF is primarily under Clear Channel's Premium Choice banner, and includes Elvis Duran and the Morning Show weekday mornings from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and local jock D. Scott weekdays from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Additionally, WKKF features American Top 40 hosted by Ryan Seacrest every Sunday from 8 a.m. to Noon.

History

Saratoga Springs History

The 102.3 frequency originally began in Saratoga Springs, New York in 1968 as WKAJ-FM, sister to WKAJ running an easy listening format. In 1979, WKAJ-FM changed its calls to WASM keeping the easy listening format though by the mid-1980s the station evolved to an Adult contemporary approach. In June 1987, WASM flipped to Top 40 WQQY (102 Double Q) and began to make a minor wave in the Albany ratings by giving WFLY and WGFM a run for its money in Saratoga County. Among the air talent at WQQY was Rob Dawes early in his career before moving back to the frequency.

Move to Ballston Spa

With the decline of Top 40 in the early 1990s, its limited 3000 watt signal, WQQY began to look to the south for a better alternative. Having a construction permit to move the station down to the Albany area, WQQY moved its transmitter 12 miles south to Clifton Park (licensed to nearby Ballston Spa), upgraded to 6000 watts, and relaunched in September 1991 as WZRQ, becoming Albany's affiliate of ABC's Z-Rock satellite hard rock format. WZRQ remained as an affiliate of Z-Rock until the network's end in late 1996. Needing a new format, then-owner Radio Enterprises (a joint venture of Clear Channel and local investors) decided to go after heritage rock station WPYX with a Classic Rock format as Classic Rock 102.3 FM with the WXCR calls. Though former WPYX morning team "Mason and Sheehan" were hired several months later, they were fired a year later, in 1998.

102.3 KISS FM

After Clear Channel acquired WPYX in 2000, their trademarked KISS FM CHR format was adopted on May 26, 2000 after a day of stunting, with the WKKF calls following soon after. WXCR personality Steve Scott was the only one to make the transition from classic rock to CHR as Jeff Mrozek adopted the afternoon drive spot at former sister station WQBK-FM earlier that year. Since its launch, WKKF has been a largely successful station going after heritage CHR WFLY with a more rhythmic, younger-leaning format. This approach has allowed it to hold its own against WFLY, a station which had not seen competition for a decade prior to WKKF's launch, and WAJZ, a Rhythmic (since 2005) who happens to be WFLY's sister station.

Much of WKKF's early airstaff were transplants from other stations in the market: former Program Director/midday jock Rob Dawes previously held the same position at WFLY, former midday jock Ally Reid handled middays at WFLY as well as sister station WFLZ in Tampa, Florida, and former WFLY jock "Joey Kidd" (formerly in morning drive, now known as Joe Rosati on WDTW-FM in Detroit, Michigan). Afternoon drive jock DJ Thomas, the last original staff member from WKKF's launch, as well as former evening jock Corey Kincaid, left WKKF in 2009. In addition, the syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show (originating at WHTZ in New York City) was added in morning drive on the station that year.

For a brief time in 2010 and 2011, WKKF added more pop rock and alternative artists to its playlist that it would not play as much before, including The Script, Lady Antebellum, and Paramore; in addition, the station added more 1990s and early 2000s golds to its playlist. Over a year later, the station has reverted to a Rhythmic Contemporary direction, although still reporting as a Mainstream Top 40 by Mediabase and Nielsen BDS.

HD Radio operations

In 2005, WKKF upgraded to IBOC digital radio alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WKKF began airing an HD2 channel with a pop and new music-heavy CHR format known as the Hot Spot (later rebranded as the Verizon New Music Channel) which is heard on several other Kiss stations across the United States. In 2011, the HD2 channel flipped formats to an 80s and 90s hip hop and R&B channel.

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WKKF
• Radio-Locator information on WKKF
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for WKKF