KISS-FM

KISS-FM
City San Antonio, Texas
Broadcast area San Antonio, Texas
Branding 99.5 KISS
Slogan KISS Rocks San Antonio
Frequency 99.5 MHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date December 1946
Format Mainstream rock
Language(s) English
ERP 97,700 watts
HAAT 453 m (1,486 ft)
Class C
Facility ID 34976
Callsign meaning the word kiss
Owner Cox Radio
(Cox Radio, Inc.)
Sister stations KCYY, KKYX, KONO, KONO-FM, KTKX, KSMG
Webcast Listen Live
Website kissrocks.com

KISS-FM (99.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a mainstream rock format serving the San Antonio, Texas area. The Cox Radio outlet broadcasts at 99.5 MHz. Its studios are located in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas Medical Center complex, and the transmitter site is in Elmendorf, Texas.

History

KISS-FM was originally a Show Tunes format which changed to a type of AOR (Album-Oriented Rock) in the late 1970s. AOR was sometimes referred to as "All Over (the) Road". During the early years, KISS DJ's were mostly given a free rein. Many brought in their own vinyl albums, producing their own shows within a looser, free-form rock, rock ballad & heavy metal format. The most notable past KISS/KMAC DJ's/personalities were Joe Anthony "The Godfather" (deceased 1992), and Lou Roney, who worked together for many years.

With their help and support of other on-air DJ's, listeners, sponsors, bands and concert promoters, San Antonio became known as the "Heavy Metal Capitol Of The World". It is still known as such today by many. Scores of bands can attribute their first & subsequent successes to airplay at KMAC/KISS -- bands like Moxy, Budgie, Legs Diamond, Rush, Triumph, Killer Dwarfs, Riot, Saxon, Iron Maiden, to name a few. Stone City Attractions & Jam Productions were the notable concert promoters.

Back in the days before corporate consultants, KISS-FM was 12,900 watts and their AM sister station was KMAC. KMAC broadcast show tunes, opera, as well as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir until they simulcasted the rock format with KISS-FM later in the day/evening. In those earlier years, KISS-FM signed off at midnight each night. KMAC/KISS was originally owned by Howard W. Davis. "Spread The Word" - was the popular window sticker slogan & on-air moniker during the 1970s & 1980s. KISS would be owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, Adams Broadcasting, Rusk Corp, and current owners Cox Media Group.

The AOR format would last until May 1990 when KISS flipped to oldies known as 99.5 KISS oldies. The owners of KSMG Magic 105.3 (a competing Oldies station at the time) bought KISS-FM and KOOL 930 AM from Adams Broadcasting Corporation in November 1991 and simulcasted KSMG on both 99.5 FM and 930 AM. On December 31, 1991, the rock music format was returned to 99.5 KISS, then called "Active Rock" and as of 2012, "Mainstream Rock".[1]

Despite being considered a mainstream rock reporter per Mediabase, they were typically an active rock station per Nielsen BDS. By 2012, KISS-FM essentially switched formats to mainstream rock. The station was delisted from Mediabase's add board following the tweak.

Current KISS Line Up

Past KMAC/KISS D.J.s/hosts

(Accurate but not a complete list - there may be some misspellings. These are in alphabetical order by first name)

Name issues

KISS-FM is the legal call sign issued to this San Antonio radio station by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at licensing and is in no way related to the KISS-FM brand name used by iHeartMedia (the former Clear Channel Communications), which originated with Los Angeles's KIIS-FM. Despite San Antonio being the headquarters city of iHeartMedia, they seem to have a gentlemen's agreement not to have a KISS-branded station in the city, while Cox has not attempted to claim rights on the branding despite holding the official KISS-FM calls from the FCC.[2] (Of note, Cox owns R&B stations in Atlanta and Birmingham (since sold to Summit Media) that utilize the "Kiss FM" branding, though both stations have urban adult contemporary formats rather than the Top 40/Hot AC format usually associated with the "Kiss FM" brand.)

Awards and recognitions

References

  1. ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1992/RR-1992-01-03.pdf
  2. ↑ Nichols, Lee (Nov. 30, 2001). Naked City. The Austin Chronicle.
  3. ↑ Bailey, W. Scott (Jun. 27, 2001). KISS-FM wins top Radio & Records honors. San Antonio Business Journal.

Coordinates: 29°16′30″N 98°15′54″W / 29.275°N 98.265°W / 29.275; -98.265

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