WDMK

WDMK

Detroit, Michigan
Broadcast area	[1]
Frequency	105.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	105.9 Kiss FM
Programming
Format	Urban Adult Contemporary Gold
Ownership
Owner	Radio One
Sister stations	WCHB, WHTD
History
First air date	May 26, 1960
Former call signs	WDTJ (8/21/98-6/28/05) WCHB-FM (8/23/96-8/21/98) WJZZ (?-8/23/96) WCHD (5/26/60-?)
Call sign meaning	Detroit, Michigan's Kiss-FM
Technical information
Facility ID	4597
Class	B
Power	20,000 watts
HAAT	221 meters
Transmitter coordinates	42°28′16″N 83°12′3″W
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	www.kissdetroit.com

WDMK is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 105.9 mHz, owned by Radio One. The station is positioned as 105.9 Kiss FM, Detroit's Best R&B From The 70's, 80's and Motown, with a gold-based Urban Adult Contemporary format playing mostly "old school" R&B. The station broadcasts from an antenna 725 feet in height with an effective radiated power of 20,000 watts. The station's transmitter is located in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park at the intersection of 10 mile Rd. and Greenfield.

History

WCHD

105.9 FM went on the air on May 26, 1960, as WCHD. Originally WCHD simulcast the R&B format of WCHB, Detroit's first Black-owned-and-operated radio station (then at 1440 AM, now at 1200 AM). By the late 1960s, WCHD had programmed itself separately from its AM sister and was playing Jazz. Early jazz announcers on WCHD included Ken Bradley, Jo Ray, and Ed Love (who now hosts the long-running weeknight jazz program on public radio station WDET).

Jazz 106

Eventually, WCHD changed its call letters to WJZZ to emphasize its musical format. As the 1980s wore on, WJZZ transitioned from playing traditional Jazz to playing more contemporary jazz (i.e. smooth jazz) along with some New Age and fusion. Jazz purists decried the format tweak, but WJZZ's ratings improved. By this time, WJZZ and WCHB were owned by Bell Broadcasting.

105.9 The Beat/105.9 Jamz

By 1996, WJZZ had gained a competitor in Smooth Jazz V98.7, the former rocker WLLZ which had changed format to Smooth Jazz shortly before Christmas 1995. With WVMV taking a more mass-appeal approach to the smooth jazz format by playing more Soft AC and Urban AC vocals, Bell Broadcasting decided to take WJZZ in a different direction. On August 23, 1996, WJZZ shifted its format to Mainstream Urban and took the WCHB-FM calls and the slogan "105.9 The Beat," in an attempt to go after longtime urban leader WJLB. Radio One acquired WCHB-AM/FM in July 1998, and the following month, WCHB-FM became WDTJ, "105.9 Jamz." WDTJ aired the Russ Parr morning show syndicated from sister station WKYS in Washington, DC. "105.9 Jamz" did respectably in the ratings, but not respectably enough to beat WJLB.

105.9 Kiss FM

On June 26, 2005, Radio One made a major change in its Detroit cluster. The company moved the "Old School" Rhythmic Oldies format of WDMK-FM 102.7 "Kiss-FM" to 105.9. 105.9 took on the WDMK calls and the "Kiss-FM" moniker, as the "Kiss" format was updated to a gold-based Urban AC. Detroit Pistons announcer John Mason (formerly of WJLB), who had done mornings at 102.7, was relegated to afternoon drive to accommodate the Tom Joyner morning show, previously heard on Clear Channel-owned WMXD, on the new "105.9 Kiss-FM." The "105.9 Jamz" mainstream urban/hip-hop format moved to 102.7, which took on the new calls WHTD and the moniker "Hot 102-7."

WDMK's ratings remain respectable with its current format, although the station has been unable to unseat WMXD, which is still frequently the #1 station 12+ in the Detroit market. In addition, the syndicated Steve Harvey morning show on WMXD regularly outperforms Tom Joyner on WDMK (although Joyner remains one of Detroit's top ten morning shows as rated by Arbitron).

John Mason, WDMK's former afternoon drive personality, left the station in September 2006 and shortly afterward announced that he would be looking to syndicate his own morning show, most likely based at independently-owned Detroit urban AC outlet WGPR. After Radio One successfully took Mason to court to uphold a non-compete clause, Mason began broadcasting on WGPR.

Airstaff

The current lineup (as of July 2008) is as follows

• Morning Show: The Tom Joyner Morning Show - Tom Joyner, Myra J., Miss. Dupree,
  Jay Anthony Brown, Tavis Smiley & A.J Parker (News)
• Mid-Days: Tune Up (DJ Gary Chandler - Lunch Jam)
• Afternoon Drive: The Mo'Nique Show - Mo'Nique Imes & Sonny Andre
• Evenings: Kisses After Dark: Pt. 1 - Kelia Karson
• Nighttime: Kisses After Dark: Pt. 2 - Jay Black
• Weekenders/Shows: Terry Bello & Donnie McClurkin
  • Kisses Sunday Today - Rev. Angelo Henerson & Sister Staci
  • On Point - Renee Prewitt

Sources

• Michiguide.com - WDMK History

External links

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