WKSI-FM
 | |
| Broadcast area | Northern Shenandoah Valley Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Kiss 98-3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary Hit Radio[1] |
| Subchannels | HD2: Classic Country 95-7 (Classic Country)[1] |
| Affiliations | Ace & TJ On Air with Ryan Seacrest |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| W239BV, WFQX, WMRE, WUSQ-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | August 28, 1967[2] |
Former call signs | WZFM (1967–1982) WXVA-FM (1982–2003) |
Call sign meaning | play on the word "Kiss" |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 26998 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 1,750 watts |
| HAAT | 188 meters (617 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°10′38.0″N 78°15′53.0″W / 39.177222°N 78.264722°W |
| Translator(s) | HD2: 95.7 W239BV (Winchester) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | WKSI-FM Webstream |
| Website | WKSI-FM Online |
WKSI-FM is a Contemporary Hit Radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Stephens City, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.[1] WKSI-FM is owned and operated by iHeartCommunications, Inc.[3]
History
98.3 FM signed on August 28, 1967 as WZFM, a local station serving Charles Town, West Virginia. The station was co-owned with WXVA (1550 AM) by Arthur W. Arundel, who at the time owned WAVA Arlington and the Leesburg-based Loudoun Times-Mirror newspaper. WZFM simulcast WXVA's broadcasting day, which was full service with blocks of country music.[4]
The two stations were sold in 1970 to electrical engineer John P. Luce. The simulcast split around this time as the AM side was switched to top-40 and the FM station went to full-time country.[5]
Luce sold to Heritage Broadcasting Corporation in September 1982.[6] Heritage changed the callsign to WXVA-FM after taking control. After an initial return to simulcasting 1550 AM (which had flipped to middle-of-the-road) immediately after the change, the station settled on light adult contemporary around 1986.[7]
In 1993, another format change took place, this time to oldies.[8] Unusually for an FM station, Broadcasting Yearbook reported that it operated 19 hours a day – signing off between midnight and 5 a.m. A flip back to country as "Xtra Country 98" took place in late 1995.[9] The station remained in Charles Town, but was a rimshot to Winchester, regularly showing up in the ratings there despite competition from local country stalwart WUSQ-FM.[10]
Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) bought WXVA-FM from Heritage in 2000.[11] As it already owned WUSQ-FM, it sought to tap the larger Winchester market with a different format instead of competing with itself. On December 10, 2003, Clear Channel applied to move the transmitter to WUSQ-FM's site near Round Hill, Frederick County, Virginia, changing the city of license from Charles Town to Stephens City.[12] The station immediately began stunting as "Christmas 98.3" with Christmas music and spots advising listeners to tune to WUSQ-FM for country. The flip to CHR as "Kiss 98.3" WKSI-FM came on December 26, although the physical move was not completed until late 2004.[13][14]
HD2 subchannel
On August 22, 2013, WKSI began simulcasting its HD2 signal on newly acquired translator W239BV, broadcasting on 95.7, from WKSI's tower west of Winchester.[15] The HD2 signal aired the "Today's Mix" format, one of iHeartMedia Premium Choice formats.[15]
On November 1, 2013 W239BV switched its format from Hot Adult Contemporary to a seasonal All-Christmas music format, with the "Mix 95-7" branding remaining.[16]
Until December 26, 2020, at 12 Midnight, when W239BV took over the Classic Country format, which had been abandoned by crosstown competitor WXBN ahead of sister-station WINC-FM's sale and format change, as "Classic Country 95-7".[17][18][19]
References
- ^ a b c "Arbitron Station Information Profiles". Nielsen Audio/Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2010 (PDF). ProQuest, LLC/Reed Publishing (Nederland), B.V. 2010. p. D-571. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ "WKSI Facility Record". Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1968 (PDF). p. B-180.
- ^ Staff (July 6, 1970). "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. p. 29.
- ^ Staff (September 27, 1982). "Actions" (PDF). Broadcasting. p. 101.
- ^ Broadcasting-Cablecasting Yearbook 1986 (PDF). p. B-308.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 (PDF). p. B-447.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1997 (PDF). p. B-486.
- ^ Corbin, Robert (October 24, 2003). "Winchester to get new radio station". VARTV.
- ^ Staff (December 11, 2000). "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. p. 48.
- ^ "WKSI-FM Facility Record". FCCData.
- ^ Hughes, Dave (December 26, 2003). "Shenandoah Valley Gets Kissed". DCRTV.
- ^ Hughes, Dave (September 1, 2004). "New City for WKSI". DCRTV.
- ^ a b "CCM&E Premium Choice Hot AC..." Robert F. Corbin via Twitter. August 22, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
- ^ Venta, Lance (November 2, 2013). "Christmas Comes Early Across America". RadioBB Networks. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Venta, Lance (December 26, 2020). "Classic Country 95.7 Debuts In Winchester". RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ Venta, Lance (October 8, 2020). "Educational Media Foundation Acquires WINC-FM". RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
- ^ Venta, Lance (November 17, 2020). "WINC-FM Begins Frequency Move Ahead Of EMF Sale". RadioInsight/RadioBB Networks. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
External links
- Kiss 98-3 Online
- ‹The template FMQ is being considered for deletion.› WKSI in the FCC FM station database
- WKSI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- ‹The template FMQ is being considered for deletion.› W239BV in the FCC FM station database
- W239BV at FCCdata.org