Composite: KISF “Kiss-FM” Kansas City | December 1993
Courtesy of the fabulously enormous Robyn Watts Collection, we bring you a look at Kansas City’s 90’s CHR ‘Kiss-FM’. It’s another really great sounding Top 40 FM, which we can’t find a bit of history about on the web. Apparently the calls are in use in Nevada on an Hispanic station these days, so it’s a safe bet that this station went the way of the dinosaur.
Notables on this aircheck: Much of the morning show is featured here, at least a quarter-hour’s worth. Great large market sounding talent here - even if there is no music on this scoped presentation. This came to us on what appears to be a first-generation tape from an aircheck service called “Hecht Enterprises” - We’re not sure who or what that is, but in the interest of full disclosure, there you have it.
(No Ratings Yet)
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Hi Steve,
I’d thought I would try to fill in the blanks and answer some questions that you might have on Kiss 107.3/KC.
Kiss 107.3 roots could be traced back a few years previous to KXXR, a Top 40/Album Rock outlet licensed to Liberty, MO at 106.5 that signed on in 1988. The station was the first of it’s kind in a format that later would be dubbed “Rock 40″ and had some sucess at first, but really could not take itself to the next level. So in mid-1990, the station changed to a Dance-leaning CHR called X-106 and became a direct competitor to longtime CHR Q-104/KBEQ (which itself had no direct format competition since Power 95/KCPW flipped to Oldies in 1989).
X-106 found out over the next year that they just couldn’t beat Q-104 in the ratings and with CHR radio on the decline nationally, the decision was made to flip to Country. But then, the station entered into a LMA with KCFM, a rimshot Country station at 107.3 licensed to Lexington, MO (located about 40 miles east of Kansas City) and both stations wound up swapping frequencies with each other in early 1992. KCFM relaunched as Country KKCJ (CJ-106), while KXXR became KXXR, the New 107.3.
During this time, Q-104 had ratings problems of their own due to a failed shift to Rhythmic CHR and the realization that CHR wasn’t working for them anymore. So in the Fall of 1992, the station stunted with a “20 Years In 20 Days” marathon, which highlighted their years as a Top 40 outlet before flipping to Country.
After that, KXXR had the CHR market to themselves, but the ratings didn’t improve for them, due to the fact that the 107.3 frequency was a rimshot covering 2/3rds of the KC metro (despite being 100kw.) as well as the baggage that the KXXR name had carried. So in early 1993, the station changed their call letters to KISF and relaunched as Kiss 107.3. Then the ratings finally started to go up for them.
Kiss 107.3 lasted for about 18 months as a Mainstream CHR, but then Mix 93.3/KMXV flipped from Hot AC to CHR. With the signal problems that Kiss 107.3 had, the owners realized that they couldn’t compete with Mix 93.3. So, the station transitioned to Modern Rock, but kept the Kiss name for a time, branding themselves as “Kansas City’s New Music Alternative”. The Kiss moniker was eventually dropped and the station became simply known as 107.3 for the next year or so. In 1997, the call letters were changed to KCCX, then again in 1998 to KNRX after KCFX threatened to take them to court since their call letters were similer. Despite all the changes , the station found its ratings begain to slip. So in 1999, the modern rock format was finally dropped and replaced with Urban Oldies (the first of it’s kind in KC) and the station became K-107. Ratings went back up, but the station was sold to Cumulus which took it Urban AC in 2001as Magic 107.3/KMJK (where it is today).
Robyn
Forgot to mention this, but this site has more information about Kiss 107.3 and the frequency’s past (just so that you won’t label me as a know-it-all).
http://kcradio.tripod.com
Robyn
The thing I loved about this station most was the imported staff. When PD/middayer Mark Feather came in from Hot 105.7 (WQXA/York, PA), he brought his entire staff with him. Bobby & Kip, Alex Valentine, and a night jock (not heard on this tape) Boomer ALL moved with Mark to Kansas City. I’ve always loved those stories. Just pick up the whole team and move. Such an adventure…and you can hit the ground running since you’re all used to working together. Too bad it lasted such a short time.
That pinhead, Boomer is actually heard on this aircheck… he was the the station voice. Catch him on the sweeps and promos.