WKYS

Last updated

WKYS
Broadcast area Washington metropolitan area
Frequency 93.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding93.9 WKYS
Programming
Languages English
Format Urban contemporary
Subchannels
Ownership
Owner
  • WMMJ
  • WOL
  • WPRS-FM
  • WYCB
History
First air date
June 1947
(77 years ago) (1947-06)
Former call signs
WRC-FM (1947–1974)
Call sign meaning
"Kiss"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 73200
Class B
ERP 24,500 watts
HAAT 215 meters (705 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 38°56′24.4″N77°04′52.9″W / 38.940111°N 77.081361°W / 38.940111; -77.081361 (WKYS)
Links
Public license information
Webcast kysdc.com/listen-live
Website kysdc.com

WKYS (93.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Washington, D.C., United States. The station is owned by Urban One through licensee Radio One Licenses, LLC, and broadcasts an urban contemporary radio format. It is co-owned with WMMJ, WOL, WPRS-FM, and WYCB, with radio studios and offices in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Contents

WKYS has an effective radiated power of 24,500 watts. The transmitter tower is on Nebraska Avenue NW, co-located with the tower for WRC-TV (WKYS' former TV sister station). [2] WKYS broadcasts using HD Radio technology. [3] [4] The urban talk programming of co-owned WOL 1450 AM is heard on its HD3 digital subchannel.

History

WRC-FM

The station first signed on the air as WRC-FM in June 1947(77 years ago). It was launched alongside its television partner, WRC-TV (originally as WNBW). Both were built from the ground up by NBC, which put WRC 980 AM on the air 24 years earlier. The call sign represents the name of the parent company, The Radio Corporation of America or RCA. During its early days, WRC-FM simulcast most of WRC's programming with some jazz music also played.

In the late 1960s, FM stations in larger cities were no longer permitted to simulcast most of their programming. FM 93.9 began an automated beautiful music format, largely soft instrumental songs played in quarter-hour sweeps. At the same time, 980 WRC was airing a Top 40 format, playing current hits for young listeners. In 1974, 93.9 switched its call letters from WRC-FM to WKYS, standing for "Kiss-FM".

Top 40 and Disco

The transition to what is now WKYS occurred when NBC moved the Top 40 format that was on WRC to the FM station. That was to make way for an all-news radio format being launched on the AM station. For a short time in 1975, the two stations simulcast Top 40 music as listeners were redirected to 93.9 FM.

Shortly after the simulcast was discontinued, WKYS decided to modify its Top 40 sound. Instead of a blend of rock, pop and R&B hits, all popular on Top 40 stations, management noticed the coming boom in disco music. [5] The FM station became "Disco 93.9" in 1975. [6] DJs during the disco era included Donnie Simpson, Jack Harris, Stoney Richards, Joe Cipriano, Eddie Edwards, Barry "Reazar" Richards, Bill Bailey, Jeff Leonard, Chuck Davis, Candy Shannon and Max Kinkel.

Urban contemporary

The disco format eventually evolved into the present urban contemporary format as "93.9 Kiss FM". DJ Donnie Simpson became Kiss-FM's program director. [7]

In the mid-1980s, WKYS gained competition from 102.3 WMMJ and 95.5 WPGC-FM. While that caused a setback in its dominance, WKYS did not suffer a huge of a threat to its ratings and audience share. It later began competing with 96.3 WHUR-FM, which converted its jazz format to urban adult contemporary in 1993. (Washington D.C. is one of the few large radio markets to have multiple urban stations on the FM dial for a long time).

Changes in ownership

When NBC divested all of its radio properties in 1988, WKYS was sold to Albimar Communications. In the 1990s, Albimar ran into financial difficulties. In 1995, the station was sold to Radio One (the original name for current owner Urban One).

In the mid-1990s, WKYS was forced to drop the "Kiss FM" name and changed it to "93.9 WKYS" due to Clear Channel Communications acquiring the rights to the KISS-FM branding. Clear Channel chose to enforce its trademark rights nationwide. However, WKYS reintroduced the "Kiss FM" name for a period of time and Clear Channel did not make further claims of legal action. WKYS later retired the "Kiss FM" moniker and simply began calling itself "93.9 WKYS".

Past shows

From 1977 to 1993, WKYS was home to radio and TV personality Donnie Simpson. The station was also once the flagship station of the nationally syndicated Russ Parr Morning Show . In January 2016, Parr moved to sister station WMMJ to take over after Tom Joyner left. Parr was replaced on WKYS by "The Fam in the Morning". The current wake-up show is "The Morning Hustle".

From 1983 to 1990, Kevin "Slow Jammin" James hosted his "Slow Jam" radio show from 7 pm to midnight, on Saturdays and Sundays. [8]

a former logo of WKYS has been used until 2013 WKYS FM logo.jpg
a former logo of WKYS has been used until 2013

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for WKYS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/WKYS
  3. ↑ "Station Search Details". Licensing.fcc.gov. January 28, 2000. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ "HD Radio station guide for Washington D.C." Hdradio.com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-39. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  6. ↑ "98WRC, WKYS page". WRC Radio, The Great 98.
  7. ↑ "Donnie Simpson bio of WRC Radio, The Great 98". WRC Radio, The Great 98.
  8. ↑ "Kevin 'Slow Jammin' James page". SlowJams.com.
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