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| Broadcast area | Greater Cleveland –Northeast Ohio |
| Frequency | 96.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 96.5 KISS-FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
| Subchannels | HD2:Urban Contemporary |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | March 12, 1958 (67 years ago) (1958-03-12) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "KISS-FM" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 49952 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 31,000 watts |
| HAAT | 189meters (620 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°16′50.2″N81°37′21.4″W / 41.280611°N 81.622611°W /41.280611; -81.622611 |
| Translator | HD2: 106.1 W291BV (Solon) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | kisscleveland |
WAKS (96.5FM) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toAkron, Ohio, and servingGreater Cleveland andNortheast Ohio. It is owned byiHeartMedia and it broadcasts aTop 40 (CHR)radio format known as "96.5KISS-FM." Studios are in theSix Six Eight Building indowntown Cleveland'sGateway District. 96.5 KISS-FM carries severalnationally syndicated programs:Elvis Duran and the Morning Show,On Air with Ryan Seacrest andAmerican Top 40.
WAKS has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 31,000watts. Thetransmitter is off Snowville Road inBrecksville, slightly closer toCleveland than to Akron.[2] For this reason, 96.5 KISS-FM is regarded as part of the Clevelandradio market. WAKS broadcasts usingHD Radio technology.[3]WAKS-HD2 airs anurban contemporary format known as "Real 106.1." That feeds 200-wattFM translator W291BV at 106.1MHz.[4]
On March 12, 1958,WCUE (1150 AM) ofCuyahoga Falls, Ohio, launched an FMsister station at 96.5 Megahertz in Akron. Thecall sign was WCUE-FM.[5] At first, both stations wouldsimulcast their programming.
Because WCUE was adaytimer station required to go off the air at night, WCUE-FM was able to continue broadcasting into the evening. The stations werenetwork affiliates of theMutual Broadcasting System and had their studios at 41 South Main Street in Akron.[6]
In the early 1970s, WCUE-FM separated its programming from WCUE 1150 and was broadcasting analbum oriented rock (AOR) format. In 1977, it adjusted its format tomellow rock and changed its call letters to WKDD. John Gorman, then Program Director at Cleveland rock station 100.7WMMS, recalls competing with WKDD in theAkron andCanton radio markets in its earlier days: "... the station attempted to create a 'Mellow Rock' mascot... "[7]
In January 1982, WKDD dropped its mellow rock format and flipped to Top 40 (CHR). At the time, it was broadcasting at 50,000 watts, providing city-grade coverage to Cleveland, Akron and Canton. In 1989, the station briefly leaned towards rock hits, minimizing dance and pop. With that short move, WKDD unseated WMMS as the highest rated station in the Akron market, including bothSummit andPortage counties, that same year. The station returned to its mainstream Top 40 format the following year. The two stations continued to struggle for ratings dominance well into the 1990s. Often, one of the two claimed the number one position in theBirch ratings service, while the other wonArbitron's top spot.[8][9]
Danny Wright and Matt Patrick (Michael Ryan) were among the station's personalities. In 1987, WKDD raised Patrick's salary. He reportedly made nearly five times the average for all other personalities in the market.[10] In 1995, Patrick attempted to leave WKDD for Cleveland station 106.5 WLTF (nowWHLK). This drew a legal fight from WKDD, which claimed Patrick's contract prevented him from leaving for any station within 40 miles of WKDD.[11]
On July 3, 2001, WKDD was one of sevenNortheast Ohio stations involved in a complex exchange between three radio companies. Although generally reported as a "frequency swap", in reality these seven radio stations mostly traded call signs, formats and staffs – all to facilitate the transfers of ownership of four of the seven stations.
As part of this complex exchange, Clear Channel Communications (nowiHeartMedia) changed the WKDD format fromhot adult contemporary (hot AC) to Top 40 (CHR). It also relaunched the station using theKISS-FM brand. It reassigned on and off-air personnel. And on July 23, 2001, changed the station call letters to WAKS. In effect, this new WAKS licensed to Akron (96.5 FM) became the successor tothe previous WAKS licensed toLorain (104.9 FM).[12]
Weekday programming includesElvis Duran and the Morning Show in morning drive andOn Air with Ryan Seacrest middays, both viaPremiere Networks. Local WAKS personalities LeeAnn Summers and Alan Colon are heard in late mornings and afternoon drive respectively.[13]
All other music shifts are eithervoice-tracked out-of-market specifically for WAKS or programmed viaPremium Choice.[14][15][16][17]
On weekends, 96.5 KISS-FM airs several weekly syndicated programs: Since November 2001, WAKS carriesAmerican Top 40 on Sundays.[18]
On Saturday evenings, two syndicated programs are heard:On The Move with Enrique Santos andMost Requested Live with Romeo.[19]
WAKS broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. Its HD2digital subchannel carries anurban contemporary format. Branded as "Real 106.1",WAKS-HD2 feedsFM translator W291BV (106.1 FM) inSolon, which itself is owned byEducational Media Foundation but operated byiHeartMedia. All regular content, includingstation imaging,voice-over audio, music and on-air talent, either comes from the iHeartMedia mainstream urban national format via the Premium Choice network, or isvoice-tracked by out-of-marketDJs specifically for Real 106.1.
Clear Channel... is rolling out Premium Choice, a menu of national formats chosen by headquarters. There is no local programming on Premium Choice stations except for commercials...
The Cleveland Clear Channel stations using the Premium Choice programming package are WAKS, WGAR, WMJI and WMMS. Each station uses it overnight on weekdays, and for selected hours on weekends.
