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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 102.9MHz |
| Branding | KIX 102 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WBBB,WKJO,WKIX,WKXU,WPLW-FM,WPTF,WQDR,WQDR-FM,WYMY | |
| History | |
First air date | July 1, 1998; 27 years ago (1998-07-01) (as WWND) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Kix" (branding) |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 4841 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,700watts |
| HAAT | 189 meters (620 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°47′38.5″N78°45′40″W / 35.794028°N 78.76111°W /35.794028; -78.76111 |
| Repeaters |
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| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | kix102fm.com |
WKIX-FM (102.9MHz) is aclassic hits formattedradio station located inRaleigh, North Carolina, that plays hit music from the1960s,1970s, and1980s as "KIX 102". Its studios are located in Raleigh, and the transmitter tower is inCary.
The station began operating in 1998 under the callsign WWND, and carried asmooth jazz format as "102.9 the Wind". This setup was very similar in nature to one carried out by another station, WNND-FM 103.9 (nowWNNL) from 1990 to 1996. In February 2001, the station began an all-1980s format as "Star 102.9", with new call sign WWMY following shortly thereafter.Goldsboro country station WKIX 96.9 soon joined the new WWMY in a simulcast asWYMY, simulcasting WWMY with 100,000 watts to points east of Raleigh as "Star 96-9 and 102-9".
Over the next two years, Star attempted to tweak its format by becoming ahot AC hybrid[3] for a brief time before switching to a classic hits format. It was during this time that the station carried the syndicatedBob and Sheri morning show, which did not go over well because it often got confused with the Bill & Sheri show on competitorWRAL-FM.
The Star-FM simulcast broke off in 2003 when WYMY became a Spanish-language station known as "La Ley". WWMY continued on with the classic hits format as "Star-FM - SuperStars of the 70s and 80s" until 2005, when it made another format tweak by picking up theoldies mantle from what used to beWTRG and changed their handle to Y102.9, which billed itself as "The Home ofMotown,Soul, andRock 'N Roll." The musical focus then shifted on hits from the 1960s and 1970s.
On February 1, 2007,[citation needed] WWMY began a simulcast with Goldsboro stationWWNF 102.3, which shifted itscountry music format over toWKIX-FM 97.7 inKinston. WWNF and WKIX had swapped call letters a month prior to the move.[4][5][6] This was the first of a series of changes for 102.3 FM, as WWNF became WKIX once again late in 2008.[5]
WKIX and WWMY swapped letters early in 2010.[5][7] As a result, the station dropped its Y102.9 moniker and referred to itself by just the dial position before changing it once again to the current KIX 102.9. In the process, the 1980s tunes that had been on Star-FM previously were added back to the playlist, along with the occasional "lost oldie" from the pre-1964 era. WWMY ended its simulcast with WKIX-FM on October 23, 2010, and beganstunting with future simulcast partnerWKXU, as part of a change in city of license from Goldsboro toSmithfield.
On January 8, 2014, Curtis Media announced that it purchased WKIX from McClatchey. WKIX would operate under a TMA with a new company to be run by Donna Curtis McClatchey, the daughter of Curtis Media owner Don Curtis.[8] The sale to Curtis Media's FM 102.9 LLC, at a price of $1.229 million, was consummated on December 1, 2014.
WKIX-FM began broadcasting football and basketball games for theDuke Blue Devils,[9] in 2010 after picking up the package from former WRBZ (nowWKIX), which dropped sports programming altogether. This continued until 2015, when Duke flagship stationWDNC added FM signals to cover the Triangle area.
On December 26, 2022, two additional stations,WKJO in Smithfield and WPLW-FM in Hillsborough, began simulcasting the programming originating from WKIX-FM.[10]
The callsign WKIX was used for many years by theRaleigh station now known once again asWKIX,[11] followed by the Raleigh station now calledWBBB,[12] then the station now with callsignWPLW-FM[13] and, after its first stint on the station now carrying the callsignWKJO, on the station now calledWZKT inKinston, North Carolina.[4] The first station to be called WKIX wasWISW inColumbia, South Carolina.[citation needed]
