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| Broadcast area | Western New York |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Kiss 98.5 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Subchannels |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | January 1, 1946 (79 years ago) (1946-01-01) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "Kiss" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 34384 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 46,000 watts |
| HAAT | 128 meters (420 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°00′18″N78°59′35″W / 43.005°N 78.993°W /43.005; -78.993 |
| Translator(s) | HD2: 104.7 W284AP (Buffalo) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) |
| Website | www |
WKSE (98.5FM) is a commercial radio stationlicensed toNiagara Falls, New York, serving theBuffalo metropolitan area andWestern New York. It has acontemporary hit radio format and is owned byAudacy, Inc., with studios on Corporate Parkway inAmherst, New York. It calls itselfKiss 98.5.
WKSE has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 46,000 watts. Thetransmitter is off Staley Avenue onGrand Island, New York.[2] Its signal extends into theNiagara Region ofOntario as well asHamilton andToronto. WKSE broadcasts usingHD Radio technology; its HD2digital subchannelsimulcastscountry musicsister stationWLKK, while the HD3 subchannel simulcasts co-ownedWBENnews/talk programming, and the HD4 subchannel simulcasts co-ownedWGR'ssports radio programming.
On January 1, 1946; 79 years ago (1946-01-01), the stationsigned on as WHLD-FM.[3] It was the FM counterpart toWHLD and largely simulcast the AM station's programming in its early years. In the late 1960s, it switched to abeautiful music format with some classical music programming as well.
The station changed itscall sign to WZIR in 1980, WRXT in 1984, and the current call sign in early 1985. The current Top 40/CHR format has been in place since September 1984. Much of itsplaylist overlapped that of then-sister stationStar 102.5 at times. (The two stations' programming eventually fully merged onto WKSE's signal in June 2023 as 102.5 was sold off that month.[4]) WKSE carried thesyndicated weekly showThe Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown withScott Shannon throughout the 1980s.
WKSE sold itsbroadcast tower to Vertical Bridge in March 2019. WKSE continues to use the tower under a leasing arrangement.[5]
Until 2011, WKSE had a significant listenership throughout theGreater Toronto Area andSouthern Ontario. After the launch of urban contemporaryCKFG-FM that October on the adjacent 98.7 MHz frequency, WKSE lost much of its prominence in the Toronto market and became a bit harder to find on some radio receivers with weaker tuners. In addition, listeners in Canada are not able to use the Audacy app to stream WKSE, as it is restricted to users in the United States.
Janet Snyder has been the station's morning show host since 1989, with her co-host Nicholas Pickolas joining in 1994.
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