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| Broadcast area | |
| Frequency | 98.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Kiss 98-3 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio[1] |
| Subchannels | HD2:Classic Country 95-7 (Classic country)[1] |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | August 28, 1967 (58 years ago) (1967-08-28)[2] |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | play on the word "Kiss" |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 26998 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,750 watts |
| HAAT | 188 meters (617 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°10′38.0″N78°15′53.0″W / 39.177222°N 78.264722°W /39.177222; -78.264722 |
| Translator | HD2: 95.7 W239BV (Winchester) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | kiss983 |
WKSI-FM (98.3FM, "Kiss 98-3") is acontemporary hit radio formatted broadcast commercial radio station licensed toStephens City, Virginia, serving the NorthernShenandoah Valley ofVirginia and theEastern Panhandle ofWest Virginia.[1] WKSI-FM is owned and operated byiHeartMedia[4]
98.3 FM signed on August 28, 1967, as WZFM, a local station servingCharles Town, West Virginia. The station was co-owned withWXVA (1550 AM) by Arthur W. Arundel, who at the time ownedWAVAArlington and theLeesburg-basedLoudoun Times-Mirror newspaper. WZFM simulcast WXVA's broadcasting day, which wasFull Service with blocks ofcountry music.[5]
The two stations were sold in 1970, to electrical engineer John P. Luce. The simulcast split around this time as the AM side was switched toTop 40 and the FM station went to full-time country.[6]
Luce sold to Heritage Broadcasting Corporation in September 1982.[7] Heritage changed the callsign to WXVA-FM after taking control. After an initial return to simulcasting 1550 AM (which had flipped tomiddle-of-the-road) immediately after the change, the station settled on lightadult contemporary around 1986.[8]
In September 1993, another format change took place, this time tooldies.[9] Unusually for an FM station,Broadcasting Yearbook reported that it operated 19 hours a day – signing off between midnight and 5 a.m. A flip back to country as "Xtra Country 98" took place in January 1996.[10] The station remained in Charles Town, but was arimshot to Winchester, regularly showing up in the ratings there despite competition from local country stalwartWUSQ-FM.[11]
Clear Channel (nowiHeartMedia) bought WXVA-FM from Heritage in 2000.[12] As it already owned WUSQ-FM, it sought to tap the larger Winchester market with a different format instead of competing with itself. On December 10, 2003, Clear Channel applied to move the transmitter to WUSQ-FM's site nearRound Hill, Frederick County, Virginia, changing the city of license from Charles Town to Stephens City.[13] The station immediately began stunting as "Christmas 98.3" withChristmas music and spots advising listeners to tune to WUSQ-FM for country. The flip toCHR as "Kiss 98-3". WKSI-FM came on December 26, although the physical move was not completed until late 2004.[14][15]
On August 22, 2013, WKSI began simulcasting its HD2 signal on newly acquired translatorW239BV, broadcasting on 95.7, from WKSI's tower west of Winchester.[16] The HD2 signal aired the "Today's Mix" format, one ofiHeartMediaPremium Choice formats.[16]
On November 1, 2013, W239BV switched its format fromhot adult contemporary to a seasonalAll-Christmas music format, with the "Mix 95-7" branding remaining.[17]
Until December 26, 2020, at 12 Midnight, when W239BV took over theClassic Country format, which had been abandoned by crosstown competitorWXBN ahead of sister-stationWINC-FM's sale and format change, as "Classic Country 95-7".[18][19][20]