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| Broadcast area | Washington metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 93.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 93.9 WKYS |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Urban contemporary |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | June 1947 (78 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 |
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| Website | kysdc |
WKYS (93.9FM) is a commercial radio station licensed toWashington, D.C., United States. The station is owned byUrban One through licensee Radio One Licenses, LLC, and broadcasts anurban contemporaryradio format. It is co-owned withWDCJ,WMMJ,WOL,WPRS, andWYCB, with radio studios and offices inSilver Spring, Maryland.
WKYS has aneffective radiated power of 24,500 watts. Thetransmitter tower is on Nebraska Avenue NW, co-located with the tower forWRC-TV (WKYS' former TVsister station).[2] WKYS broadcasts usingHD Radio technology.[3][4] Theurban talk programming of co-ownedWOL1450 AM was heard on its HD3digital subchannel. The HD3 subchannel has since been turned off.
The station firstsigned on the air as WRC-FM in June 1947 (78 years ago) (1947-06). It was launched alongside its television partner,WRC-TV (originally as WNBW). Both were built from the ground up byNBC, which putWRC980 AM on the air 24 years earlier. Thecall sign represents the name of the parent company, TheRadio Corporation of America or RCA. During its early days, WRC-FMsimulcast most of WRC's programming with somejazz 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 anautomatedbeautiful music format, largely soft instrumental songs played in quarter-hour sweeps. At the same time, 980 WRC was airing aTop 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".
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 anall-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 indisco music.[5] The FM station became "Disco 93.9" in 1975.[6] DJs during the disco era includedDonnie Simpson,Jack Harris, Stoney Richards,Joe Cipriano, Eddie Edwards,Barry "Reazar" Richards, Bill Bailey, Jeff Leonard, Chuck Davis, Candy Shannon and Max Kinkel.
The disco format eventually evolved into the present urban contemporary format as "93.9Kiss FM". DJ Donnie Simpson became Kiss-FM's program director.[7]
In the mid-1980s, WKYS gained competition from 102.3WMMJ and 95.5WPGC-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 96.3WHUR-FM, which converted its jazz format tourban 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).
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 toClear Channel Communications acquiring the rights to theKISS-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".
From 1977 to 1993, WKYS was home to radio and TV personalityDonnie Simpson. The station was also once theflagship station of thenationally syndicatedRuss Parr Morning Show. In January 2016, Parr moved to sister station WMMJ to take over afterTom 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]