WAKS
| KISS-FM | |
| Broadcast area | Akron / Cleveland, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 96.5 (MHz) |
| Branding | KISS-FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | CHR/pop |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Clear Channel Communications |
| History | |
First air date | 1975 (as WZLE 104.9 FM- Lorain) |
Call sign meaning | A KiSs |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 31,000 watts |
| Links | |
| Website | www.kissfm965.com |
WAKS is a commercial FM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio broadcasting at 96.5 MHz with a Top 40 format. It is known as "96-5 KISS FM" and is owned by Clear Channel Communications.
Prior to July 2001, WAKS was on 104.9 licensed to Lorain, Ohio. Prior to being WAKS, the 104.9 frequency was occupied by WZLE until September 13, 1999.
The 104.9 frequency was used in the early 1950s by a station identified as WLAL licensed to Lakewood, Ohio [1]. It is not known whether this station was actually on the air, or, if it was, how long it broadcast.
In 1975, regular transmissions on 104.9 FM began as station WZLE, licensed to Lorain, Ohio, signed on. WZLE's first studios were located in the Sheffield Shopping Center, in what was once a shoe store. In the mid-80's, WZLE and AM station WRKG came under common ownership, with studios in the historic Antlers Hotel in downtown Lorain, Ohio. Among the formats WZLE had ranged from pop standards to Top 40 to Christian Contemporary music, the latter of which was the most successful.
In May 1999, WZLE was sold off to Jacor Communications, which became Clear Channel Communications weeks later. WZLE's format immediantly changed to Top 40 as "Kiss 104.9," in response to AMFM changing crosstown WZJM from a popular Top 40 format to "Jammin' Oldies." Their studios moved to downtown Cleveland in the Tower City Center.
However, a slogan fight then erupted between Clear Channel and Radio One for rights to the "Kiss" name. Weeks earlier, Radio One changed WENZ from alternative rock to hip-hop/R&B as "Kiss 107.9," copying the slogan from their Washington, DC hip-hop outlet WKYS. Clear Channel claimed ownership of the slogan, basing it on Los Angeles Top 40 giant KIIS, and put it on similar stations in Dayton and Cincinnati.
Radio One eventually acquiesced that October, and changed WENZ's slogan to "Z-107.9." In response, Clear Channel changed WZLE's call letters to WAKS, calls that were used on sister stations in Miami and Sandusky, Ohio.
The 96.5 FM frequency was originally home of WCUE-FM which signed on in the 1950s, licensed to Akron, Ohio. Sometime later, the station became WKDD. In the big Cleveland frequency shake-up of July 3, 2001, WAKS, which had been on then Lorain based 104.9 FM, moved to 96.5 FM. At the same time, Clear Channel's WKDD moved from 96.5 in Akron to 98.1 in Canton, Salem Communications's WHK-FM moved from 98.1 in Canton to 95.5 in Cleveland and became WFHM-FM, and WCLV moved its call sign and classical music format from 95.5 in Cleveland to 104.9 in Lorain.
On the AM side, Salem moved the WHK calls and religious format from 1420 to 1220, the WKNR calls and sports talk format were moved from 1220 to 850, and WCLV's owners took over the 1420 frequency from Salem and it became WCLV-AM.
The station's transmitter was moved to Brecksville, Ohio, which is in southeast Cuyahoga County. While still technically licensed to Akron, and identified as WAKS Akron-Cleveland, the stations studios are located in Cleveland with the rest of Clear Channel's Cleveland cluster off Rockside Road in Independence. WAKS promotes itself as, and is considered to be a Cleveland station.
External links
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