Everything about Wkkf totally explained
WKKF (102.3 Kiss FM) is a
Top 40 radio station licensed to
Ballston Spa, New York and serving the
Capital District and
Adirondacks. The station is owned by
Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 102.3 FM at 4.1 kilowatts
ERP from a transmitter in
Clifton Park, New York on a tower shared with
WPTR and
WTMM-FM.
Since its launch as
Kiss FM on
May 26 2000, WKKF has been a largely successful station going after heritage Top 40
WFLY with a more rhythmic, younger leaning format. This approach has allowed it to hold its own against WFLY, a station which hadn't seen competition for a decade prior to WKKF's launch, and
WAJZ, a Rhythmic who happens to be WFLY's sister station.
Programming
WKKF's playlist leans heavily on
rhythmic pop and
hip-hop, however the station plays a tangible amount of straight pop and rock tracks which differs from a traditional
Rhythmic Top 40 station. On the musical spectrum, it falls right between its two key rivals, sister stations WFLY and
WAJZ.
Much of WKKF's airstaff are transplants from other stations in the market; former Program Director/midday jock Rob Dawes previously held the same position at WFLY, current midday jock Ally Reid handled middays at FLY as well as WFLZ (93-3FLZ) in Tampa, FL. Another former FLY staff member,morning jock "Joey Kidd" (better known as Joe Rosati on
WHTZ in
New York City, who does his show via
ISDN). PM Drive jock DJ Thomas, the last original staff member from WKKF's launch, spent time at
WKLI (as "K-100") and
WABT. "Corey", the current night jock, previously spent time at 98 WPXY in Rochester.
Special features on WKKF include the
Kiss Cafe noon request hour, the
7 O'Clock Shorty mixshow weeknights at 7:00 p.m., and the
9 Most Wanted countdown weeknight at 9:00 p.m.. Additionally, WKKF broadcasts the nationally-syndicated MTV TRL Weekend Countdown with Damien every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and
American Top 40 hosted by
Ryan Seacrest every Sunday from 8 a.m. to Noon.
History
The 102.3 frequency originally began in
Saratoga Springs, New York in
1968 as
WKAJ-FM, sister to
WKAJ running an
easy listening format. In
1979, WKAJ-FM was sold and changed its calls to
WASM keeping the easy listening format though by the mid-1980s the station evolved to an
Adult contemporary approach.
In June
1987, WASM flipped to Top 40
WQQY (102 Double Q) and began to make a minor wave in the Albany ratings by giving WFLY and
WGFM a run for its money in
Saratoga County. Among the air talent at WQQY was Rob Dawes early in his career before moving back to the frequency.
With the decline of Top 40 in the early 1990s, it's limited 3000 watt signal, and a nearby station (WEQX) wishing to upgrade their facilities, WQQY began to look to the south for a better alternative. Having a construction permit to move the station down to the Albany area, WQQY moved its transmitter 12 miles south to Clifton Park (licensed to nearby Ballston Spa) and relaunched in September
1991 as
WZRQ, becoming Albany's affiliate of ABC's "Z-Rock" satellite
hard rock format. WZRQ remained as an affiliate of Z-Rock until the network's end in late
1996.
Needing a new format, then-owner Radio Enterprises (a joint venture of Clear Channel and local investors) decided to go after heritage rock station
WPYX with a
classic rock format as
WXCR. Though former WPYX morning team "Mason and Sheehan" gave the station a boost at the outset, their firing in
1998 left WXCR as one of the lowest rated stations in the Capital Region. After Clear Channel acquired WPYX in
2000, the WXCR call letters were changed to WKKF, and their 'Kiss-FM' Top-40 format was adopted. WXCR personality, Steve Scott was the only one to make the transition from classic rock to Top-40 as Jeff Mrozek adopted the afternoon drive spot at sister station WQBK (The Edge) earlier that year.
In
2005, WKKF upgraded to
IBOC digital radio alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WKKF began airing an HD2 channel with a
pop and new music-heavy CHR format known as "KissPop" which is heard on several other Kiss stations across the United States.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wkkf'.
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