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KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States (and overseas). Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio itself (despite the company being headquartered there).
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Origin and History
In the late 1970s, many U.S. radio stations began calling themselves "Kiss". Among these was KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, which adopted that callsign in 1975 when it became a sister station to KIIS (AM)—whose callsign comes not from the word "Kiss" but rather its dial position at 1150, with the letters "I" and "S" being the letters most closely resembling 1 and 5, respectively.[1] Gannett, which owned the station, filed a federal trademark registration for "KIIS" in 1986,[2] which has passed on to subsequent owners of the station. In 1997, Country Club Communications registered the only current federal trademark for "KISS FM" (which has since also been assigned to Clear Channel); the logo registered then included a stylized pair of lips.[3]
Numerous other stations using "Kiss" as (part of) a service mark were acquired over the course of Clear Channel's growth, among them Boston's WXKS-FM and Hartford's WKSS; however, other stations calling themselves "Kiss" which predated the "KISS FM" trademark were not acquired, such as CBS Radio's WNKS in Charlotte, North Carolina. Furthermore, not all Clear Channel "Kiss" stations use the national brand: WXKS-FM has never used "KISS FM", maintaining its "Kiss 108" identity from 1979.
The current logo for KISS-FM is a blue ball with KISS-FM in red lettering with yellow around the lettering and the radio frequency at the bottom in yellow. There are some stations never owned by Clear Channel that license the KISS-FM branding including the ball logo. In Peoria, Illinois, WPIA 98.5 is a Mainstream Top 40 station using the KISS-FM brand. Most non-Clear Channel "Kiss" stations do not use this logo.
On November 17, 2006, Clear Channel announced that the company intends to be sold to a group of private equity firms.[1]. Clear Channel announced on the same day its intent to sell off many radio stations in smaller radio markets, including some KISS-FM formatted stations. Former Clear Channel KISS-FM branded stations that have been sold and retained the KISS brand as of March 2007 include WDKS 106.1 KISS-FM Evansville, Indiana; KTRS-FM 104.7 KISS-FM in Casper, Wyoming.
On December 15, 2008, Clear Channel reached an agreement to acquire five CBS Radio stations, one of them being KBKS 106.1 Kiss FM in Seattle, Washington. In return, CBS would acquire two Clear Channel stations in Houston, Texas, as an effort to expand its focus on the larger markets.
Conflict and controversy
Clear Channel has pursued legal claims against some station owners using branding similar to KISS-FM.
Some stations have dropped KISS branding as a result - for example: Mainstream Urban station WKYS in Washington, DC (owned by Radio One) used it before, then they dropped it, but most recently added the moniker backrecently (need source).
- In May 1999, Radio One station WENZ in Cleveland (ironically acquired in a divesture from Clear Channel) changed format from modern rock over to mainstream urban as "KISS 107.9" (emulating WKYS) and also intended to change the stations' call sign. Two weeks later, Clear Channel flipped the format of recently acquired WZLE-FM in Lorain, Ohio to "KISS 104.9", with a CHR format emulating KIIS. Following a long legal fight with Clear Channel, Radio One aburptly dropped the "KISS" moniker in October 1999 for "Z-107.9", a play of the WENZ calls which were never changed. WZLE then changed their calls to WAKS three days later. To this day, both stations still feature the same formats, nicknames and call letters, although WAKS has since relocated to the 96.5 frequency.
- In 2001, Clear Channel went to federal court to force American General Media (AGM) to give up the "Kiss" slogan that was used as the on-air moniker for Rhythmic Top 40 KISV in Bakersfield, California. Clear Channel wanted to use the slogan for its then-recent acquisition KKXX in 2000. AGM argued they had the rights to the "Kiss" slogan three years before Clear Channel came to Bakersfield; Clear Channel said otherwise and claimed AGM used it without permission. (need Source and details of the outcome of the legal action)
- In Chicago, Clear Channel sent a cease and desist letter to former CHR-Dance WKIE. Clear Channel sued WKIE and successfully won the case, causing WKIE to drop the KISS name and rebrand itself as Energy 92.7. Clear Channel changed their Rhythmic Oldies 103.5 The Beat to CHR-Pop as 103.5 KISS-FM with call letters WKSC respectfully meaning KSC (KISS Chicago).[citation needed]
List of "KISS-FM" stations
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Kiss FM in Europe
The Kiss FM name has been widely used both by licenced and pirate stations in several European countries including Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Greece, Spain, Sweden and Berlin (Germany).
Kiss FM in Brazil
There is a Kiss FM in São Paulo, Brazil, that plays classic rock. This can be heard at 102.1 MHz or here
Kiss FM in Canada
CKIS-FM has historically been Toronto's KISS FM station; however, for several years in the first decade of the millennium, the station instead followed the famous Jack FM adult hits format. The Jack format was dropped in the middle of 2009, and KISS FM has since returned to the station.
The other Canadian station in a prominent market is CISS-FM in Ottawa. It is better known as "105.3 KISS FM" and has a hot adult contemporary format. The call sign, CISS, was once used by CKIS-FM before it made the switch to Jack FM in June of 2003.
References
- ^ Garrett Wollman (2006-07-15). "Historic Los Angeles Hilltops". http://gallery.bostonradio.org/2006-04/la/. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ "Trademark registration 1540895". U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=73585355. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ "Trademark registration 2156452". U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. http://tarr.uspto.gov/servlet/tarr?regser=serial&entry=75230027. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
External links
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