KHKS

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KHKS
175px
City of license Denton, Texas
Broadcast area Dallas-Ft. Worth
Branding 106.1 KISS-FM
Slogan Dallas/Fort Worth's NEW #1 Hit Music Station!
Frequency 106.1 MHz (also on HD Radio)
106.1 HD-2 for "Pride Radio"
First air date June 1948 (as KDNT-FM at 106.3)
Format Top 40 (CHR)
ERP 97,000 watts
HAAT 508 meters
Class C
Facility ID 23084
Transmitter coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Callsign meaning K Hits KiSs
Former callsigns KDNT-FM (1948-1979)
KDDC (1979-1981)
KIXK (1981-1984)
KTKS (1984-1987)
KOAI (1987-1992)
Former frequencies 106.3 MHz (1948-1962)
Owner iHeartMedia, Inc.
(AMFM Texas Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations KDGE, KDMX, KEGL, KFXR, KZPS
Webcast Listen Live (via iHeartRadio)
Website 1061kissfm.com

KHKS (106.1 FM) - branded as 106.1 KISS-FM - is a Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, radio station playing Top 40 (CHR) music and licensed to Denton, Texas with an ERP of 99,000 watts from a transmitter site in Cedar Hill, Texas and is under ownership of iHeartMedia, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications). The music is Mainstream CHR with a mixture of mainly pop, indie rock, and hip-hop/rap. It is known as "Kiss FM". The station's studios are located along Dallas Parkway in Farmers Branch (although it has a Dallas address).

History

Early years

KDNT-FM was established in June 1948 at 106.3 on the FM dial and moved to the current 106.1 frequency in 1962. The station was a simulcast of KDNT-AM during its early years. KDNT-FM went through a number of different formats during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including a Top 40/Oldies hybrid, Disco, Rock, and Country. The station's calls changed to KDDC in 1979, and then to KIXK at the start of 1981. KIXK's format remained Country (as "Kix 106") until changing to Oldies/Classic Hits in December 1982.

The Original Kiss 106 FM

In September 1984 KIXK became KTKS. At this time, 106.1 was owned by ABC Broadcasting until being purchased by Capital Cities in 1985. Like today's KHKS, KTKS was a CHR/Top 40 station by using the moniker "The New Kiss 106 FM."

106.1 The Oasis

After a week of stunting with birds chirping, KTKS was replaced by KOAI "106.1 The Oasis" on October 7, 1987, playing new-age/smooth jazz. Gannett Broadcasting acquired KOAI in 1989. Gannett reached a deal with Granum Communications to move the Smooth Jazz format to 107.5 (now KMVK), where they remained until the fall of 2006.

The New 106.1 Kiss FM

The first 106.1 Kiss FM logo used in the 1990s.

On November 2, 1992, the CHR/Top 40 format and "Kiss FM" branding were revived as "The New 106.1 Kiss FM" with the current KHKS calls. Evergreen Media acquired the station at this time. It is home to a nationally syndicated morning show entitled The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show.

From September 7 to 10, 2010 the station was slightly rebranded to "06.1 Kiss FM" (leaving out the first "1") as part of its $5,000 contest.[1] That same year, KHKS ran a new initiative where they broadcast commercial free every Monday. However, during that time, they've been known to stretch a song out a little by repeating the chorus of a song twice.

File:Kiss FM DFW 2003.png
2003-2007 variant of the 106.1 Kiss FM logo.

From 2005 to 2009, KHKS was the only top 40 station in Dallas/Fort Worth, although it had always been leaning rhythmic since then. Former rivals KRBV Wild 100.3 (now KJKK 100.3 Jack FM), 106.7 KDL/Casa 106.7 (now KZZA 106.7 La Bonita), and Movin 107.5 (now KMVK La Grande 107.5). KHKS could serve as the de facto rhythmic station for Dallas, although KBFB is the actual rhythmic station for Dallas, KBFB is more urban-leaning. KESS-FM (now KFZO) Hot 107.9 was also a rhythmic competitor for 3 months from May to late July 2013, but it has switched to a Regional Mexican format. From 2009 to 2014, it was competing head-on with Cumulus-owned KLIF-FM (i93 Hits and later Hot 93.3), which leaned more adult CHR. But sometime in November, KLIF-FM flipped to an old school hip-hop format for the holiday season. And after over 2 weeks, KLIF-FM Hot 93.3 flipped to urban contemporary full time, leaving KHKS as the sole Top 40/CHR station in the metroplex once again. KHKS, however, regained KLIF-FM as its competitor as Hot 93.3 has returned to their previous Top 40/CHR format. It also shares audience with CBS Radio-owned Hot AC station 103.7 KVIL as that leans to Adult Top 40.

KHKS-HD2

106.1 HD-2 (HD Radio needed) first launched in 2004 as "Kiss FM En Espanol", targeting a Hispanic audience with Hispanic Rhythmic format. Then it was jettisoned in favor of Pride Radio in late 2006 with a format intended for the LGBT community. "Pride Radio" was then moved to its sister station KDMX on 102.9 HD-2 in favor of "Wild Radio" in early 2008, running "Party Mix" (Rhythmic CHR) music similar to the "Kiss FM" playlist. However, since March 28, 2011, it has been replaced by Pride Radio, marking the format's return to that particular frequency.[2]

Programming

106.1 Kiss FM Ident used until 2012.
  • The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show (KHKS is the flagship station)
  • Toby Knapp (Home Station - Hot 99.5 in Washington, DC)
  • Billy the Kidd (also known by the name "DF Dub," under which he released a single in 2002 called "Country Girl" that achieved moderate success)
  • Cruz
  • Junior
  • Priscilla

References

External links