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WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Hunter <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Hunter' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 1:22 pm

If my information is correct, WKSC-FM 103-5 KISS launched in Chicago in January 2001. This would mark nearly 22 years as a CHR station.

It's a given these anniversaries are never celebrated because the format is aimed to a younger audience. Anyone listening back in 2001, would be 21 years old.

I'm not a regular listener, however, I can bet time checks are non-existent. The focus is on hit music, concerts, contests, promotions, etc. The commercials are probably geared toward a younger demo and let's not forget a strong target of women who do most of the buying.

New York's infamous WHTZ-FM (Z-100) hit the airwaves in August 1983. Also, a CHR station like KISS/Chicago. Anyone listening to its debut with Scott Shannon, would be 39 years old today.

For those who either listen or monitor playlists, how old is their respective music libraries?

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 2:26 pm, in reply to "WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

This year on January 12th, they celebrated their 21st anniversary and played several songs from their early years during the day.

Oldest song I usually hear occasionally is Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. Otherwise it usually is 2005-era Fall Out Boy or Panic At The Disco.

When it was new, the oldest songs they played were Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kiss by Prince (1986 and 1991 respectively)

CHR stations in general, especially 103.7 in Milwaukee which never got over their crunk phase in 2003-2004 have been playing songs that are older and older. The audience for CHR seems like it is getting less and less younger and more adult .

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 2:56 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

I have 0 clue what the infatuation with Brittney Spears is pushing it to this generation. Besides iHeart trying to push the narrative.

Jeremy is correct. CHR seems to be getting more recurrent and gold, since their 6+ numbers are dismal (going elsewhere for music). This can not sustain forever. I believe this is beginning of death for terrestrial radio unless they change and re-invent themselves.

Z

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 2:53 pm, in reply to "WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

The average listener in 2001 would have been 10 to 21 - CHR back them was pimpled kids and young female adults.

The Scott Shannon Z100 NY listeners would be 49 - 60 today, assuming they were 10 or 21 then!

Z

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 3:44 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

I was 14 when it signed on. Most of their callers lately seem 30 something, or at the very least 20s. Lot of people who have kids with them in their car.

First year or so it was almost all voice tracked unlike 92.7 which was live 24/7 during it's Top-40 days.

Second year, they brought in Java Joel. Teens and young adults doing homework would be listening at night. Middays they tended to play more golds for the adult audiences. Overnights were the place you heard new music first. They would always add some songs overnight until they were big enough for daytime. Some didn't make it. Was almost always jockless overnight.

After 2005 or so, they gave up trying to compete against B96 by trying to sound different from B96 and they basically became B96. Playlist went almost all rhythmic, jocks were quickly becoming white guys trying to sound like they were from the ghetto. "Yo girl what chu doin? Yup up hot giiirl check in" Very low quality imaging. Stupid things like running songs until they were quiet, waiting a few seconds before playing the next song. That's when I stopped listening. It was just bad radio.

2013 or so they brought in a new PD and revamped it into what it is today. It's generally been successful but since the last few years, CHR in many markets has not been doing as good as it once was. The quality of the new music has really taken a hit. There's fewer new songs that are radio friendly, so they hold on to songs for long periods of time.

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 3:50 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

Continuing from the last post. I can play airchecks of 103.5 from September, October 2001 and November 2001. They both have completely different sets of songs on them. The chart changed. March 2002, the chart changed again. New music would come, run a couple months, new songs would replace them.

Now you could probably record the station throughout the year and hear most of the same songs either time. They started playing Heat Waves by Glass Animals earlier last year. They only recently stopped playing it after it fell off the chart.

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 4:35 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

New music would come, run a couple months, new songs would replace them.

They were programming it out of market at the beginning. Very little local focus except for Rick Party.

Z

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 6:31 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

Initially it was all voice tracked except for afternoons and evenings. They also had Craig Carson (Who started when the station was still in it's old format) doing shifts on the weekends.

In the summer of 2001, they brought in Rod Phillips from Cincinnati for PD.

He first adjusted the music, changed the imaging. Then in November, Java Joel replaced Pyke (Who was a local night jock) Later in 2002 they brought in Scott Solko (Scott Tyler) for afternoons. He replaced Rick Party.

They attempted to get Eddie & Jobo in the summer of 2002, but they stuck with B96. In January 2003, they brought in Drex for mornings and Nikki for Middays.

After they let go of Java Joel in 2005, everything started going downhill. The guy who they brought in at night (Mack, currently at SiriusXM) didn't bring anything that B96 didn't have. Then the consultant started taking more control of the programming. The presentation quickly fell downhill. It was laughable at times. They let the songs stop to silence at the end before starting the next one. I think the original MD, Jeff Murray (Smash) made a comment about it when he left. Something about how he believed in a smooth flowing radio station. Obviously he was not happy with what they were doing.

At some point they changed VO from Dave Kampel to WGCI's voice guy Dr. Dave. So for several years they had the same voice guy on both 103.5 and WGCI. I have an aircheck from 2009 where they literally use the same dry liner between every single song. It was ridiculous.

Right around 2013 they brought in a new PD from St. Louis. That's when they finally started making the station sound like a major market Top-40 station. Gave it it's own voice guy.

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by Hunter <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Hunter' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 3:45 pm, in reply to "WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

>>>New York's infamous WHTZ-FM (Z-100) hit the airwaves in August 1983. Also, a CHR station like KISS/Chicago. Anyone listening to its debut with Scott Shannon, would be 39 years old today.<<<

WYTZZ95FM is correct. Thank you for catching my math error. If someone were say, fifteen when Z100 launched in 1983, they would be 55 today. Likely, their kids listened and possibly grandchildren.

Is the current thinking some kids listen to what their parents did growing up? Mom or Dad had control of the radio dial in the car. Radio playing while cooking dinner, etc.

Jeremy and WYTZZ95FM, thank you both for your input to my thread. I never come away without learning something new.

Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on December 6, 2022, 4:43 pm, in reply to "Re: WKSC-FM 103-5 Kiss Timeless?"

No problem Hunter!

Radio has changed. For the worse. I do not think it will get better, ever.

Top40 back in the day (80s, 90s, before the internet changed the world and radio) CHR attracted those 70 share 12-17 demos which could not be sold to ad buyers. But you had a nice set of (mostly) lower end 18 - 34 females which drive the ad base of the format. Don't believe me? Go back and look at all those Ballads that hit #1 between 1980 - 1989!

CHR was said back in the day, shed most of its P1 listeners every 4 years as music styles changed. Women were having kids younger and the 18 -34 shifted higher in age, actually propping up the lower end of 25 - 54 demos. If a woman had a kid @ 20 when that kid is 15 listening to CHR, or Mom is listening to it, she is now (around) 35.

Z

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