WAKS
Encyclopedia
WAKS — branded 96.5 KISS-FM
— is a commercial radio station
licensed to Akron
, Ohio
broadcasting a pop
/contemporary hit radio
(CHR) format. The station serves Cleveland, Akron and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio
.
Clear Channel Communications
has owned WAKS since 1999. The 96.5 KISS-FM Great Clips
studio is located at the Clear Channel complex in the Cleveland suburb of Independence
, while the station's transmitter resides in nearby Brecksville
.
broadcasting at 104.9 Megahertz
(MHz) (104.9 MHz was originally associated in the early 1950s by a station identified as WLAL licensed to Lakewood, Ohio
, though it is not known if this station actually went on the air, and if so, for how long). First owned by Gene Sens, WZLE's first studios were located in what was formerly a shoe store at the Sheffield Shopping Center. The station was programmed by Jeff Baxter; David Mark served as production voice (previously, Baxter was Jack Riley's radio partner at WERE
in the 1960s; Mark was the promotional voice of many TV and radio stations around the world from the 1970s, something he would continue into the 21st century). By 1990, WZLE and AM station WRKG
came under common ownership by Cincinnati broadcaster Vernon Baldwin, with studios in the historic Antlers Hotel in downtown Lorain. The WZLE format varied from pop standards
to Christian contemporary, the latter being more successful. In late 1998, WZLE was sold off to Jacor Communications; Jacor itself was acquired by Clear Channel
the very next year.
WMMS
- the noted rock
station with a cartoon Buzzard
mascot - had only months before declared it would flip its format to Top 40 as "KISS 100.7", though this later only proved to be a stunt
). The WZLE studios were then moved to Downtown Cleveland
in the Tower City Center
's Skylight Office Tower with sister stations WMMS and WMVX
.
Soon, however, a fight broke out between Clear Channel and Radio One over local rights to the "KISS
" brand. Weeks earlier, Radio One had flipped station WENZ
from alternative rock
(then known as 107.9 The END) to hip-hop
/R&B
as Kiss 107.9, adopting the brand from their Washington, D.C.
hip-hop outlet, WKYS
. Clear Channel claimed ownership using Los Angeles
Top 40 giant KIIS
as the basis for their claim, as it had already launched similar stations in Dayton
and Cincinnati. Radio One eventually lost the fight; that September, WENZ became Z-107.9.
WAKS, formerly used by a Clear Channel station
in Tampa, Florida
(technically, WZLE had briefly used the callsign WMTX for four days prior to the adoption of WAKS; the WMTX call letters themselves were previously used by Sandusky, Ohio
station WCPZ
).
On July 3, 2001, WAKS was one of seven Cleveland/Akron area radio stations involved in a major frequency swap. WAKS dropped 104.9 in exchange for 96.5 MHz: 96.5 came from WKDD
, while 104.9 went to WCLV
owner Radio Seaway. Meanwhile, the WAKS transmitter was moved to Brecksville, Ohio
on a transmitting tower used for sister station WTAM
(and Radio One station WZAK
).
, in addition to the aforementioned transmitter placement in Brecksville on a tower used for other Cleveland radio stations. WAKS promotes itself as, and is generally considered to be, a Cleveland radio station.
Since November 2001, WAKS has been an affiliate of the internationally known syndicated program American Top 40
which has aired on Saturday mornings from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. From the time WAKS picked up the show until January 3, 2004 it was hosted by the legendary Casey Kasem
. On January 10, 2004, American Idol's
Ryan Seacrest
(whose weekday show also airs on WAKS) began hosting the show.
& The Kiss FM Morning Show and On Air with Ryan Seacrest
, both distributed by Premiere Radio Networks
. Local programs include afternoon drive with Kasper, nights with Java Joel, and overnights with JoJo and Sisanie from sister station KIIS-FM
via voice-tracking. Syndicated programming includes American Top 40
with Ryan Seacrest
, Open House Party
, and Dawson McAllister Live
. The Takeover, a weekday feature where listeners choose full hours of music on the station's website, debuted in February 2011.
KISS-FM (brand)
KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States . Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio, Texas itself .-Origin and...
— is a commercial radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
broadcasting a pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
(CHR) format. The station serves Cleveland, Akron and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio
Greater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
.
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
has owned WAKS since 1999. The 96.5 KISS-FM Great Clips
Great Clips
Great Clips is a hair salon franchise in the United States and Canada with over 5,000 locations across the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Edina, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota...
studio is located at the Clear Channel complex in the Cleveland suburb of Independence
Independence, Ohio
Independence is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,133.-Geography:Independence is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, while the station's transmitter resides in nearby Brecksville
Brecksville, Ohio
-External links:* * *...
.
WZLE
WAKS began on July 23, 1975 as WZLE, a station licensed to Lorain, OhioLorain, Ohio
Lorain is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio on Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Black River, about 30 miles west of Cleveland....
broadcasting at 104.9 Megahertz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
(MHz) (104.9 MHz was originally associated in the early 1950s by a station identified as WLAL licensed to Lakewood, Ohio
Lakewood, Ohio
Lakewood is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders the city of Cleveland. The population was 52,131 at the 2010 making it the third largest city in Cuyahoga County, behind Cleveland and Parma .Lakewood, one of Cleveland's...
, though it is not known if this station actually went on the air, and if so, for how long). First owned by Gene Sens, WZLE's first studios were located in what was formerly a shoe store at the Sheffield Shopping Center. The station was programmed by Jeff Baxter; David Mark served as production voice (previously, Baxter was Jack Riley's radio partner at WERE
WERE
WERE — branded News/Talk 1490 WERE-AM — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland Heights, Ohio broadcasting a news/talk format. The station is owned by Radio One, and has studios at 2510 St. Clair Avenue, while the transmitter is along Euclid Avenue near East 118th Street, adjacent to...
in the 1960s; Mark was the promotional voice of many TV and radio stations around the world from the 1970s, something he would continue into the 21st century). By 1990, WZLE and AM station WRKG
WDLW
WDLW — branded Kool Kat Oldies 1380AM — is a commercial radio station broadcasting in Lorain, Ohio. It studios are at co-owned WOBL's studio/transmitter site in Oberlin, and its transmitter is located in Sheffield Township...
came under common ownership by Cincinnati broadcaster Vernon Baldwin, with studios in the historic Antlers Hotel in downtown Lorain. The WZLE format varied from pop standards
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
to Christian contemporary, the latter being more successful. In late 1998, WZLE was sold off to Jacor Communications; Jacor itself was acquired by Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
the very next year.
KISS 104.9
On May 20, 1999, WZLE dropped its Christian contemporary format for automated Top 40 as KISS 104.9 (ironically, sister stationSister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
WMMS
WMMS
WMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
- the noted rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
station with a cartoon Buzzard
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is a bird found throughout most of the Americas. It is also known in some North American regions as the Turkey Buzzard , and in some areas of the Caribbean as the John Crow or Carrion Crow...
mascot - had only months before declared it would flip its format to Top 40 as "KISS 100.7", though this later only proved to be a stunt
Stunting (broadcasting)
In radio broadcasting, stunting occurs when a station abruptly airs programming that is seemingly uncharacteristic compared to what they normally play...
). The WZLE studios were then moved to Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland
Downtown Cleveland is the central business district of the City of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Reinvestment in the area in the mid-1990s spurred a rebirth that continues to this day, with over $2 billion in residential and commercial developments slated for the area over the next few years...
in the Tower City Center
Tower City Center
Tower City Center is a large mixed-use facility located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The facility is composed of a number of interconnected office buildings, including the landmark Terminal Tower, a shopping mall, two hotels, and the main hub of Cleveland's three rapid transit lines...
's Skylight Office Tower with sister stations WMMS and WMVX
WHLK
WJQM is a radio station serving Madison, Wisconsin and surrounding areas. The station is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting and launched a Rhythmic Contemporary format as "106.7 Jamz" in January 2007 before the move to 93.1 FM in October 2008....
.
Soon, however, a fight broke out between Clear Channel and Radio One over local rights to the "KISS
KISS-FM (brand)
KISS-FM is the brand name of a Top 40 music format heard on FM radio stations in many cities in the United States . Clear Channel Communications claims ownership of the KISS-FM brand and operates most KISS-FM formatted stations, though not KISS-FM in San Antonio, Texas itself .-Origin and...
" brand. Weeks earlier, Radio One had flipped station WENZ
WENZ
WENZ —branded Z 107.9—is a mainstream urban commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio serving surrounding Northeast Ohio...
from alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
(then known as 107.9 The END) to hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
/R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
as Kiss 107.9, adopting the brand from their Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
hip-hop outlet, WKYS
WKYS
WKYS, the "Station for Interactive Hip Hop and R&B", is an American radio station broadcasting an Urban Contemporary radio format, that serves the greater Washington metropolitan area. Its transmitter is located on the same tower as WRC-TV. The station broadcasts from a class B signal with an...
. Clear Channel claimed ownership using Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Top 40 giant KIIS
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
as the basis for their claim, as it had already launched similar stations in Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
and Cincinnati. Radio One eventually lost the fight; that September, WENZ became Z-107.9.
WAKS and the 2001 frequency swap
On September 17, 1999, WZLE adopted the call lettersCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
WAKS, formerly used by a Clear Channel station
WMTX
WMTX is a Hot AC radio station in Tampa, Florida known as "Mix 100.7". It plays a variety of current hits along with some hit music from the past, as far back as the 1980s.-Station history:...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
(technically, WZLE had briefly used the callsign WMTX for four days prior to the adoption of WAKS; the WMTX call letters themselves were previously used by Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
station WCPZ
WCPZ
WCPZ is a radio station in Sandusky, Ohio.The station began as WLEC-FM in 1968 and was the FM sister to AM station WLEC. It became WCPZ on May 19, 1980, dubbed "Leisure 103" with a soft adult contemporary format...
).
On July 3, 2001, WAKS was one of seven Cleveland/Akron area radio stations involved in a major frequency swap. WAKS dropped 104.9 in exchange for 96.5 MHz: 96.5 came from WKDD
WKDD
WKDD — branded The New 98.1 'KDD — is a commercial hot adult contemporary radio station licensed to Munroe Falls, Ohio serving the Akron and Canton metro areas. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications...
, while 104.9 went to WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
owner Radio Seaway. Meanwhile, the WAKS transmitter was moved to Brecksville, Ohio
Brecksville, Ohio
-External links:* * *...
on a transmitting tower used for sister station WTAM
WTAM
WTAM — branded Newsradio WTAM 1100 — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, serving Greater Cleveland and much of surrounding Northeast Ohio. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station broadcasts primarily a news/talk format...
(and Radio One station WZAK
WZAK
WZAK is a commercial FM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, broadcasting at 93.1 MHz with an Urban Adult Contemporary format. WZAK is Cleveland FM affiliate for Tom Joyner's syndicated morning show and Michael Baisden's Love Lust and Lies afternoon show.WZAK began as an ethnic radio station,...
).
Recent years
While still technically licensed to Akron, and identified at the top of every hour as "WAKS Akron-Cleveland", the station's studios are located with the rest of Clear Channel Cleveland cluster off Rockside Road in the Cleveland suburb of IndependenceIndependence, Ohio
Independence is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,133.-Geography:Independence is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, in addition to the aforementioned transmitter placement in Brecksville on a tower used for other Cleveland radio stations. WAKS promotes itself as, and is generally considered to be, a Cleveland radio station.
Since November 2001, WAKS has been an affiliate of the internationally known syndicated program American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
which has aired on Saturday mornings from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. From the time WAKS picked up the show until January 3, 2004 it was hosted by the legendary Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
. On January 10, 2004, American Idol's
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
(whose weekday show also airs on WAKS) began hosting the show.
Programming
Weekday programming includes Elvis DuranElvis Duran
Elvis Duran is the host of the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show in New York on Z100 and in syndication on Premiere Radio Networks.Duran's show is now heard live in over 40 markets including New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Cleveland, Tampa, Syracuse, Atlanta, & Des Moines.Before his current job at...
& The Kiss FM Morning Show and On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
On Air with Ryan Seacrest is an American syndicated television talk show, which ran from January 12, 2004, through September 17, 2004. It was distributed in the United States and Canada by Twentieth Television.-Series background:...
, both distributed by Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
. Local programs include afternoon drive with Kasper, nights with Java Joel, and overnights with JoJo and Sisanie from sister station KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
via voice-tracking. Syndicated programming includes American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
with Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
, Open House Party
Open House Party
Open House Party is an American radio show hosted on Saturday nights by John Garabedian that promotes itself as "the biggest party on the planet". It focuses on playing contemporary hit radio music, also known as Top 40. The show differentiates itself from most Top 40 stations because it plays a...
, and Dawson McAllister Live
Dawson McAllister Live
Dawson McAllister Live is a talk radio show hosted by Dawson McAllister where teenagers and young adults talk about problems in life including divorce, depression, cutting, suicide, drug addictions, eating disorders, homosexuality, and family issues...
. The Takeover, a weekday feature where listeners choose full hours of music on the station's website, debuted in February 2011.