Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2603:9000:d1f0:37f0:35ac:8fc7:2080:2091 (talk) at 21:32, 7 February 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

{{stations = WBAV-FM, WKQC, WPEG, WSOC-FM | webcast = {{listenlive|https://wwwber five "on a cumulative basis" in the metro ratings after four months. Progressive rock on The Power 106 Morning Zoo. Larry Sprinkle, a WCNC-TV morning weather personality, also worked at the stations. By the end of the station's run, the station had a dayparted format of Top 40 during the day and more heavy metal in the evenings. In addition, the station would drop the "Gorilla Radio" portion of the moniker to just be named "Z95.1".

Flip to oldies; second Top 40 era

The return to CHR didn't last long; Adams Radio would buy the station back in late 1990. On December 26 of that year, after playing "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, WZZG became WGKL-FM, "Kool 95.1", an oldies format emphasizing 50s music more than Magic 96.1, utilizing Satellite Music Network's "Pure Gold" format. The flip occurred because of a company-wide initiative where most of Adams' stations flipped to the format. This format, however, would last just a short time. After a few months, the station added a local airstaff, but by the station's end, the entire staff was let go and the station went completely automated again. The flip to oldies would also bankrupt the entire company, resulting in their stations being placed in receivership and being sold off one by one.

On October 3, 1991, WGKL began stunting with a different format each day, using other formats from Satellite Music Networks (including Real Country, Stardust, Z-Rock, and Starstation), a simulcast of WCNT, all comedy, and Hot AC, with listeners being allowed to vote on the new format. However, at Noon on October 14, the announced result was "None of the above." The station then returned to CHR as WAQQ, "95 Double Q", which started with a "25,000 Songs in a Row, Commercial Free" promotion, beginning with "Groovy Train" by The Farm. The "Double Q" moniker was meant to remind listeners of WROQ (whose call letters were transferred to WCKN in Anderson, South Carolina). The "Double Q" format was more of a mix of Top 40 and alternative rock music, which was starting to become popular during this time. In March 1993, AT&T would acquire the stations temporarily due to Adams' bankruptcy while a permanent owner was being sought. Pyramid Broadcasting, then-owners of WRFX, would buy the stations in September.

On January 15, 1994, after a one-day stunt with a 10 kHz tone, the station rebranded as "95.1 The Edge", with new WEDJ call letters implemented on February 14. The station was initially a broad-based mainstream Top 40, which shifted towards a modern rock lean by the Summer of 1995. However, this backfired, as competition from WEND (which aired a straightforward modern rock format) forced WEDJ to shift back to a mainstream direction by January 1996. In July 1995, Pyramid would merge with Evergreen Media (its AM sister station, by then WAQS, would be sold to SFX Broadcasting).

On May 31, 1996, after a brief stunt, WEDJ relaunched as "Kiss 95.1", becoming the second station in Charlotte to use the "Kiss" moniker, the first being WCKZ, which is now current sister WBAV. The first song on the relaunched "Kiss" was "I Go Blind" by Hootie & the Blowfish. The following day, WEDJ changed call letters to the current WNKS to match the "Kiss" moniker. In December 1996, WNKS (as well as Evergreen's 4 other Charlotte stations) was traded to EZ Communications (owners of WSOC-FM and WSSS; WRFX-FM would go to SFX Broadcasting), with Evergreen receiving EZ Communications' Philadelphia stations WIOQ and WUSL in return EZ would then be bought by American Radio Systems in July, which would reunite WNKS with its long-time AM sister station (by this point WRFX-AM, now WFNZ; WFNZ would be sold to Entercom in November 2016). ARS would be bought out by Infinity Broadcasting on September 19, 1997, with Infinity changing its name to CBS Radio in December 2005 as part of the spin-off of CBS' motion picture and cable television assets under a relaunched Viacom.

WNKS formerly served as the flagship for the syndicated Ace & TJ Show, which ran on the station from its debut on April 6, 1998 until May 20, 2011, when the duo left for WHQC due to a contract dispute. Ace & TJ will now return to the station in the mid-morning timeslot after the current morning show Maney and LauRen, which loses an hour as a result. They were replaced by afternoon host Otis. In March 2012, Otis moved back to afternoons, and Drex & Maney, formerly of WHBQ-FM in Memphis, officially took over morning drive. Cassiday Proctor would join a month later from KAMX in Austin. On January 5, 2015, Drex and Cassiday announced they would be leaving the station for a morning show position at WSTR in Atlanta. Maney remained at WNKS, and was joined by new co-hosts LauRen (formerly of WZGV) and Roy (formerly of WXLK) the following month.

On October 2, 2014, CBS Radio announced that it would trade all of their Tampa and Charlotte stations (including WNKS), as well as WIP in Philadelphia to the Beasley Broadcast Group in exchange for 5 stations located in Miami and Philadelphia. The swap was completed on December 1, 2014.

On July 13, 2022, it was reported that The Ace & TJ Show, would return to WNKS on July 18.

The Kiss logo

WNKS uses the same logo as WXKS-FM ("Kiss 108"), a Top-40 station owned by iHeartMedia and based in Boston, Massachusetts. This dates back to when both stations were owned by Pyramid Broadcasting, and later Evergreen Media.

Kiss 95.1 in National Media

Kiss 95.1 entered national spotlight when the morning show hosts Maney, Roy & LauRen became recurring cast members of TLC's My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

References

1. Charlie Hanna, "Sis Broadcasting Claims Victories," The Charlotte Observer, July 3, 1973, p. 6B.
2. Jeff Borden, "Disc Jockeys to Reunite Here," The Charlotte Obseory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1990/RR-1990-01-26.pdf |website=americanradiohistory.com}}
3. Joseph Menn, WGKL-FM Altering Format Again As Adams President Fires All But 2", The Charlotte Observer, August 21, 1991.
4. "RR-1990-12-21" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.
5. Funk, Tim (September 28, 1991). "What's WGKL Airing Next Week? Charlotte Radio Shuffle". The Charlotte Observer – via newspapers.com.
6. "WGKL/Charlotte Flips Gold-CHR" (PDF). Radio & Records. October 18, 1991. p. 21.
7. "Search Archives". www.newslibrary.com. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
8. "RR-1994-01-21" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.
9. "R&R-1996-07-05" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.
10. "WNKS 95.1 history – RadioInsight Community". Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
11. "WROQ". Archived from the original on February 18, 2002. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
12. "R&R-1996-09-13" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.
13. "R&R-1996-12-06" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com.
14. "Ace and TJ Are Returning to Kiss 95.1". July 13, 2022.
15. "Splitsville for "Drex & Maney" on Kiss FM". January 5, 2015.
16. "Star 94 Atlanta Names New Morning Show". radioinsight.com.
17. "Kiss radio names new talent lineup". February 6, 2015.
18. "CBS AND BEASLEY SWAP PHILADELPHIA/MIAMI FOR CHARLOTTE/TAMPA". radioinsight.com. October 2, 2014.
19. Venta, Lance (December 1, 2014). "CBS Beasley Deal Closes". RadioInsight. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
20. Moore, Cameron (July 13, 2022). "Ace and TJ Are Returning To Kiss 95.1". Kiss 95.1. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
21. Headley, Sarah (2016-06-29). "Charlotte morning radio show to be featured on TLC's 'My Big Fat Fabulous Life'". CharlotteFive. Retrieved 2017-12-28.

External links

• Kiss 95.1 Website
• History of the station
• Facility details for Facility ID WNKS ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 53975 (WNKS) in the REC Networks database

35°21′43″N 81°09′18″W / 35.362°N 81.155°W / 35.362; -81.155

This article about a radio station in North Carolina is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• Radio stations in the Charlotte metropolitan area
• Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States
• Radio stations established in 1966
• Beasley Broadcast Group radio stations
• North Carolina radio station stubs