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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = WKFS
| logo = WKFSlogo2019.png
| logo_size = 200px
| city = [[Milford, Ohio]]
|
|
| branding = ''Kiss 107.1''
| frequency = {{Frequency|107.1|[[Hertz#SI multiples|MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1969|8|1}}
| format = Gold-leaning [[Contemporary hit radio|Top 40]]
| subchannels = {{ubl|HD2: [[Pride Radio]]|HD3: [[
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
| erp = 2,800 [[watt]]s
| haat = {{convert|264|m|ft|sp=us}}
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| owner = [[iHeartMedia]]
| licensee = iHM Licenses, LLC
| affiliations = [[Premiere Networks]]
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[WCKY (AM)|WCKY]]
| webcast = {{iHeartRadio|kiss-1071-1705}}
| website = {{url|https://kisscincinnati.iheart.com}}
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}}
'''WKFS''' (107.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]], "Kiss 107.1") is a radio station in the [[Cincinnati|Cincinnati, Ohio]], market, licensed to nearby [[Milford, Ohio|Milford]]. It broadcasts a gold-based [[
WKFS was established in 1969 as a local station for Milford and aired an [[easy listening]] format for most of the 1970s and early 1980s. After being sold, the station cycled through multiple low-rated formats, including adult contemporary, oldies, new age, and rock before finding stability in the 1990s with an [[alternative rock]] sound. The present contemporary hit radio format was instituted in 1998.
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==History==
===Early years in Milford===
On May 18, 1968, Milford Associates, Inc., applied to the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) for a new radio station on 107.1 MHz in [[Milford, Ohio|Milford]].<ref name="hc">{{FCC letter|hcards=yes|callsign=WKFS|letterid=82006}}</ref> The FCC granted the application on November 18, and
Shortly after going on the air,
In 1975, Perry Samuels, a former head of [[Crosley Broadcasting Corporation|Avco Broadcasting]], purchased WLYK from Beautiful Island for $250,000.<ref name="Cinc750117">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100743610/250000-deal/|date=January 17, 1975|page=22|title=$250,000 Deal|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Fri --> The station switched from TM's syndication service to one
===Format changes in the 1980s and early 1990s===
After Samuels reached a deal to sell WLYK in March 1982 and then called it off that same week,<ref name="Cinc820403">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100743659/wlyk-sale-called-off-by-owner/|date=April 3, 1982|page=11A|title=WLYK sale called off by owner|newspaper=The Cincinnati Post|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Sat --> he sold it to the Cincinnati Broadcasting Company, led by Richard Hallberg and Bob DeLuca, in 1984.<ref name="Cinc840416">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100743999/stations-call-cease-fire-in-radio-war/|date=April 16, 1984|page=C-8|first=Tom|last=Brinkmoeller|title=Stations Call Cease-Fire In Radio War|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Mon --> Despite initially planning to keep the beautiful music format, the new owners slowly moved the station to [[adult contemporary]] and changed the call letters to WRXY in March 1985.<ref name="Cinc850210">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100744045/wlyk-fm-to-change-call-letters/|date=February 10, 1985|page=F-7|title=WLYK-FM To Change Call Letters|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Sun --> The new format was changed to [[oldies]] after just five months.<ref name="Cinc850808">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100744103/wrxy-fm-coming-on-with-new-format/|date=August 8, 1985|page=D-16|title=WRXY-FM Coming On With New Format|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Thu -->
The third major change within less than 18 months came in 1986, when WRXY went to the syndicated "Format 41" [[soft adult contemporary]] programming from [[Transtar Radio Networks]], retaining a local host in morning drive, and renamed itself WJOJ "Joy 107".<ref name="Cinc860116">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100744160/milfords-y-107-changing-its-name-and-fo/|date=January 16, 1986|page=11B|first=David|last=Wecker|title=Milford's Y-107 changing its name and format|newspaper=The Cincinnati Post|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Thu --><ref name="Cinc860228">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100744334/area-emmy-race-is-on-field-loaded-with/|date=February 28, 1986|page=B-9|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=Area Emmy race is on: Field loaded with nominations of Cincinnati talent|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Fri -->
In April 1991, WRBZ dropped "The Breeze" to become "The Heat" with a
===The Power Pig and Channel Z===
Later in 1991, Plessinger signed a [[local marketing agreement]], the first in the market,<ref name="Cinc921119">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100745157/wlw-parent-to-buy-wkrc/|date=November 19, 1992|page=10B|
The Power Pig, however, overlapped considerably with Jacor's other FM, [[WEBN]] (102.7 FM), in terms of music, and this similarity hurt WEBN's ratings. As a result, in April 1993, the Power Pig came to an end and was replaced by an [[alternative rock]] format as "Channel Z", competing with [[WOXY (FM)|WOXY (97.7 FM)]].<ref name="Cinc930420">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100745192/metal-is-slashed-from-power-pig-waqz/|date=April 20, 1993|page=C6|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=Metal is slashed from 'Power Pig' WAQZ|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Tue --> Later that year, Plessinger sold the station license to Middle Market Broadcasting, owned by Chuck Reynolds, for $2 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-11-26.pdf|date=November 26, 1993|work=Radio & Records|page=10|title=Transactions|access-date=2022-04-30|archive-date=2022-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305112426/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1993/RR-1993-11-26.pdf|url-status=live|id={{ProQuest|1017268694}}}}</ref>
===Hit radio===
In August 1998, Jacor flipped WAQZ to contemporary hit radio (CHR) as WKFS "Kiss 107", beginning an attack on market-leading CHR [[WKRQ]].<ref name="Cinc980813">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100745305/gumbel-canceled/|date=August 13, 1998|page=C4|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=Gumbel canceled|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Thu --><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1998/RR-1998-09-18.pdf|id={{ProQuest|1017319906}}|title=Harris Switches To Channel Z/Columbus|page=10|work=Radio & Records|date=September 18, 1998|access-date=2022-04-30|archive-date=2021-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001124713/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1998/RR-1998-09-18.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> (The WAQZ call letters were revived in 2000 on [[WYGY|97.3 FM]] when it flipped to alternative.<ref name="Cinc000404">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766544/waqz-could-signal-radio-war/|date=April 4, 2000|page=C6|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=WAQZ could signal radio war|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022|archive-date=April 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430205650/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766544/waqz-could-signal-radio-war/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Tue -->) In January 1999, after nearly a decade running the Milford station, Jacor acquired it outright alongside [[WSAI]] and [[WCKY (AM)|WCKY]] from Middle Market Broadcasting, which had leased all three.<ref name="Cinc990108">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100745380/jacor-acquires-three-stations/|date=January 8, 1999|page=7C|first=Greg|last=Paeth|title=Jacor acquires three stations|newspaper=The Cincinnati Post|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Fri --> It was not until 2004 that WKFS and [[WNNF|WVMX (94.1 FM)]] were united with the rest of the cluster, moving from their studios in [[Mount Auburn
In 2000, WKFS posted a major ratings increase to edge ahead of WKRQ for the first time.<ref name="Cinc000214">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100745456/webn-rocks-its-way-to-no-1/|date=February 14, 2000|page=C4|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=WEBN rocks its way to No. 1|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022}}</ref><!-- Mon --> The station placed third overall in the market in the spring 2002 survey, part of a one-two-three sweep by [[WLW]], WEBN, and WKFS.<ref name="Cinc020729">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766726/stars-line-up-for-simpsons/|date=July 29, 2002|page=D4|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|title=Stars line up for 'Simpsons'|newspaper=The Cincinnati Enquirer|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022|archive-date=April 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430205651/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766726/stars-line-up-for-simpsons/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Mon --> This success came as Clear Channel Communications (today's iHeartMedia), which had purchased Jacor in 1999, aggressively used voicetracking and the sharing of DJs among stations in similar formats, to the point that one ''[[Cincinnati Post]]'' column in 2002 noted the station had "almost no DJs based in Cincinnati".<ref name="Cinc020822">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766797/dusty-will-likely-show-up-elsewhere/|date=August 22, 2002|page=3B|first=Rick|last=Bird|title=Dusty will likely show up elsewhere|newspaper=The Cincinnati Post|location=Cincinnati, Ohio|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=April 30, 2022|archive-date=April 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430205651/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/100766797/dusty-will-likely-show-up-elsewhere/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> By 2019, however, the station was pulling less than half the rating of WKRQ.{{r|RI210408}}
WKFS began airing a local morning show hosted by Tiffany Potter in April 2021. It was the first time since 2012, when Jare and Joey were axed after less than six months to make way for ''[[The Kane Show]]'', that WKFS had a local morning show. That was replaced in 2016 by ''Brooke & Jeffrey'', also syndicated.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2012/09/12/kiss-107-morning-team-gets-nuked-too/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120916232317/http://cincinnati.com/blogs/tv/2012/09/12/kiss-107-morning-team-gets-nuked-too/|title=KISS 107 morning team gets nuked too|archive-date=September 16, 2012|first=John|last=Kiesewetter|work=The Cincinnati Enquirer|access-date=April 29, 2022|date=September 12, 2012}}</ref><ref name="RI210408">{{Cite web|title=Kiss 107.1 Cincinnati Goes Local In Mornings|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/206922/kiss-107-goes-local-in-mornings/|access-date=April 9, 2021|date=April 8, 2021|website=RadioInsight|language=en-US|archive-date=April 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408151404/https://radioinsight.com/headlines/206922/kiss-107-goes-local-in-mornings/|url-status=live}}</ref> The station is also local in afternoons with JonJon & Friends, featuring Jon Curl, formerly of WKRQ.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214801/kiss-107-1-cincinnati-debuts-jonjon-friends-in-afternoons/|work=RadioInsight|title=Kiss 107.1 Cincinnati Debuts JonJon & Friends In Afternoons|date=November 2, 2021|first=Lance|last=Venta|access-date=April 30, 2022|archive-date=November 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119225700/https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214801/kiss-107-1-cincinnati-debuts-jonjon-friends-in-afternoons/|url-status=live}}</ref>
During the [[July 4th]] weekend of 2023, WKFS relaunched its CHR format in a manner mirroring similar format shifts done at [[WBBM-FM]] in Chicago and [[WPOW-FM]] in Miami, reducing current songs down to as low as three to four an hour and focusing primarily on "throwback" CHR hits from the 2000s and 2010s, with sweepers announcing "the Kiss you love is back" and introducing the temporary slogan "Your Summer Party Station". The move came as WKFS proved unable to beat WKRQ, finishing with only a 2.1 in the May 2023 [[Nielsen Audio]] ratings for the market, insurmountably behind WKRQ's 5.9 share.<ref name="RI230705">{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/254373/wkfs-moves-to-2000s-gold-heavy-playlist/|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|date=July 5, 2023|title=WKFS Moves to 2000s Gold Heavy Playlist|access-date=July 13, 2023}}</ref>
==HD Radio==
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==External links==
*[https://kisscincinnati.iheart.com/ KISS 107]
*{{FM station data|70866|WKFS}}
*{{
*{{FMXL|W233BG}}
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