Kiss 108 - in the beginning

[Retro]

Yesterday, I caught an aircheck of the launch of WKTU, New York. I was surprised to find out that it began in July 1978.

My question is very simple, did Kiss 108 debut before or after Disco 92 (WKTU), New York did?

BTW, I do remeber it being about the Summer of 1980, when they had flipped to Disco/pop CHR. And despite what other websites have reported, the station twinged quite a bit more pop, disqualifying them of what is, or was considered the Rhythmic CHR format.

Main examples, back in 1981, they played all the top pop hits that Dance/Rhythmic CHR would've never touched with a 10 foot pole! Including Dolly Parton, Juice Newton, Joey Scarbury, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Lets not forget the new Rock sensation at the time, Billy Squire either. Just wanted to clear that up.

 

[raccoonradio]

Wikipedia: "Heftel Communications, operated by Cecil Heftel, in early 1979... changed the call letters to WXKS, adopted "Kiss 108" as an identity, and changed to a disco format on February 10, 1979 at midnight. The first song played under this new format was At Midnight by T-Connection"

So the debut was after WKTU. The previous format was beautiful music, so it was a sudden shift like in the first episode of WKRP in Cincinnati--or at least it may have seemed so to listeners the next morning, or at the time (midnight)

 

[Retro]

Wikipedia: "Heftel Communications, operated by Cecil Heftel, in early 1979... changed the call letters to WXKS, adopted "Kiss 108" as an identity, and changed to a disco format on February 10, 1979 at midnight. The first song played under this new format was At Midnight by T-Connection"

So the debut was after WKTU. The previous format was beautiful music, so it was a sudden shift like in the first episode of WKRP in Cincinnati--or at least it may have seemed so to listeners the next morning, or at the time (midnight)

Hey, thank you Raccoonradio! WKTU's previous format was Beautiful Music also. I guess there was simply a market for that format at the time.

 

[CTListener]

Kiss wasn't even the first station in Boston to flip to disco -- that was WBOS 92.9.

 

[Wimmmex]

BTW, I do remeber it being about the Summer of 1980, when they had flipped to Disco/pop CHR. And despite what other websites have reported, the station twinged quite a bit more pop, disqualifying them of what is, or was considered the Rhythmic CHR format.

Main examples, back in 1981, they played all the top pop hits that Dance/Rhythmic CHR would've never touched with a 10 foot pole!

You're talking abouty WKTU in the above sentences, right (not Kiss)?

 

[Retro]

You're talking abouty WKTU in the above sentences, right (not Kiss)?

No, as a P1 listener of Kiss 108 back in 1981, I attest my comments to be 100% accurate, except for where it was corrected earlier in this thread.

 

[Retro]

Kiss wasn't even the first station in Boston to flip to disco -- that was WBOS 92.9.

Yes, while this is true, I do not recall a single person in my neighborhood ever mentioning WBOS at all, much less listenning! Us Top 40 F-105 and WRKO folks fully knew Kiss 108 existed, once they had debuted! And of course, pulled the rug right underneath WBOS also.

 

[CTListener]

Yes, while this is true, I do not recall a single person in my neighborhood ever mentioning WBOS at all, much less listenning! Us Top 40 F-105 and WRKO folks fully knew Kiss 108 existed, once they had debuted! And of course, pulled the rug right underneath WBOS also.

But didn't WBOS make a one- or two-book splash in the Arbitrons (as they were called then) right after the switch, then plummeted when Kiss put their marketing muscle and programming savvy behind the format?

 

[Retro]

But didn't WBOS make a one- or two-book splash in the Arbitrons (as they were called then) right after the switch, then plummeted when Kiss put their marketing muscle and programming savvy behind the format?

Yes, that is what I have previously read, either on this very forum, or somewhere. But wasn't it, even with the nice splash, still being fully brokered though? Them snots at Kiss 108 just pulled talent away from WBOS. Just like they did during the infamous walk across the street from Steve Rivers from WZOU also.

 

[Wimmmex]

No, as a P1 listener of Kiss 108 back in 1981, I attest my comments to be 100% accurate, except for where it was corrected earlier in this thread.

As another P1 listener back in 1981.....I have a completely different memory.

After the switch from WWEL-FM Beautiful Music at midnight....Kiss108 branded itself proudly as Disco....and I don't think they EVER played Dolly Parton, Juice Newton, Joey Scarbury. (Unless they were dance mixes. Many pop artists did dance/club versions of songs. Even the Rolling STones has a 12" of Some Girls.)

But I don't think a station with billboards that said "Kiss 108 Disco"....would ever play Dolly Parton, Juice Newton or Joey Scarbury.

Maybe you're thinking of WVBF, which was morphing into and AC?

 

[Retro]

As another P1 listener back in 1981.....I have a completely different memory.

After the switch from WWEL-FM Beautiful Music at midnight....Kiss108 branded itself proudly as Disco....and I don't think they EVER played Dolly Parton, Juice Newton, Joey Scarbury. (Unless they were dance mixes. Many pop artists did dance/club versions of songs. Even the Rolling STones has a 12" of Some Girls.)

But I don't think a station with billboards that said "Kiss 108 Disco"....would ever play Dolly Parton, Juice Newton or Joey Scarbury.

Maybe you're thinking of WVBF, which was morphing into and AC?

Well, most, if not all of those songs was in their Top 20 Best Songs of 1981. Perhaps you will look that up? Or do I have to attempt to do this myself, and if found, then prove you to be wrong instead?

 

[TheBigA]

Hey, thank you Raccoonradio! WKTU's previous format was Beautiful Music also. I guess there was simply a market for that format at the time.

Not exactly. There was a frequency change for WKTU. The original WKTU at 92.3 was previously Spanish as WHOM-FM, then flipped to soft rock (Mellow 92) in 1975, then disco in 1978. CBS bought it and that frequency became K-Rock.

The current WKTU on 103.5 was beautiful music as WTFM, then rock (WAPP), then country (WYNY). But the beautiful music format was dropped on 103.5 in 1982.

Someone mentioned Heftel in this thread, and he almost bought 103.5 in the 70s but didn't. Doubleday Broadcasting bought it in 1982 and changed the format to rock.

 

[davideduardo]

Not exactly. There was a frequency change for WKTU. The original WKTU at 92.3 was previously Spanish as WHOM-FM, then flipped to soft rock (Mellow 92) in 1975, then disco in 1978. CBS bought it and that frequency became K-Rock.

The current WKTU on 103.5 was beautiful music as WTFM, then rock (WAPP), then country (WYNY). But the beautiful music format was dropped on 103.5 in 1982.

Someone mentioned Heftel in this thread, and he almost bought 103.5 in the 70s but didn't. Doubleday Broadcasting bought it in 1982 and changed the format to rock.

And there was no commonality of ownership. In essence, one station gave up the call letters and, later, another one with different ownership picked them up.

 

[Retro]

Not exactly. There was a frequency change for WKTU. The original WKTU at 92.3 was previously Spanish as WHOM-FM, then flipped to soft rock (Mellow 92) in 1975, then disco in 1978. CBS bought it and that frequency became K-Rock.

The current WKTU on 103.5 was beautiful music as WTFM, then rock (WAPP), then country (WYNY). But the beautiful music format was dropped on 103.5 in 1982.

Someone mentioned Heftel in this thread, and he almost bought 103.5 in the 70s but didn't. Doubleday Broadcasting bought it in 1982 and changed the format to rock.

But the Aircheck that I listened to yesterday did not resemble anything that I would consider Soft Rock though. Listenable, but very mellow and sleepy. Then a radio announcer says "It is 6 O'Clock. You are listening to the new WKTU." Then the song Last Dance by Donna Summer airs as the first song in the new forment. It was a very underwhelming format change. I wonder if the announcer was even awake at all.

 

[CTListener]

And there was no commonality of ownership. In essence, one station gave up the call letters and, later, another one with different ownership picked them up.

Back in those innocent years when radio companies didn't "park" old call letters on other stations in distant markets to prevent anyone in the home market from capitalizing on them, even though call letters were much more important then. But then, radio companies were smaller then, and there were still quite a few stand-alone stations around.

 

[TheBigA]

But the Aircheck that I listened to yesterday did not resemble anything that I would consider Soft Rock though. Listenable, but very mellow and sleepy.

The called it Mellow 92. It was mainly currents at the time, as opposed to what Soft Rock is now, which is older songs. I think one of KTU's DJs back then was Dave Mallow, who came over from WQIV. He may have stuck around after the station went disco.

 

[Retro]

The called it Mellow 92. It was mainly currents at the time, as opposed to what Soft Rock is now, which is older songs. I think one of KTU's DJs back then was Dave Mallow, who came over from WQIV. He may have stuck around after the station went disco.

Well, perhaps I should post a link to the exact aircheck that I heard then? My idea of "Soft Rock" at that time period would have much more sounded like 103 WEEI-FM instead. And what I heard on the switch was far more mellower and softer than WEEI-FM.

 

[Wimmmex]

Well, most, if not all of those songs was in their Top 20 Best Songs of 1981. Perhaps you will look that up?

OK, but I don't see any reference to Kiss 108's Top 20 Best Songs of 1981.

Or do I have to attempt to do this myself, and if found, then prove you to be wrong instead?

If you care to do so.

I'm not out to prove anything, just saying my memory is vastly different from yours.

If you prove me wrong, I'll gladly stand corrected! ;-)

 

[Retro]

OK, but I don't see any reference to Kiss 108's Top 20 Best Songs of 1981.



If you care to do so.

I'm not out to prove anything, just saying my memory is vastly different from yours.

If you prove me wrong, I'll gladly stand corrected! ;-)

I did find via a web-search a PDF file. And there is a Billboard Newspaper page from 1981, where they talk about how Sunny Joe White has adjusted with the changes in the market, and that the station had rebounded from falling ratings.

He duly points to WCOZ having double their numbers at the time, and said while the station's core is still heavily Disco, that you can now here all of the best of the Top 40 Rock songs as well!

Anyway, I do not find any need to post it at all for merely prooving a point. I am just saying that this is consistant with my memory of Kiss 108 being a very highly induced Disco Station, but playing the best regular Top 40 hits also.

 

[CTListener]

I did find via a web-search a PDF file. And there is a Billboard Newspaper page from 1981, where they talk about how Sunny Joe White has adjusted with the changes in the market, and that the station had rebounded from falling ratings.

He duly points to WCOZ having double their numbers at the time, and said while the station's core is still heavily Disco, that you can now here all of the best of the Top 40 Rock songs as well!

Anyway, I do not find any need to post it at all for merely prooving a point. I am just saying that this is consistant with my memory of Kiss 108 being a very highly induced Disco Station, but playing the best regular Top 40 hits also.

Disco was dead, for all intents and purposes, in 1981. CHR playlists were full of soft rock and country crossovers until MTV's influence really started to shake things up the following year. White was doing what needed to be done at the time.