KSLZ
Encyclopedia
KSLZ, "Z107.7", is a Top 40 Mainstream FM
radio station
in St. Louis, Missouri
, United States
. The Clear Channel Communications
outlet broadcasts at 107.7 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its transmitter is located in Shrewsbury
, a suburb
of St. Louis
.
In June 1979 the calls were changed to KMJM as "Majic 108." Majic 108 wanted to cater to the Black & White audiences as a hybrid R&B/Disco/Top 40 station (a forerunner to the Rhythmic contemporary
format). The station was owned by Keymarket Communications at the time. KMJM would later go on to be among the top 5 stations in the St. Louis Arbitrons during the 1980s even as they shifted towards a conventional Urban Contemporary
direction. In May 1988 KMJM was sold to Noble Communications of San Diego for $19 million. KMJM's signal was one of the best in the St. Louis area, at this time the format emerged as the Top R&B-Urban station in Saint Louis.
But that all changed in October 1997 when Jacor bought the station and moved KMJM to 104.9 WCBW which was a Chrisitian format to make room for KSLZ and its current TOP-40 format, which they filled after WKBQ
dropped the format for Adult Top 40 in February of that year.
KSLZ also syndicates the highly-rated MJ Morning Show (originally known as MJ and BJ in the Morning, originating from WFLZ in Tampa), and has done so since February 1998.
KSLZ also recently made the conversion to HD Radio
with their HD-2 channel carrying the NEW! CHR format, featuring artists / songs that are just breaking onto the charts.
Weekdays
Weekend:
Former on-air staff:
In October 2009, longtime staff member Taylor J was let go from Clear Channel Communications. Although starting off as a daily announcer at the station, she eventually moved to weekends in order to focus on being programing director on sister station KATZ-FM. However, later that month, the station changed its format, firing all employees of the station. Taylor J's weekend show was in association with the KATZ contract. As of early-2011, Taylor J returned to the St. Louis airwaves on CBS' KYKY (Y98) FM.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
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...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 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...
outlet broadcasts at 107.7 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW. Its transmitter is located in Shrewsbury
Affton, Missouri
Affton is an unincorporated inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. As of the 2010 census, the community had a total population of 20,307.-Geography:...
, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
History
KSLZ debuted on the air in 1968 as KACO, which aired an AC/MOR format until a fire took the station off the air in January 1970. Two months later in March 1970, the station returned to air and changed call letters to KGRV, "Music for Groovy Adults," offering a more upbeat AC format, which lasted until 1972, when once again changed call letters to KKSS "Kiss 108" but retained its AC format. By 1974 KKSS switched formats to Country but this move did not last and by 1975 switched formats to a R&B format dubbed "Black in Stereo". In February 1979, KKSS altered its R&B format and adopted the moniker "Studio 108," with a hybrid Disco-R&B format, competting with WZEN "Disco-100 @100.3 (now WSGX, another Clear Channel station).In June 1979 the calls were changed to KMJM as "Majic 108." Majic 108 wanted to cater to the Black & White audiences as a hybrid R&B/Disco/Top 40 station (a forerunner to the Rhythmic contemporary
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
format). The station was owned by Keymarket Communications at the time. KMJM would later go on to be among the top 5 stations in the St. Louis Arbitrons during the 1980s even as they shifted towards a conventional Urban Contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
direction. In May 1988 KMJM was sold to Noble Communications of San Diego for $19 million. KMJM's signal was one of the best in the St. Louis area, at this time the format emerged as the Top R&B-Urban station in Saint Louis.
But that all changed in October 1997 when Jacor bought the station and moved KMJM to 104.9 WCBW which was a Chrisitian format to make room for KSLZ and its current TOP-40 format, which they filled after WKBQ
WHHL
WHHL, known as "HOT 104.1", is a Urban Contemporary radio station serving the St. Louis area. The Radio One owned outlet broadcasts at 104.1 MHz with an ERP of 50 kW and is licensed to Hazelwood, Missouri and formerly licensed to Jerseyville, Illinois. Its transmitter is located in St. Louis,...
dropped the format for Adult Top 40 in February of that year.
KSLZ also syndicates the highly-rated MJ Morning Show (originally known as MJ and BJ in the Morning, originating from WFLZ in Tampa), and has done so since February 1998.
KSLZ also recently made the conversion to HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
with their HD-2 channel carrying the NEW! CHR format, featuring artists / songs that are just breaking onto the charts.
Current on-air staff
Weekdays
- 12:00am–2:00am JoJo
- 2:00am–5:00am Sisanie
- 5:00am–9:00am (CST) MJ Morning Show (based out of sister station WFLZ in Tampa Bay, Florida)
- 9:00am–1:00pm On Air With Ryan SeacrestOn Air with Ryan Seacrest (radio)On Air with Ryan Seacrest is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Ryan Seacrest. As of 2010, the daily morning radio show airs on Los Angeles top 40 station KIIS-FM and was launched at the same time as the television show with the same name, although Seacrest had hosted a...
- 1:00pm–7:00pm Curt Copeland
- 7:00pm–12:00am Ty Bentli
- Jess (traffic updates throughout the daytime hours)
Weekend:
- American Top 40American Top 40American 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 SeacrestRyan SeacrestRyan 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,... - Jeff Collins
- Finnigan
- Big Mike
- JoJo
- Sisanie
- Boy Toy Jesse
- Trey Morgan
Former on-air staff:
- Sal Danza
- Sid Kelly
- Kandy Klutch
- Jet Black (now OM/PD of Renda Broadcasting Tulsa—Top 40 KHTT and Variety KBEZ)
- Kato
- Boomer
- HaZe
- Aaron Anthony
- Steve Sykes
- Aaron Tyler
- Broadway Billy Macc
- Diego
- Melody Sharp
- Danny Wright
- Jill Divine (now doing 10AM-2PM on rival Y98KYKYKYKY, originally known as KSTL-FM, KRCH and later, KSLQ-FM prior to October 1, 1982, is an FM radio station serving the St. Louis, Missouri radio market. The current format of the station is Adult Top 40. It operates at 98.1 MHz. KYKY is owned by CBS Radio, which also owns soft rock station...
/St. Louis) - Jay Maddox
- Sean Kelley
- Krazy Jessie
- Cash
- Harmon Dash
- DJ Mike Justis
- Meatball
- CJ
- Taylor J (now doing 7PM-12AM on rival Y98KYKYKYKY, originally known as KSTL-FM, KRCH and later, KSLQ-FM prior to October 1, 1982, is an FM radio station serving the St. Louis, Missouri radio market. The current format of the station is Adult Top 40. It operates at 98.1 MHz. KYKY is owned by CBS Radio, which also owns soft rock station...
/St. Louis) - Joe Diniro
- Tommy Wacker
- Jeff Tanner (Kapugi) (now Operations Manager/Program Director of rival Y98KYKYKYKY, originally known as KSTL-FM, KRCH and later, KSLQ-FM prior to October 1, 1982, is an FM radio station serving the St. Louis, Missouri radio market. The current format of the station is Adult Top 40. It operates at 98.1 MHz. KYKY is owned by CBS Radio, which also owns soft rock station...
and Fresh 102.5KEZKKEZK-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to St. Louis, Missouri, USA, the station serves the St. Louis and southwestern Illinois areas. The station is currently owned by CBS Radio. and features programing from Westwood One...
)
In October 2009, longtime staff member Taylor J was let go from Clear Channel Communications. Although starting off as a daily announcer at the station, she eventually moved to weekends in order to focus on being programing director on sister station KATZ-FM. However, later that month, the station changed its format, firing all employees of the station. Taylor J's weekend show was in association with the KATZ contract. As of early-2011, Taylor J returned to the St. Louis airwaves on CBS' KYKY (Y98) FM.