WKKF
Encyclopedia
WKKF is a Contemporary Hit Radio
radio station licensed to Ballston Spa, New York
and serving the Capital District
and Adirondacks. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
and broadcasts at 102.3 FM at 4.1 kilowatts ERP
from a transmitter in Clifton Park, New York
on a tower shared with WDCD-FM and WTMM-FM.
, R&B
, and dance music
, however now the station plays more mainstream pop and rock tracks that were formerly not aired as often on the station; in addition, the station also plays an occasional 1990s or early-2000s track about once an hour. Its primary competitors include Mainstream CHR WFLY
, Rhythmic CHR WAJZ
, and sister Hot AC WRVE
.
Programming currently featured on WKKF is primarily under Clear Channel's Premium Choice banner, and includes Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
weekday mornings from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Additionally, WKKF features American Top 40
hosted by Ryan Seacrest
every Sunday from 8 a.m. to Noon.
in 1968 as WKAJ-FM, sister to WKAJ
running an easy listening
format. In 1979, WKAJ-FM changed its calls to WASM keeping the easy listening format though by the mid-1980s the station evolved to an Adult contemporary approach. In June 1987, WASM flipped to Top 40 WQQY (102 Double Q) and began to make a minor wave in the Albany ratings by giving WFLY and WGFM
a run for its money in Saratoga County
. Among the air talent at WQQY was Rob Dawes early in his career before moving back to the frequency.
format. WZRQ remained as an affiliate of Z-Rock until the network's end in late 1996. Needing a new format, then-owner Radio Enterprises (a joint venture of Clear Channel and local investors) decided to go after heritage rock station WPYX with a Classic Rock format as Classic Rock 102.3 FM with the WXCR calls. Though former WPYX morning team "Mason and Sheehan" were hired several months later, they were fired a year later, in 1998.
CHR format was adopted on May 26, 2000 after a day of stunting, with the WKKF calls following soon after. WXCR personality Steve Scott was the only one to make the transition from classic rock to CHR as Jeff Mrozek adopted the afternoon drive spot at former sister station WQBK-FM
earlier that year. Since its launch, WKKF has been a largely successful station going after heritage CHR WFLY
with a more rhythmic, younger-leaning format. This approach has allowed it to hold its own against WFLY, a station which had not seen competition for a decade prior to WKKF's launch, and WAJZ
, a Rhythmic (since 2005
) who happens to be WFLY's sister station.
Much of WKKF's early airstaff were transplants from other stations in the market: former Program Director/midday jock Rob Dawes previously held the same position at WFLY, former midday jock Ally Reid handled middays at WFLY as well as sister station WFLZ in Tampa, Florida
, and former WFLY jock "Joey Kidd" (formerly in morning drive, now known as Joe Rosati on WDTW-FM
in Detroit, Michigan
). Afternoon drive jock DJ Thomas, the last original staff member from WKKF's launch, as well as former evening jock Corey Kincaid, left WKKF in 2009. In addition, the syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
(originating at WHTZ
in New York City
) was added in morning drive on the station that year.
Since late 2010, WKKF has added more pop rock and alternative artists to its playlist that it would not play as much before, including The Script, Lady Antebellum
, and Paramore
. In addition, the station has added more 1990s and early 2000s golds to its playlist; however, the station still is reporting as a Mainstream Top 40 by Mediabase and Nielsen BDS.
digital radio
alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WKKF began airing an HD2 channel with a pop
and new music-heavy CHR format known as the Hot Spot (later rebranded as the Verizon
New Music Channel) which is heard on several other Kiss stations across the United States. In 2011, the HD2 channel flipped formats to an 80s and 90s hip hop
and R&B
channel.
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...
radio station licensed to Ballston Spa, New York
Ballston Spa, New York
Ballston Spa is a village in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,556 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Saratoga County. The village is named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler. The village lies on the border of two...
and serving the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
and Adirondacks. The station is owned by 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...
and broadcasts at 102.3 FM at 4.1 kilowatts ERP
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
from a transmitter in Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
on a tower shared with WDCD-FM and WTMM-FM.
Programming
WKKF formerly had a strong lean towards rhythmic CHR from its launch in 2000 until 2010, including hip-hopHip 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...
, and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, however now the station plays more mainstream pop and rock tracks that were formerly not aired as often on the station; in addition, the station also plays an occasional 1990s or early-2000s track about once an hour. Its primary competitors include Mainstream CHR WFLY
WFLY
WFLY is a Contemporary Hit Radio station licensed to Troy, New York and serving New York's Capital District as well as the surrounding areas, including the Adirondacks...
, Rhythmic CHR WAJZ
WAJZ
WAJZ is an urban-leaning Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and operates at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 6 kW and is licensed to Voorheesville, New York...
, and sister Hot AC WRVE
WRVE
WRVE is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley of New York. It broadcasts at 99.5 FM at 14.5 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Guilderland, New York...
.
Programming currently featured on WKKF is primarily under Clear Channel's Premium Choice banner, and includes Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
Elvis Duran and The Morning Show is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Elvis Duran. The daily morning radio show currently airs on New York Top 40 station Z100...
weekday mornings from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Additionally, WKKF features 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...
hosted by 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,...
every Sunday from 8 a.m. to Noon.
Saratoga Springs History
The 102.3 frequency originally began in Saratoga Springs, New YorkSaratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
in 1968 as WKAJ-FM, sister to WKAJ
WUAM
WUAM is a radio station broadcasting a full-time simulcast of local Albany cable news station YNN Capital Region. It is licensed to Watervliet, New York...
running an easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
format. In 1979, WKAJ-FM changed its calls to WASM keeping the easy listening format though by the mid-1980s the station evolved to an Adult contemporary approach. In June 1987, WASM flipped to Top 40 WQQY (102 Double Q) and began to make a minor wave in the Albany ratings by giving WFLY and WGFM
WRVE
WRVE is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Schenectady, New York and serving the Capital District and Upper Hudson Valley of New York. It broadcasts at 99.5 FM at 14.5 kilowatts ERP from a transmitter in Guilderland, New York...
a run for its money in Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
. Among the air talent at WQQY was Rob Dawes early in his career before moving back to the frequency.
Move to Ballston Spa
With the decline of Top 40 in the early 1990s, its limited 3000 watt signal, WQQY began to look to the south for a better alternative. Having a construction permit to move the station down to the Albany area, WQQY moved its transmitter 12 miles south to Clifton Park (licensed to nearby Ballston Spa), upgraded to 6000 watts, and relaunched in September 1991 as WZRQ, becoming Albany's affiliate of ABC's Z-Rock satellite hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
format. WZRQ remained as an affiliate of Z-Rock until the network's end in late 1996. Needing a new format, then-owner Radio Enterprises (a joint venture of Clear Channel and local investors) decided to go after heritage rock station WPYX with a Classic Rock format as Classic Rock 102.3 FM with the WXCR calls. Though former WPYX morning team "Mason and Sheehan" were hired several months later, they were fired a year later, in 1998.
102.3 KISS FM
After Clear Channel acquired WPYX in 2000, their trademarked KISS FMKISS-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...
CHR format was adopted on May 26, 2000 after a day of stunting, with the WKKF calls following soon after. WXCR personality Steve Scott was the only one to make the transition from classic rock to CHR as Jeff Mrozek adopted the afternoon drive spot at former sister station WQBK-FM
WQBK-FM
WQBK-FM and WQBJ are Active Rock music formatted radio stations licensed to Rensselaer, New York and Cobleskill, New York respectively, and serving New York's Capital District and Mohawk Valley. The stations are owned by Townsquare Media...
earlier that year. Since its launch, WKKF has been a largely successful station going after heritage CHR WFLY
WFLY
WFLY is a Contemporary Hit Radio station licensed to Troy, New York and serving New York's Capital District as well as the surrounding areas, including the Adirondacks...
with a more rhythmic, younger-leaning format. This approach has allowed it to hold its own against WFLY, a station which had not seen competition for a decade prior to WKKF's launch, and WAJZ
WAJZ
WAJZ is an urban-leaning Rhythmic Contemporary station serving the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and operates at 96.3 MHz with an ERP of 6 kW and is licensed to Voorheesville, New York...
, a Rhythmic (since 2005
2005 in radio
The year 2005 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*April 29 - KFRC 610 AM in San Francisco, switches formats as a result of ownership change. KFRC becomes KEAR, the "Sound of the New Life", a listener-supported, gospel/religious only station. It had been previously KFRC from...
) who happens to be WFLY's sister station.
Much of WKKF's early airstaff were transplants from other stations in the market: former Program Director/midday jock Rob Dawes previously held the same position at WFLY, former midday jock Ally Reid handled middays at WFLY as well as sister station WFLZ 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....
, and former WFLY jock "Joey Kidd" (formerly in morning drive, now known as Joe Rosati on WDTW-FM
WDTW-FM
WDTW-FM is a classic rock formatted radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WDTW-FM is licensed for HD Radio operations; its secondary channel carries Clear Channel's "Pride Radio" format, which features music geared toward the LGBT audience...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
). Afternoon drive jock DJ Thomas, the last original staff member from WKKF's launch, as well as former evening jock Corey Kincaid, left WKKF in 2009. In addition, the syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show
Elvis Duran and The Morning Show is the name of an American syndicated radio program hosted by Elvis Duran. The daily morning radio show currently airs on New York Top 40 station Z100...
(originating at WHTZ
WHTZ
WHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) was added in morning drive on the station that year.
Since late 2010, WKKF has added more pop rock and alternative artists to its playlist that it would not play as much before, including The Script, Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, and Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
. In addition, the station has added more 1990s and early 2000s golds to its playlist; however, the station still is reporting as a Mainstream Top 40 by Mediabase and Nielsen BDS.
HD Radio operations
In 2005, WKKF upgraded to IBOCIn-band on-channel
In-band on-channel is a hybrid method of transmitting digital radio and analog radio broadcast signals simultaneously on the same frequency....
digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
alongside the rest of Clear Channel's Albany stations. On August 17, 2006, WKKF began airing an HD2 channel with 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...
and new music-heavy CHR format known as the Hot Spot (later rebranded as the Verizon
Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc. is a global broadband and telecommunications company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average...
New Music Channel) which is heard on several other Kiss stations across the United States. In 2011, the HD2 channel flipped formats to an 80s and 90s 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...
and 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...
channel.