A Historic Radio Battle Takes Another Turn

Clear Channel’s WKFS (Kiss 107) Cincinnati was only meant to flank heritage CHR WKRQ (Q102) when it switched to Top 40 in 1998. Instead, it ended up helping steer a much more musically aggressive course for the format over the next five years. 

Q102 left for Hot AC outright, rather than compete with Kiss’s emphasis on Hip-Hop and rhythmic pop, billed as “all the hits, not just some of them.” Eventually, a half-dozen or so incumbent CHRs made a similar move. (WAPE Jacksonville, Fla., was one of the few that stayed and leaned into the increasingly rhythmic format.)

I’ve written a lot about Kiss 107’s impact on CHR and how it helped further Clear Channel/iHeart Radio’s format dominance, particularly in this 2020 look at the evolution of Top 40 radio. On July 3, Kiss 107 made another move, becoming the latest CHR to segue to a yesterday-and-today, throwback-driven version of the format, similar to recent moves by WBBM-FM (B96) Chicago and others. In the May PPM ratings, Q102 had a 5.9 to Kiss’ 2.1.

Kiss 107’s 1998 change came at a time when Top 40 was just reasserting itself and most programmers were pretty happy with the state of the format. Many CHRs were closer to Modern AC in feel, but there was more Hip-Hop and R&B, as well as the rapid growth of the Backstreet Boys and ’N Sync. Kiss evolves now at a time when Backstreet and ’N Sync throwbacks are more compelling to many listeners than current CHR music.Q102’s evolution has sometimes bucked the trends — it stayed very Mainstream Top 40 in the early-’80s format downturn when other CHRs were effectively becoming either Adult Contemporary or Album Rock. But it went sharply more adult during the early-’90s doldrums. In 1982, it was one of the few CHRs to play “Nasty Girl” by Vanity 6. In 1994, it was one of a handful that played “(I Could Only) Whisper Your Name” by Harry Connick Jr. 

These days, Q102’s music and imaging make it feel like the hottest station on the Adult Top 40 chart (where it reports), but it wouldn’t be the most conservative station in Mainstream CHR. Q102 plays a few Hot AC chart songs that won’t cross over; it also plays adult-friendly Hip-Hop like “Big Energy” or “Players.” The imaging is assertive without being harsh. And the station’s success probably rests as much with its morning show (Jeff & Jenn) and high-profile afternoons (Roy, Nat & Freddy Mac) as anything. 

Taylor Swift’s Cincinnati concerts took place last weekend. Nobody became “Tay-D-W-B” for the weekend, unlike KDWB Minneapolis the week before. But Q102 asked listeners to solve a Swift mystery to win tickets, and had a stager welcoming Taylor to “Swiftinnati.” (The stager ends with a cat purring, presumably a reference to “Karma.”) Like WTDY Philadelphia, Kiss timed its change for Taylor’s shows.

Q102 is one of the stations that has done the best job of negotiating “whatever the hell CHR is now.” Kiss is returning to a great legacy. The stations that followed Cincinnati’s lead, especially in the region (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Louisville) had a number of rhythmic-pop titles associated with them that haven’t been back on the radio, even with the rise of throwbacks throughout CHR. I haven’t heard “He Loves You Not” by Dream yet, but I did hear “Rock Wit You (Awww Baby)” in the first hour I listened. 

I also heard “Rockstar” by Nickelback the first time I tuned into Kiss, and “How You Remind Me” today, so they’re playing all the throwbacks, not just some of them. The station is telling listeners that “this is the Kiss 107 you love,” similar to B96’s positioning. But the most-heard line on Kiss is “the summer party station,” which does sort of give it the ability to adjust the throwback/current balance again if currents improve dramatically in two months.

Here’s Kiss 107 at 11 a.m., July 5, during On Air With Ryan Seacrest:

• Destiny’s Child, “Bootylicious”
• Fall Out Boy, “Sugar, We’re Going Down”
• SZA, “Kill Bill”
• Nick Minaj, “Super Bass”
• Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em, “Kiss Me Through the Phone”
• The Weeknd, “Die for You”
• Rihanna, “Disturbia”
• Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
• T-Pain f/Yung Joc, “Buy You a Drank”
• Nickelback, “How You Remind Me”
• Timbaland f/Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake, “Give It to Me”
• Miguel, “Sure Thing”

Here’s Q102 during the same hour with middayer Mollie:

• Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
• Post Malone f/21 Savage, “Rockstar”
• Rena & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
• Onerepublic, “I Ain’t Worried”
• Jonas Brothers, “Waffle House”
• Toosii, “Favorite Song”
• Maroon 5, “Middle Ground”
• Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
• Taylor Swift, “Karma”
• Ed Sheeran, “Eyes Closed”
• David Guetta f/Sia, “Titanium”
• Post Malone f/Doja Cat, “I Like You”
• Fifty Fifty, “Cupid”
• David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray, “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”