Update 10/27: “Hits 99.9” launched this morning. It appears the attacking on Kiss 107.5 will continue, as the station’s first Facebook status reads “We’re on the air! It feels so good to be further down the dial and further away from Kiss!!”
Update 10/26: A commenter below tells us that 99.9 is now stunting with Kissing sounds, poking fun at Clear Channel’s “Kiss 107.5” KKDM which will be the primary competitor of the new translator.
Original Report 10/25: The Rhythmic CHR format of “Hits 105.9” KZHZ Des Moines, IA will soon be sliding to a new frequency and company in the coming days.
Connoisseur Media, which debuted the station in March sold the station and the Construction Permit for 96.3 KZHC in the Des Moines market to Iowa Public Radio which will flip the pair of stations to Classical. Meanwhile, Saga Communications is about to launch a new translator 99.9 K260AM.
Saga registered Hits999FM.com anonymously in mid-September. A staging site, under password protection at http://kioaczday.itm-staging.com/ refers to Hits999FM.com and KIOA-HD2. The logo above was taken from a Google image search from the staging site.
Saga operates “Hits” branded CHR’s on translators in Ithaca, NY and Greenfield, MA.
Saga’s 99.9FM has been rebroacasting STAR 102.5 (KSTZ) for a while on this frequency. Not sure how long.
99.9FM is now stunting with kissing noises. HITS 99.9’s main competitor will be CC’s KISS 107.5.