WKSE
 | |
| City | Niagara Falls, New York |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Buffalo, New York |
| Branding | Kiss 98.5 |
| Slogan | The #1 Hit Music Station! |
| Frequency | 98.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | 1947 (as WHLD-FM) |
| Format |
Top 40 Mainstream HD2: Sports (WGR simulcast) HD3: News/Talk (WBEN simulcast) |
| ERP | 46,000 watts |
| HAAT | 128 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 34384 |
| Callsign meaning | KiSE as in Kiss |
| Former callsigns |
WRXT (1984-1985) WIZR (1980-1984) WHLD-FM (1947-1980) |
| Owner |
Entercom Communications (Entercom Buffalo License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WBEN, WGR, WWKB, WTSS, WWWS, WLKK |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kiss985.com |
WKSE (98.5 FM) is a Top 40 Mainstream station serving the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region of Western New York. The station's transmitter is located on Grand Island, New York. It has a sizable market in the Greater Toronto Area, but unlike the WBLK of old, does little marketing and promotion outside Western New York, but now has to compete with two CHR/Top 40 stations, (after the format change of CKIS) in the Greater Toronto Area; therefore, this will lower the amount of listeners there. It is currently owned by Entercom Communications, with studios located on Corporate Parkway in Amherst, New York.
WKSE signed on as WHLD-FM in 1947. It changed its call sign to WZIR in 1980, WRXT in 1984, and the current call sign in 1985. It currently runs a Top 40 format. Much of its playlist overlaps that of sister station Star 102.5 at times (ironically, the 102.5 frequency was a CHR competitor of WKSE in the late 1980s and early 1990s as WMJQ "Majic 102"). WKSE competes with longtime rival, 2Day FM 105.1 (formerly 2Day FM 105.1/101.1), which has a very similar format. Currently, the ratings for WKSE is higher than 105.1 2Day FM in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls region, according to Arbitron.
In 2006 Kiss 98.5 began streaming its programming over the internet.
Regular radio personalities
- Janet Snyder, Weekdays 6am-10am, Janet and Nick In The Morning
- Nicholas Picholas, Weekdays 6am-10am, Janet and Nick In The Morning
- Wease, Weekdays 6am-10am, Janet and Nick In The Morning
- Ryan Seacrest, Weekdays 10am-2pm, On Air with Ryan Seacrest
- Jud, Weekdays 2pm-6pm, Afternoons
- DJ Anthony, Weekdays 6pm-12am, Evenings
- Shy Guy Shawn, Saturday 10am-2pm and Sunday 2pm-7pm
- Miguel, Saturday 2pm-6pm and Sunday 10am-2pm
- Justin Tyme, Saturday 6pm-10pm
- Mike McCabe, weekends
(Please note: The "Wease" listed here is not to be confused with Brother Wease.)
External links
- Official Kiss 98.5 Website
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WKSE
- Radio-Locator information on WKSE
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WKSE
Coordinates: 43°00′18″N 78°59′35″W / 43.005°N 78.993°W