KISS-FM

Mainstream rock radio station in San Antonio
the radio station in San Antonio, Texas. For the branding owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., see KISS FM (brand)

KISS FM (99.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station in San Antonio, Texas. It airs a mainstream rock format and is owned by Cox Media Group. The studios and offices are located on Datapoint Drive in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas Medical Center complex. The transmitter site is in Elmendorf, amid the towers for several San Antonio TV and FM stations.

In December 1946, the station first signed on the air. It was owned by The Walmac Company, along with sister station KMAC (now KSLR). KMAC and KISS FM simulcast their programming, mostly from the Mutual Broadcasting System. The schedule included dramas, comedies, news, sports and big band broadcasts, during the "Golden Age of Radio." The simulcast ended in the late 1960s, as the Federal Communications Commission encouraged AM FM combos to offer separate programming. KISS FM began carrying a beautiful music format, including instrumental cover versions of popular songs as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes.

KISS FM's format changed to free form progressive rock in the mid 1970s. In the 1980s, the playlist stressed hit albums as the station segued to album oriented rock. During the early years, KISS FM DJs were mostly given a free rein; many brought in their own vinyl albums, producing their own shows within a looser rock ballad and heavy metal format. The most notable past KISS/KMAC DJs/personalities were Joe "The Godfather" Anthony and Lou Roney, who worked together for many years. With KISS FM's hard edged rock format, San Antonio became known as the "Heavy Metal Capital Of The World." Scores of bands can attribute their first and subsequent successes to airplay at KISS FM. Capitol president James F. Goodmon, upon announcing the sale, said that they were "excited about entering the dynamic San Antonio market and becoming a part of the community". after a previous sale to Noble Broadcast Group the year before failed to close.

The rock format was set aside for a year and a half. On the morning of July 19, 1990, KISS FM abruptly flipped to oldies as "99.5 KISS Oldies." Adams corporate programming director B. J. Hunter stated that "very simply, this was a financial decision that we had to make". By contrast, competing oldies station KSMG was the city's number one radio station and actually increased its audience despite KISS' flip to the format, jumping from a 7.7 share in the spring book to a 9.7 in the summer book. Rusk began simulcasting KSMG on both 99.5 FM and 930 AM at 3 p. m. on November 8 as a stopgap measure while new formats were prepared for the two frequencies. In 1997, KISS FM was acquired by Cox Radio. As of 2012, the station's format was described as Mainstream Rock, although it has gone back to Active Rock in recent years. Despite being considered a mainstream rock reporter by Mediabase, KISS FM has typically been an active rock station, according to Nielsen BDS.

KISS FM is the legal call sign issued to this station by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). It has had the call letters since its founding in 1946. The KISS FM call sign is not related to the "KISS FM" brand name used by iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeart uses the moniker "Kiss FM" on many of its Top 40/CHR stations and a few using other formats. It originated with Los Angeles's KIIS FM, which has called itself KIIS FM since 1975. Despite San Antonio being the headquarters city of iHeartMedia, the company seems to have a gentlemen's agreement not to have a KISS FM branded station in the city, while Cox has not attempted to claim rights on the branding despite holding the official KISS FM call letters from the FCC. Of note, Cox owns WALR FM, an urban adult contemporary station in its home city of Atlanta, which utilizes the "KISS FM" branding. iHeart has KISS FM stations in Los Angeles, Chicago (WKSC FM), Dallas (KHKS), Boston (WXKS FM), and other cities.