96.1 FM, Omaha

Through the Years

• 1959

  Prior to 1959, 96.1 FM had a rocky history.  Initially, the station was licensed to Council Bluffs, IA, and had the call letters KFAM, but eventually went dark.

  In  September 1959, KCOM signed on with 3,500 watts on a 60 foot tower on top of the Rorick Apartments, 604 South 22nd Street in Omaha, NE, which was owned by two hobbyist-types Edward Pontes and Dale Applegate, forming the Delta Broadcasting system.  Broadcast schedule was from 5-11pm.

• 1960

  January, 1960- Station is sold to Central States Broadcasting, headed by Don Burden, a subsidiary of Star Stations, for $25,000, and begins a mono simulcast of c0-owned KOIL AM 1290’s Top 40 format.

  February, 1960-  Call letters are changed from KCOM to KOIL-FM.

   

• 1961

  Call letters are changed to KICN.  Although simulcast with KOIL 1290 AM, the KICN call letters were being reserved from Burden’s Denver property on 710AM that didn’t succeed and was sold off.

• 1966

  Station power is increased to 100,000 watts, but the transmitter location remains atop the Rorick Apartment Building, 22nd and St. Mary’s Avenue, 230 feet above average terrain.

• 1967

  The call letters are changed back to KOIL-FM and the station begins stereo operation with a 24-hour Beautiful Music format.

• 1968

  Station moves to the new Star Stations Building, 8901 Indian Hills Drive, along with co-owned KOIL 1290AM and other Don Burden enterprises, including Bridal Fair.

• 1974

  April, 1974-  Station changes calls to KEFM, Easy FM.  The format flips to soft standards with live announcers and ABC News.

• 1976

  Format adjustment to Pop/Country.

  September 1976- the station is silenced by the FCC along with Burden’s other stations for alleged misconduct.

  December 1976-  Station returns to the air under Beneficial Broadcasting (Nathan Novak), with the permanent licensee to be determined, with the resurrected automated Beautiful Music format.

• 1978

  September, 1978- Station format flips to automated Country, with a live morning show and is branded as New Country 96.

• 1980

  February, 1980-  Station format flips to Top 40, 96 One, with live personalities and RKO Network.

  That same year, the station is off the air for two days from a storm toppling the 60-foot tower atop the Rorick Apartments.  It returns to the air with a temporary 35-foot mast and reduced power of 9,000 watts.

• 1981

  January, 1981-  With no money for a new tower, the station is voluntarily silenced.

• 1982

  License is awarded to Webster-Baker Broadcasting (John & William Webster, Joe Baker).

• 1983

  October, 1983- KEFM returns to the air with studios at 105 South 70th Street and tower atop the City National Bank Building at 16th & Harney in Omaha.  Format is automated Beautiful Music.

• 1984

  September, 1984- Station switches format to soft rock and live personalities as Lite 96.

• 1986

  The transmitter location is moved to the KPTM tower between Omaha and Lincoln at 1,486 feet.   The syndicated Pillow Talk evening show begins its 10-year run.

• 1987

  Dwight Lane is hired as Program Director, and later to the station manager position in 2003.

• 1999

  The format is adjusted to Hot Adult Contemporary as Mix 96. 

• 2003

  Station is sold to Clear Channel Communications for $10.5 million, the last locally owned, stand-alone commercial FM station.  Dwight Lane is retained as Program Director.

  The transmitter is moved from the KPTM tower to the TV antenna farm at 72nd & Crown Point, Omaha.

• 2005

  September 22, 2005-  Clear Channel’s attempts to rebuild the slow erosion of KEFM’s audience failed and at 5a.m. an “All Christmas” format was launched as a a stunt.  The next afternoon at 4:00pm , KEFM flipped to a classic rock format as “The Brew” using the calls KQBW.

  October 4, 2005-  KQBW debuted its on -air lineup, initially with  The Morning Brew with Mookie & Michelle, “Crash” Davis middays, “Steve -O” afternoons and Lucy Chapman, nights.

• 2012

  September 2, 2012-  KQBW changed its format to Top 40 as “96-1 KISS FM”  Simultaneously, the “Brew” name and format moved to Clear Channels HD2 channel.

  September 12, 2012-  KQBW changed call letters to KISO to match the “KISS FM” moniker.

• 2014

  November 11, 2014-  the HD subchannel was re-launched as “Christmas 94.9”

  December 26, 2014-  The HD 2 signal, simulcast on translators 94.9 K235CD and 102.3 K272FE (as well as the latter frequency being simulcasted on 93.3-HD2), flipped to mainstream rock as “Rock 94.9/102.3”.