KISW (99.9
FM) – branded 99.9 KISW, The Rock of Seattle – is a commercial
mainstream rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
licensed to
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
. Owned by
Audacy, Inc.
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
, the station serves the
Seattle metropolitan area
The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding satellites and suburbs. It contains the three most populous counties in the state—King, Snohomish, and Pierce ...
; live shows include
''The Mens Room'' afternoon show and the BJ & Migs morning show. Other day parts include Ryan Castle (middays) and Taryn Daly (evenings). The KISW studios are located in
Downtown Seattle, while the station transmitter resides on
Tiger Mountain in the city of
Issaquah
Issaquah ( ) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 40,051 at the 2020 census. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the " Issaquah Al ...
. In addition to a standard
analog transmission
Analog transmission is a transmission method of conveying information using a continuous signal which varies in amplitude, phase, or some other property in proportion to that information. It could be the transfer of an analog signal, using an an ...
, KISW broadcasts over two
HD Radio channels, and is available online via
Audacy
Audacy, previously known as Radio.com, is a free broadcast and Internet radio platform owned by the namesake company Audacy, Inc. (formerly known as Entercom). The Audacy platform functions as a music recommender system and is the national um ...
.
History
Classical (1950-1971)
On January 18, 1950, KISW first signed on the air. The station's founder and first owner was Ellwood W. Lippincott, who programmed a
classical music format. At first, the station was powered at 2,100 watts, a fraction of its current output. From 1954 to 1956, the station was managed by
Harvey Manning
Harvey Manning (July 16, 1925 in Ballard, Seattle, Washington - November 12, 2006 in Bellevue, Washington) was a noted author of hiking guides and climbing textbooks, and a tireless hiking advocate. Manning lived on Cougar Mountain, within the c ...
.
Lippincott, a resident of
Centralia, Washington
Centralia () is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. It is located along Interstate 5 near the midpoint between Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The city had a population of 18,183 at the 2020 census. Centralia is twinned with Ch ...
, worked as an electrical engineer for
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser () is an American timberland company which owns nearly of timberlands in the U.S., and manages an additional of timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. The company also manufactures wood products. It operates as a real e ...
. During the week, Lippincott's job required him to travel around the
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...
maintaining the company's radio equipment, and would spend his weekends managing the station. Under Lippincott's ownership, KISW operated out of a small studio on the northwest corner of NE 92nd Street and Roosevelt Way NE in North Seattle (9201 Roosevelt Way NE). The building was demolished and replaced with townhouses in 2007.
In 1969, the station was purchased by Kaye-Smith, a partnership of famed entertainer
Danny Kaye and businessman Lester Smith; at that time, Kaye-Smith were also the owners of the leading
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
station in Seattle,
KJR, and also owned Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle, where records by
Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...
,
Steve Miller and
Bachman–Turner Overdrive
Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, founded by Randy Bachman, Robbie Bachman and Fred Turner in 1973. Their 1970s catalogue included five top-40 albums and six US top-40 sing ...
were recorded. With
Pat O'Day
Paul W. Berg (1934 – August 4, 2020), known professionally as Pat O'Day, was an American broadcaster and concert promoter in the Pacific Northwest. O'Day, born in Norfolk, Nebraska, is probably best known as the afternoon drive personality at S ...
, the firm owned Concerts West, a booking and promotion company that handled
Jimi Hendrix,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
,
Bad Company
Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell. Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, a ...
,
The Eagles
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...
,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
and others, and were original owners of the
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...
.
Rock (1971-present)
With the purchase of KISW, Kaye-Smith decided to switch the station to a format more compatible with KJR. In 1971, KISW became a
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
(or "underground") station, similar to the format pioneered by
Tom Donahue Thomas or Tom Donahue may refer to:
* Thomas R. Donahue (born 1928), American trade union leader
* Thomas Michael Donahue (1921–2004), American physicist, astronomer, and space and planetary scientist
* Tom Donahue (DJ) (1928–1975), pioneerin ...
at
KMPX
KMPX (channel 29) is a television station licensed to Decatur, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex as an affiliate of the Spanish-language Estrella TV network. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Dallas-licensed ABC ...
and
KSAN in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
.
KOL-FM was also experimenting with
free form rock at night. Over time, KISW moved to an
album oriented rock
Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the 1970s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock.
Album-orient ...
format, by playing the best selling albums from the top rock acts. In 1982, Danny Kaye sold his interest in the company and the new corporation was called Alexander Broadcasting. In 1987,
Nationwide Communications
Nationwide Communications Inc., originally known as Peoples Broadcasting Corporation, was a media subsidiary of the Nationwide Insurance Company, which operated from 1946 until 1997. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Nationwide Communications owned and ...
, a
subsidiary of Nationwide Insurance, acquired KISW. (Nationwide sold off its radio stations by 1997.)
In 1991, as an
April Fool's Day
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which ma ...
prank, the radio station changed its format to
soft rock for a day. The station was bought by
Entercom Communications
Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corporation, it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning 235 radio stations across 48 media ...
in 1996.
In August 2000, the popular "Twisted Radio" morning show led by
Bob Rivers
Robert Rivers (born July 7, 1956 in Branford, Connecticut) is a retired American rock and roll radio on-air personality in the Pacific Northwest, as well as a prolific producer and songwriter of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas song ...
left KISW after 11 years to join rival
KZOK-FM
KZOK-FM (102.5 MHz) is a commercial radio station located in Seattle, Washington. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. KZOK's transmitter is located near Issaquah, Washington, on Tiger Mountain, and operates fr ...
. KISW began airing
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, '' The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terr ...
's nationally syndicated show in March 2001 as a replacement. At the end of 2005, Stern moved to
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings.
Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially lau ...
. On January 3, 2006, ''
The BJ Shea Morning Experience
BJ & MIGs mornings is a morning drive time radio show on 99.9 FM KISW in Seattle, Washington, owned by Audacy (previously Entercom). The show airs Monday through Friday, 6–10 a.m. PST and is also available as a stream and a downloadable podcast ...
'' (originally from
sister station KQBZ
KQBZ (96.9 FM) is a radio station licensed to Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,862 at th2020 census Brownwood is located in the Northern Texas Hill Coun ...
) replaced Stern. Over the years, the station has employed other popular personalities, including Gary Crow, John Langan (who later co-hosted a top-rated morning show on KKZX-FM of Spokane, WA, under the stage name ''C Foster Kane''), Mike West, Robin and Maynard and
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...
.
Programming
BJ & Migs Mornings co-hosted by B.J. Shea and Steve Migs and their producing team, The Reverend En Fuego, Vicky B., Danny V., Ooh Sara, and Joey Deez. KISW is the originating station for
''The Mens Room'' in afternoon drive; hosted by Miles Montgomery, Steve "The Thrill" Hill, Thee Ted Smith and Mike Hawk, the show entered syndication on June 5, 2017 and was distributed by
Westwood One
Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming.
The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...
until June 2020. Ryan Castle hosts middays, and Taryn Daly hosts evenings.
Weekend programming includes Loud & Local which highlights local music from the greater Seattle area, hosted by Kevin Diers.
The HD2
digital sub-channel broadcasts an
active rock format under the brand "Metal Militia".
Awards
In 2007, the station was nominated for the
Radio & Records magazine Active Rock station of the year award in a top 25 market; other nominees included
WIYY
WIYY (97.9 FM, "98 Rock") is a commercial radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. It is owned by Hearst Communications and broadcasts a mainstream rock radio format. WIYY shares studios and offices with sister stations WBAL and WBAL-TV on T ...
in Baltimore,
WAAF WAAF may refer to:
* w3af, (short for web application attack and audit framework), an open-source web application security scanner
* Women's Auxiliary Air Force, a British military service in World War II
** Waaf, a member of the service
* WAAF (AM ...
in Boston,
KBPI
KBPI (107.9 FM, "KBPI") is a commercial radio station licensed to Fort Collins, Colorado. It is owned by iHeartMedia and it broadcasts an Active rock radio format.
KBPI's studios are located in Denver in the Tech Center. In December 2017, iHe ...
in Denver,
WRIF
WRIF (101.1 FM) is a commercial active rock radio station licensed in Detroit, Michigan and serving Metro Detroit as well as bordering city Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The station is currently owned by Beasley Media Group. WRIF is a grandfathered ...
in Detroit, and
WMMR
WMMR (93.3 FM, "93-3 WMMR") is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, through licensee Beasley Media Group, LLC, and broadcasts an active rock radio format. ...
in Philadelphia.
KISW was also nominated for a RadioContraband Rock Radio Award for "Major Market Radio Station of the Year" in 2012.
KISW was inducted into the Rock Radio Hall of Fame in the "Heritage Rock Radio Stations-Still Rocking" in 2014.
KISW won
KING-TV's 2019 Best of Western Washington viewers choice poll in the Best Radio Station category.
B.J. Shea was named the 2020 recipient of Morning Show Boot Camp's prestigious 'Kraddick Award' named in honor of the late
Kidd Kraddick.
Live Day
KISW is the flagship station for the 100% live show that happens once a year known as "Live Day". From the commercials and the music to the shows and the sound effects, everything is performed completely LIVE, going by the mantra, "What could possibly go wrong?!" Originating in 2015 and typically in November, KISW pays homage to the earliest days of radio, when every component had to be performed live. In 2017, the station took Live Day on the road to be played out in front of a LIVE audience at various area casinos.
References
External links
*
{{Entercom
1950 establishments in Washington (state)
Active rock radio stations in the United States
Nationwide Communications
Radio stations established in 1950
ISW
Audacy, Inc. radio stations