KPOI-FM (105.9

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

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 radio ...

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...

, known as "105.9 The Wave, Hawaii's Relaxing Favorites." The Pacific Media Group outlet broadcasts a

soft adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

, switching to

Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject ma ...

for part of November and December. The

radio studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for sound recording, mixing, and audio production of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enoug ...

s are in

Downtown Honolulu Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the nor ...

. KPOI-FM has an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would hav ...

(ERP) of 100,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

horizontal polarization Polarization (also polarisation) is a property applying to transverse waves that specifies the geometrical orientation of the oscillations. In a transverse wave, the direction of the oscillation is perpendicular to the direction of motion of the ...

, 92,000 watts vertical. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...

is on Palehua Road in Akupu, amid the

towers A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifica ...

for other Honolulu-area FM and TV stations.

History

Seeking an FM license

Entertainment entrepreneur Edward "Chip" Uehara-Tilton and veteran Hawaii radio personality Jacqueline L. "Skylark" Rossetti created "Kasa Moku Ka Pawa Broadcasting" (KMKP), a Delaware Corporation, with plans for starting an FM station. The

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

opened a new Class C license window for Honolulu in early 1987. KMKP was formed to pursue that opportunity, vying with 13 other original applicants. Under the FCC policy of integration and diversification of broadcast ownership, almost 11 years of documenting and negotiating took place. KMKP's business plan for a Hawaii oriented live music and roving DJ format prevailed as an FCC Broadcast Station

Construction Permit Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...

was issued February 8, 1999. The transmitter and antenna equipment was designed by engineers Clayton Caughill and son Cris, and constructed by JAMPRO and Broadcast Electronics. After initial tests were conducted, a license to broadcast for BLH-20000706ADU awarded July 21, 2000. At the same time, KMKP sold the license, but not the business plan.

Active and Alternative Rock

The station

signed on Signing may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...

the air in 2000 as

Active Rock Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...

KAHA, known "Lava Rock." The format changed in 2002 when the station shifted to

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...

. The station also picked up the

KPOI KPOI-FM (105.9 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as "105.9 The Wave, Hawaii's Relaxing Favorites." The Pacific Media Group outlet broadcasts a soft adult contemporary radio format, switching to Christmas music for par ...

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

in 2004 after the previous KPOI flipped formats to

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

. This is the third station to adopt the KPOI call letters, first used on the AM band as a Top 40, then later used on its FM sister at 97.5, when it was billed as KPOI 98 Rock playing

Album 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 ...

and later alternative rock prior to its sale to

Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher formerly based in Camarillo, California (moved most operations to Ir ...

in 2004. In 2012, 105.9 KPOI shifted back to an

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

format, with a

playlist A playlist is a list of video or audio files that can be played back on a media player either sequentially or in a shuffled order. In its most general form, an audio playlist is simply a list of songs, but sometimes a loop. The term has sever ...

focused on 1980s & 1990s titles, along with some new alternative. KPOI shifted its format again in late October 2013, focusing on 1990s alternative rock with some contemporary alternative songs. In 2014, the station rebranded as "Alt 105.9 – Hawaii's Real Alternative". The station also began transmitting on

Charter Spectrum Spectrum is a trade name of Charter Communications, used to market consumer and commercial cable television, internet, telephone, and wireless services provided by the company. The brand was first introduced in 2014; prior to that, these serv ...

digital cable channel 857 for the entire state of Hawaii. Around June 2010, KPOI made a shift in format, adding to the playlist more

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

tracks, 1980s rock, 1990s alternative, complete/uncut songs, and metal. The station's playlist became a mixture of 1980s rock & alternative, 1990s alternative, & some contemporary alternative rock. KPOI rebranded as "Alt 105.9" on August 13, 2014.

Soft Adult Contemporary

On May 1, 2020, KPOI exited a two-way Alternative battle with rival

KUCD KUCD (101.9 FM) is a modern rock-formatted radio station serving Honolulu, Hawaii. The outlet broadcasts with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100 kW and is licensed to Pearl City, Hawaii. It also transmits on Charter Spectrum digi ...

after six years and struggling ratings. It became "105.9 The Wave", playing

music. It began competing with established AC stations

KSSK-FM KSSK-FM (92.3 MHz) is an adult contemporary formatted commercial radio station serving the Honolulu media market. It is owned by and licensed to Waipahu, Hawaii. Studios are located in the Kalihi neighborhood of Honolulu, and the transmitter site ...

and

KRTR-FM KRTR-FM (96.3 FM, "Krater 96") is an adult contemporary music formatted radio station serving Honolulu, Hawaii. The SummitMedia outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 74 kW and is licensed to Kailua, Hawaii. The station's studios are located in ...

. KPOI leans softer than those stations with some Hawaiian music elements.“KPOI Flips To Soft AC”
from Radio Insight (May 3, 2020)

Previous Logos

References

External links

{{coord, 21.394, N, 158.098, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title POI-FM Soft adult contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 2000 2000 establishments in Hawaii