KISO (FM)
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| City | Omaha, Nebraska |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Omaha, Nebraska |
| Branding | 96.1 KISS FM |
| Slogan | Omaha's #1 for All the Hits |
| Frequency | 96.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Translator(s) | 94.9 K235CD (Omaha, relays HD2) |
| First air date | 1976 (as KEFM) |
| Format |
Top 40/CHR HD2: Rock "Rock 94.9" |
| ERP | 82,000 watts |
| HAAT | 331 meters |
| Class | C0 |
| Facility ID | 71411 |
| Callsign meaning | KISs Omaha |
| Former callsigns | KEFM (1976-2005) KQBW (2005-2012) |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia (Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, Inc.) |
| Webcast |
Listen Live Listen Live (HD2) |
| Website |
961kissonline.com rock949omaha.com (HD2) |
KISO (96.1 KISS-FM) is a Top 40/CHR radio station in Omaha, Nebraska owned by iHeartMedia. KISO is licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast in the HD (hybrid) format. KISO's studios are located near North 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in Midtown Omaha, while its transmitter is located at North 72nd Street and Crown Point at the Omaha master antenna farm.
96.1 had a rocky history, but was successful in Omaha radio for nearly two decades, before it joined the Clear Channel group. Beginning in Council Bluffs, 96.1 made its biggest splash across the river.
The change of city was made after a station known as KFAM had gone dark. In 1959, a station known as KCOM surfaced at 96.1 when a couple of hobbyist-types used the frequency to broadcast Classical Music, with an Omaha license. Their studios were in the Rorick Apartments with a tower on top of the building, where it remained through the Burden years until toppled in the 1980 storm.
During the Burden years, KICN was the FM sister to KOIL. Although a simulcast with KOIL, the KICN call letters were being preserved from Burden's Denver property on 710 that didn't succeed and was sold off. During this time, 1290 KOIL was going through the roof as AM's heyday continued in Omaha radio.
In 1967, the call letters KOIL-FM were adopted. With call letters now matching its sister, KOIL-FM became one of the standard "Beautiful Music" formats on FM dials across the country. It was not until 1974 that it would resume its own identity as KEFM.
In 1976, the Burden stations were shut down by the FCC, but KEFM resumed broadcasting in September of that same year with the same Beautiful Music format. Same month, two years later, KEFM switched to "New Country". By 1980, KEFM was positioning itself as "The One". That same year, KEFM's tower fell to the ground due to a storm.
In 1983, KEFM was back on the air, the beginning of 20 years under the ownership of the Webster family.
A slight repositioning of "Lite 96" was made in the late 1990s when the station became "Mix 96.1". Then, when John Webster decided to get out of the radio business (almost 20 years to the date of KEFM's resurrection) the sale of KEFM to iHeartMedia (then known as Clear Channel Communications) was approved. Webster left with $10 million. Clear Channel obtained Omaha's last locally owned, stand-alone FM station.
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Wikipedia