WDMK
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| City | Detroit, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Metro Detroit [1] |
| Branding | 105-9 KISS |
| Slogan | "The Real Sound of the D" |
| Frequency | 105.9 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| First air date | May 26, 1960 |
| Format | Analog/HD1:Urban Adult Contemporary HD2: WCHB/W260CB simulcast |
| ERP | 20,000 watts |
| HAAT | 221 meters (725 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 4597 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 42°28′16″N 83°12′3″W / 42.47111°N 83.20083°W |
| Callsign meaning | We're Detroit, Michigan's Kiss-FM |
| Former callsigns | WDTJ (8/21/98-6/28/05) WCHB-FM (8/23/96-8/21/98) WJZZ (?-8/23/96) WCHD (5/26/60-?) |
| Owner |
Radio One (Radio One of Detroit, LLC) |
| Sister stations | WCHB, WPZR, WGPR--LMA with the Masons |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kissdetroit.com |
WDMK is an FM radio station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting at 105.9 mHz, owned by Radio One. The station is positioned as 105-9 Kiss, The Real Sound of the D with an Urban Adult Contemporary format. The station broadcasts from an antenna 725 feet in height with an effective radiated power of 20,000 watts. The station's transmitter is located in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park at the intersection of 10 Mile Road and Greenfield. Its studios along with those of WCHB, WPZR and WGPR are on Detroit's lower eastside.
The 105.9 FM frequency, from its inception in 1960, has had different variations of urban contemporary and jazz formats under different phases throughout its tenure.
105.9 FM went on the air on May 26, 1960, as WCHD. Originally, WCHD simulcast the R&B format of WCHB, Detroit's first Black-owned-and-operated radio station (then at 1440 AM, now at 1200 AM), founded by Dr. Haley Bell and Dr. Wendell Cox (hence the call letters WCHB). By the late 1960s, WCHD had programmed itself separately from its AM sister and was playing Jazz. Early jazz announcers on WCHD included Ken Bradley, Jo Ray, and Ed Love (who now hosts the long-running weeknight jazz program on public radio station WDET).
Eventually, WCHD changed its call letters to WJZZ to emphasize its musical format. As the 1980s wore on, WJZZ transitioned from playing traditional Jazz to playing more contemporary jazz (i.e. smooth jazz) along with some New-age and fusion. Jazz purists decried the format tweak, but WJZZ's ratings improved. By this time, WJZZ and WCHB were owned by Bell Broadcasting.
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