WVKS
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| City | Toledo, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Toledo, Ohio |
| Branding | 92.5 KISS-FM |
| Slogan | Toledo's Hit Music Channel |
| Frequency | 92.5 MHz (also on HD Radio) 92.5 HD2: Urban "94.9 The Beat" |
| Translator(s) | 94.9 W235BH (Perrysburg, relays HD2) |
| First air date | October 14, 1957 (as WMHE) |
| Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 146 meters (479 ft) |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 48964 |
| Callsign meaning | W V KiSs-FM |
| Former callsigns | WMHE (1957-1990) |
| Affiliations |
Premium Choice iHeartRadio |
| Owner |
iHeartMedia, Inc. (Citicasters Licenses, Inc.) |
| Webcast |
Listen Live Listen Live (HD2) |
| Website |
92.5 KISS-FM 94.9 The Beat (HD2) |
WVKS (92.5 FM) also known as "92.5 KISS-FM" is a iHeartMedia, Inc.-owned station serving Toledo, Ohio with a Top 40 (CHR) format; it is the most popular Toledo station in this format.
WVKS' studios and offices are located at Superior and Lafayette in downtown Toledo. The station's transmitter is located on Neiderhouse Road in Perrysburg Township, Ohio.
92.5 went on the air in the Toledo area as WMHE on October 14, 1957. The station was founded by William A. Hillebrand (1917–2005). Though FM broadcasting was still in its infancy at the time, Hillebrand saw FM radio, with its superior sound quality for musical recordings, as an investment that would prove viable in the long run. "He foresaw something that he thought was going to be successful and he was right," his widow, Marvel Hillebrand, told The Toledo Blade after his death in 2005. The call letters stood for "Wired Music Hillebrand Electronics".
WMHE's initial format consisted of "fine arts" music programming, including classical, jazz, and big band music. But, another important reason why Mr. Hillebrand created WMHE was to transmit the new Muzak subscription service to businesses and restaurants in the Toledo area. FM radio has a second audio channel, a subcarrier channel, that’s only received through special receivers and used to distribute Muzak. The transmitter was located behind the studio building on Bancroft St. next to an electronics store also owned and operated by Mr. Hillebrand (Hillebrand Electronics).
In the early 1970s, Mr. Hillebrand wanted to expand his Muzak coverage area and constructed a much larger transmitter at a new site near Perrysburg, Ohio. The tower was 550 feet tall and the transmitter generated 50,000 watts of Muzak power. With his new transmitter, Mr. Hillebrand could now offer Muzak to places as far away as Lima, Ohio and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The programming on the regular FM channel remained beautiful music.
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Wikipedia