WKSM
 | |
| City | Fort Walton Beach, Florida |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Emerald Coast |
| Frequency | 99.5 MHz |
| Branding | 99 Rock |
| Programming | |
| Format | Active Rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Cumulus Media (Cumulus Licensing LLC) |
Sister stations | WFTW, WNCV, WYZB, WZNS |
| History | |
First air date | May 28, 1965, as 99.3 WFTW-FM |
Former call signs | WFTW-FM (1965-1978) WFTW (1978-1979) WFTW-FM (1979-1988) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 27467 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 133.5 meters (438 ft) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | WKSM.com |
WKSM (99.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Fort Walton Beach and serving the Emerald Coast of Florida. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts an active rock radio format, calling itself 99 Rock. The radio studios and transmitter are on Hollywood Boulevard NW in Fort Walton Beach.[1] WKSM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts.
History[]
The station signed on the air on May 28, 1965.[2] It was the FM simulcast of WFTW 1260 AM. WFTW-FM was originally on 99.3 MHz, broadcasting at 3,000 watts, a fraction of its current output. Both stations were owned by Vacationland Broadcasting. Because WFTW 1260 was a daytimer, WFTW-FM continued the AM station's programming after sunset.
FM 99.3 was a Class A frequency, limited at the time to only local coverage. So management decided to move WFTW-FM's dial position. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitted it to move slightly up the dial to 99.5 MHz and get a boost in power. The signal now covers a significant part of the larger and more lucrative Pensacola radio market.
In the late 1960s, WFTW-FM stopped simulcasting 1260 WFTW. It began broadcasting a beautiful music format. The station featured quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental cover versions of popular songs, as well as Broadway and Hollywood show tunes. In 1988, the format flipped to album rock and the call sign switched to WKSM.
In 1993, WKSM and WFTW were sold for $1 million to Holiday Broadcasting.[3] In 2003, Cumulus Media acquired the two stations.[4]
References[]
External links[]
- 99 Rock - Official Website
- WKSM in the FCC FM station database
- WKSM on Radio-Locator
- WKSM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
Coordinates: 30°24′51″N 86°37′40″W / 30.414083°N 86.627722°W
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