WXKS (AM)

Infobox Radio Station
name = WXKS


city = Everett, Massachusetts
area = Greater Boston
branding = "Rumba 1200"
slogan = "Orgullo Latino"
airdate =
frequency = 1430 (kHz) HD Radio
power= 5,000 watts day/1,000 watts night
format = Tropical
erp =
class = B
owner = Clear Channel
sister_stations = WJMN, WKOX, WXKS-FM
website = [http://www.wxks.com/ www.wxks.com]
callsign_meaning = KS = Kiss 108 (WXKS-FM format, 1430 has traditionally shared the FM's calls)

WXKS is a radio station in the Boston radio market, licensed to Everett, Massachusetts. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is found at 1430 kHz on the AM dial. It also has a simulcast on WKOX to serve the MetroWest region, which receives a weak signal from WXKS. WKOX and had carried brokered ethnic programming prior to 2004 Together, the two stations carry Spanish-language tropical music as "Rumba."

History

Originally WHIL (AM), WXKS started out as a daytime-only station based in Medford, Massachusetts. After an attempt to program pop music, the station flipped to country music in the 1960s, and added an FM station (WHIL-FM), which simulcast the AM during the day and continued with similar programming at night.

In 1972, the FM was changed from WHIL-FM to WWEL-FM, and the format of both was changed to beautiful music, mostly a simulcast. A couple of years later, WHIL (AM) became WWEL (AM), but with no format change.

In early 1979, after the stations were sold, the call letters were changed to WXKS (AM) and -FM. Both stations launched a disco format (mostly, but not completely, simulcast), but while the FM ("Kiss 108") soon became one of Boston's most popular radio stations, the AM had very few listeners. The FM side eventually made a very successful transition from disco to "pure" Top-40. But by that time, the AM no longer had the same format as the FM.

From December 1979 until late 2004, WXKS was an adult standards-format station, which at first carried the Music Of Your Life format, with the music played by local personalities. For a time in the 1980s WXKS became quite successful, especially among older listeners, in spite of its daytime status. Later, WXKS went to 24-hours-a-day operation and broadcast programming from both the Music of Your Life and Westwood One satellite networks, along with a local morning show during the early 2000s.

In late 2004, WXKS made a format change to liberal talk, for the most part carrying programming from the Air America Network. Since WXKS' nighttime signal is very directional, sister station WKOX in Framingham also broadcasts the same programming.

At noon on December 21, 2006, the stations dropped the progressive talk format in favor ofa Spanish-language format called "Rumba."

External links

* [http://www.wxks.com Official WXKS (AM)/WKOX website]
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