After several name and owner changes, former radio station Kiss 107.9 FM is now going strong in its first month of being back on the air. Playing the popular hits of the 90s and 2000’s it’s slowly getting back a new following after a 14-year hiatus. The station is now owned by iHeart Media and is well on its way to a huge rebound.
The Stunt That Changed Everything
In 2007 the popular radio show was riding high in the ratings. One of the more popular things they did was funny challenges and stunts for various prizes and money during their “Morning Rave” show.
The radio station at the time was known as KDND-FM "The End" Radio, owned by Entercom Communications Corporation. The morning DJs were Adam "Lukas" Cox, Steve Maney, and Patricia "Trish" Sweet (who changed her name to Jayde Donovan). After this tragedy, all put their lives back together and were hired for jobs in radio.
The contest that morning was that listeners would come into the studio and drink copious amounts of water. Whoever drank the most water without going to the bathroom would win a Nintendo WII, which was the hot toy at the time. Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old mother of 3 was one of two final contenders. She drank up to 2 gallons of water and later that day was found dead by her family at her home. She died of water intoxication. Even with medical people calling the station warning them, the DJs laughed and said they had all signed waivers but the waivers had no information on how dangerous it was. In 2009 Jennifer’s husband was awarded $16.5 million in a lawsuit.
iHeart Uses a Successful Genre:
The company iHeart Radio eventually purchased the station KTSE which it relaunched as the New Kiss 107.9 FM in Sacramento, California. They tried various types of music and decided on top hits from the 90s and 2000s that have been popular on other radio stations of the past. Slowly they are gaining viewers and creating a new exciting atmosphere that they hope will be a winner.
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