KISO (FM)

KISO (96.1 MHz, "96.1 KISS-FM") is a Top 40 (CHR) radio station in Omaha, Nebraska, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are near North 50th Street and Underwood Avenue in Midtown Omaha. In AM drive time, it carries Elvis Duran and the Morning Show from co-owned WHTZ New York.

KISO has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 82,000 watts. The transmitter tower is at North 72nd Street and Crown Point at the Omaha master antenna farm. KISO is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to broadcast using HD Radio technology. The HD2 subchannel carries a mainstream rock format, known as "Rock 94.9." It feeds FM translator K235CD at 94.9 MHz.

The 96.1 FM frequency signed on the air in September 1976. It originally broadcast from Council Bluffs, Iowa. The change in its city of license was made after a station known as KFAM had gone dark. (This was probably KFMX Council Bluffs which switched off in 1952. OmahaRadioHistory.com) In 1959, a station known as KCOM surfaced at 96.1 when a couple of hobbyists used the frequency to broadcast classical music, with an Omaha broadcast license. Their studios were in the Rorick Apartments with a tower on top of the building, where it remained through the Burden years until toppled in a 1980 storm.

During the Burden years, KICN was the FM sister station to KOIL 1290 AM. Although a simulcast with KOIL, the KICN call letters were being preserved from Burden's Denver property on 710 that didn't succeed and was sold off. During this time, 1290 KOIL was a very popular Top 40 station, with 96.1 used as an FM simulcast.

In 1967, the FM station began using the call sign KOIL-FM. At the time, the FCC was encouraging AM-FM simulcasts to offer different programming. KOIL-FM became a beautiful music station. It was an automated operation, playing quarter-hour sweeps of soft, instrumental music. In 1974 that it switched its call letters to KEFM.

In 1976, the Burden stations were shut down by the FCC due to violations. But KEFM returned to broadcasting in December of that same year with the same beautiful music format.

Then in December 1978, the easy listening sounds ended. KEFM switched to "New Country". By 1980, KEFM was positioning itself as "96-One". That same year, KEFM's tower fell to the ground due to a storm.

On October 21, 1983, KEFM went back on the air, which began 20 years under the ownership of the Webster family. Instead of country music, it returned with an adult contemporary format as "Lite 96."