Update: 104.9 FM rebrands from KiSS Radio to new alt-rock format SONiC.
If you like the song "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine, the morning drive was a good one.
KiSS Radio104.9 FM (or, at least, the station formerly known as) has been playing the 1992 rap-rock song on repeat since the early morning hours of June 29 as part of what appears to be a format change for the radio station.
KiSS 104.9 has been a pop station for the past decade; it rebranded in 2015 after spending years as CFUN and Fun FM, which was a classic hits station for a period.
I can’t believe that 104.9 KiSS FM has been playing Killing In The Name by Rage Against The Machine on loop all morning… and it’s still going. Incredible.
— Chris Siglos (@SiglosChris) June 29, 2022
Prior to the "Killing in the Name" marathon, morning show hosts Kevin Lim and Sonia Sidhu announced June 28 they had been let go after five years on the air.
"KiSS is changing and unfortunately we were informed that we won't be part of this new chapter," states a social media post from the pair.
It was the last post KiSS put on social media.
Often when radio stations switch formats they do something called "stunting." Essentially a form of publicity stunt, they'll take to broadcasting uncharacteristic to grab people's attention and create buzz. In this case, it's a continuous loop of Rage Against the Machine, interspersed with short clips of DJs talking to people calling in asking what's going on (which may or may not be prerecorded).
While a new format hasn't been announced, the call letters CKKS FM are still being broadcast around the top of the hour as per CRTC regulations (though the brand KiSS isn't mentioned). The station is still broadcasting on frequencies 104.9 FM in Vancouver, 107.5 FM in Chilliwack and 92.5 FM in Abbotsford.
Vancouver Is Awesome has reached out to Rogers Sports and Media, the company that owns the station, to inquire about the future format of the station. Currently, Rogers owns one other music radio station in Vancouver; 96.9 Jack FM. They also own the CityTV station and 1130 AM.
In recent radio ratings KiSS finished 12th of 19 with a 4.0 market share. Of the similar stations (pop and adult contemporary) they finished third of four, just ahead of Z 95.3, who've seen their market share slide in recent months. Of all the Vancouver radio stations playing music, 93.7 JR Country was the number one ranked station.
