96.5 KISS-FM

What 96.5 KISS-FM does

96.5 KISS-FM (legal call sign WAKS) is a commercial FM radio station serving the Cleveland, Ohio metropolitan area as a contemporary hit music (CHR) format broadcaster, founded in 1958 and self-identified as "Cleveland's #1 Hit Music Station." The station is a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of iHeartMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: IHRT), the publicly traded US radio conglomerate. Programmed content combines local on-air personalities (Gabby Diaz, Elizabethany, Jesse Lozano, Savannah G, On The Move with Enrique Santos, Most Requested Live with Romeo) with iHeartMedia's national syndicated inventory (Elvis Duran Morning Show, Ryan Seacrest, American Top 40) and adjacent podcast distribution through the iHeartRadio podcast network.

The underlying technology stack is the iHeartRadio digital platform, which enables broadcast radio delivery alongside on-demand podcast consumption, mobile app streaming, and smart speaker playback via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Distribution surfaces include the 96.5 FM over-the-air signal, the kisscleveland.iheart.com website, the iHeartRadio mobile application, and live event tie-ins with regional venues including Blossom Music Center, Rocket Arena, Nationwide Arena, and Ohio Stadium. Music discovery features (Recently Played, Top Songs, Music News) are exposed via the iHeart framework.

The business model is advertising-funded: the station generates revenue from on-air spot advertising, sponsored content, and brand-integration promotions, with listener content provided at no charge. Visible brand-sponsor partners for contests include Circle K, Bud Light, and Pierre's Ice Cream. Concert ticket giveaways and event sponsorships represent a non-spot monetization layer. The company operates a dedicated "Advertise on 96.5 KISS-FM" sales pipeline and provides general contact via the parent iHeartMedia call center (1-844-844-iHeart), with 51-100 employees and headquarters in Cleveland.

Name

96.5 KISS-FM

Legal name

iHeartMedia, Inc.

Website

https://kisscleveland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

96.5 KISS-FM (WAKS) is a Cleveland, Ohio commercial hit-music radio station and wholly-owned subsidiary of iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT), serving adults 18-54 in the Cleveland metro via FM broadcast, iHeartRadio streaming, smart speakers, and live event sponsorships, monetized through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611), Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Terrestrial Radio Broadcasting (AM/FM) (MPAIAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

• Commercial radio broadcasting
• Contemporary hit music
• Radio advertising sales
• Live event promotion
• Podcast distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: Radio station generates revenue through on-air advertising, sponsored content, and promotional partnerships with local and national brands. The station runs contest promotions with brand sponsors including Circle K, Bud Light, Pierre's Ice Cream, and venue-based concert ticket giveaways.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

96.5 KISS-FM is a commercial FM radio station (WAKS) broadcasting contemporary hit music to the Cleveland, Ohio metropolitan area. The station delivers on-air programming with local personalities, distributes syndicated national shows and podcasts via the iHeartRadio platform, and promotes live concerts and listener contests through partnerships with venues and consumer brands.

Product overview

96.5 KISS-FM is a broadcast radio station operating as part of the iHeartMedia network, serving Cleveland as a Hit Music station. The station offers a unified media portfolio combining live radio programming with digital content: core broadcast radio with on-air personalities (Elizabethany, Jesse Lozano, Gabby Diaz, and others), distributed podcast content (Elvis Duran Morning Show, Ryan Seacrest, AT40), music discovery features (Recently Played, Top Songs), and listener engagement through contests and live events. The station is accessible via traditional radio, the iHeartRadio app, and smart speakers (Alexa/Google Home).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iHeartRadio: Digital radio platform and mobile app owned by iHeartMedia, featured on the station website for streaming and podcast access

Products and services

• 96.5 KISS-FM Radio Station (WAKS) Over-the-air broadcast radio station at 96.5 FM serving the Cleveland metro area with contemporary hit music, local on-air personalities, syndicated national shows, news, entertainment, and concert information, accessible via FM radio, the iHeartRadio app, and smart speakers.
• Podcast Content On-demand podcast content distributed via the iHeartRadio platform, including syndicated morning shows and entertainment podcasts available to listeners across digital and smart-speaker channels.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Cumulus Media: Major US commercial radio operator with stations in Cleveland and other mid-sized markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing with iHeartMedia for the same national advertising budgets and applying a similar broadcast-plus-digital model.
• Beasley Media Group: US-based commercial radio broadcaster operating stations across multiple markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same commercial radio broadcast category with similar reliance on local advertising and digital distribution.
• Audacy (formerly Entercom): One of the largest US commercial radio broadcasters and a direct competitor to iHeartMedia, owning multiple Cleveland-market stations. Comparable as a major broadcast radio operator with overlapping advertising sales, syndicated content, and digital streaming infrastructure.
• SiriusXM: Satellite and streaming audio entertainment provider offering commercial-free music, talk, and sports channels nationwide. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same in-car and at-home listening occasions that drive 96.5 KISS-FM's audience.
• Townsquare Media: US radio and digital media operator focused on mid-sized and small markets. Comparable as a broad incumbent in commercial local radio broadcasting with overlapping advertiser base and digital streaming/digital content extensions.

Emerging players

• Spotify: Global on-demand audio streaming service and the dominant digital challenger to broadcast radio. Comparable as an emerging audio distribution platform competing for the same music-listening audience, particularly younger demographics.

Others

• iHeartRadio (iHeartMedia streaming platform): Digital streaming and podcast platform owned by 96.5 KISS-FM's parent iHeartMedia. Comparable as the digital extension through which KISS-FM is simulcast and distributed on smart speakers; it is an enabling platform rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• WDOK 102.1 (iHeartMedia Cleveland): Another iHeartMedia Cleveland station with a soft adult contemporary format. Directly comparable as a sibling station sharing the same local market, parent overhead, and digital distribution stack while targeting an adjacent demographic in the same DMA.
• WGAR 99.5 (Cumulus Media Cleveland): Cleveland country station operated by Cumulus Media, a competing commercial broadcast group. Directly comparable as a competing commercial radio station in the same Cleveland DMA competing for similar advertiser relationships.
• WMMS 100.7 (iHeartMedia Cleveland): Sister iHeartMedia station serving the Cleveland market with a rock format. Directly comparable because it operates from the same parent in the same DMA with similar broadcast and digital distribution infrastructure, competing for the same Cleveland advertising dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/965kissfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 96.5 KISS-FM