Star 101.5, Seattle (1986 - 2015)

*Some stickers of KPLZ / Star 101.5 Seattle

KPLZ (101.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Seattle, Washington, USA. KPLZ is owned and operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group and airs a hot adult contemporary radio format.

KPLZ has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 99,000 watts (100,000 watts with beam tilt). Its transmitter] is located on Cougar Mountain, and their studios and offices are co-located with television partner KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza (formerly Fisher Plaza) in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.

In the late 1970s, while KJR and KING maintained Mainstream Top-40 formats, KPLZ (K-Plus 101) became the area's de facto disco music station for a couple of years, airing a higher percentage of dance hits than the AM Top 40 stations. The death of disco, combined with the 1981 sign-on of Top-40 upstart KBLE-FM, which later became KUBE, signaled a tough ratings environment for KPLZ in the early 1980s.

In response, KPLZ moved slightly towards an adult contemporary format, using the slogan "The Music Magazine" and branding as simply "KPLZ." However, under the leadership of Program Director Jeff King, and later Casey Keating, the station was in a close race in the ratings with KUBE for Top 40 supremacy during the 1980s.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1986, sheet measures approximately 11.5 cm by 8.5 cm. 
Front side: background: white; KPLZ logo.
Back side: "Z" sticker promo.


The station moved back to Mainstream Top 40 by September 1983, changing its slogan to "Hot Hits." It began using a Hot Hits jingle package and formatics developed by Mike Joseph, who created the Hot Hits format, adopted by numerous radio stations in the early 1980s. KPLZ later changed its moniker to "Z 101.5," before moving back to "101.5 KPLZ" in the late 1980s.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1991, sheet measures approximately 13.5 cm by 8.5 cm. 
Front side: background: white; 101.5 KPLZ logo.
Back side: Pepsi "License to Chill" promo.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1992, sheet measures approximately 15.5 cm by 8 cm. 
Front side: background: white; 101.5 KPLZ logo; + two small.
Back side: Alley Chevrolet $1015.00 off coupon.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1993, sheet measures approximately diameter 9.5 cm. 
Front side: round; background: purple, black; 101.5 KPLZ logo.
Back side: Crystal Pepsi or Diet Crystal Pepsi 50 cents off coupon.


KUBE struggled for a time, but ultimately adopted a Rhythmic CHR approach in early 1992. KPLZ's ratings dropped while KUBE ascended the ratings ladder. KPLZ tried various angles of the format, such as counteracting KUBE's rhythmic direction with a more mainstream CHR direction, as well as emphasizing hits from the previous 5 years. When that strategy didn't work, KPLZ began playing more rhythmic titles by January 1993.
Fisher Communications bought the station in 1994.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1994, sheet measures approximately 18.5 cm by 6.5 cm. 
Front side: shaped; background: white; Star 101.5 logo.
Back side: UNIVERSITY promo.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1995, sheet measures approximately 11.5 cm by 9 cm. 
Front side: shaped; background: white; Star 101.5 logo, + two small.
Back side: Star 101.5 Enter to Win promo and registration form.

On January 28, 1994, at 1 p.m., KPLZ finally gave up on Top 40 and flipped to Hot AC as "Star 101.5." The first song on "Star" was "Waiting for a Star to Fall" by Seattle duo Boy Meets Girl. Kent Phillips and Alan Budwill, who have hosted mornings on the station since 1986, remained after the flip to "Star" and continued until December 2018, when Budwill retired and Phillips moved to afternoons; mornings are now hosted by Curt Kruse and Corine McKenzie and producer Leonard Barokas.

Unused bumper sticker from the 2015, sheet measures approximately 15 cm by 7 cm. 
Front side: oval; background: purple and pink; Star 101.5 logo.
Back side: Kent & Alan in the Morning promo.


Currently, KPLZ competes with AC-formatted KRWM (Warm 106.9) and KSWD (94.1 The Sound), as well as Top 40/CHR-formatted KBKS (106.1 Kiss FM) and KQMV (Movin 92.5).

source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KPLZ-FM

Kiss 106.1, Seattle (1996 - 2009)

Unused bumper sticker from the 1996, sheet measures approximately 16.5 cm by 10.5 cm. 
Front side: background: clear; Kiss 106 logo.
Back side: free MALLPeRKS membership coupon.

On March 25, 1996, at 3 p.m., KCIN / KRPM flipped to a gold-leaning Rhythmic Adult Contemporary format, branded as "Kiss 106" KCIN reacquired the KRPM-FM call sign on April 5, but would adopt the current KBKS-FM call letters on April 15. (KRPM AM continued to simulcast until February 1, 1999, when it flipped to classic country.)

KBKS's playlist consisted of a wide range of rhythmic hits targeting adults 25–54 years old, including Motown, gold hits from the 1960s through the 1980s, re-currents, and current-day hits from artists like Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, and Boyz II Men. The station primarily competed against KUBE, KLSY, and KPLZ-FM.

Unused bumper sticker from the 1997, sheet measures approximately 22.5 cm by 7.5 cm.
Front side: background: white; Kiss 106.1 logo.
Back side: white.


On May 23, 1997, the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, KBKS flipped to Top 40/CHR and modified its moniker to "Kiss 106.1." This marked the first Mainstream Top 40/CHR station in Seattle since 1994, when KPLZ shifted to Hot AC. The Rhythmic AC format later returned to Seattle radio on KQMV from 2006-2010, and KMTT in 2013. 

EZ Communications and American Radio Systems merged in July 1997. Then, ARS and Infinity merged that September. With this, KBKS become an Infinity Broadcasting station (which was owned by CBS).

Unused bumper sticker from the 2000, sheet measures approximately 18 cm by 8 cm. 
Front side: shaped, oval; background: purple, black; Kiss 106.1 logo.
Back side: white.


At first, KBKS' direction leaned more towards Modern AC as a way to counter KUBE's Rhythmic Top 40 direction. KBKS became more mainstream in early 2000.

Unused bumper sticker from the 2004, sheet measures approximately 14 cm by 7.5 cm. 
Front side: shaped background: purple; Kiss 106.1 logo.
Back side: white.

Unused bumper sticker from the 2006, sheet measures approximately 14 cm by 7.5 cm. 
Front side: shaped; background: black; Kiss 106.1 logo.
Back side: Orange Julius promo.


In 2007, at the same time the station rebranded to "106.1 KISS FM," the station began leaning more rhythmic, in the hopes of denting KUBE's dominant ratings in the Seattle Top 40 battle.

On December 10, 2008, CBS Radio announced it would swap five of its stations, including KBKS, to Clear Channel Communications while trading two stations in Houston, Texas. The deal was approved by the FCC on March 31, 2009, and consummated on April 1. Under Clear Channel, now iHeartMedia, the station backed off of its rhythmic lean and returned to a more mainstream direction.

Unused bumper sticker from the 2009, sheet measures approximately 12.5 cm by 7.5 cm. 
Front side: shaped; background: white; 106.1 Kiss FM logo.
Back side: white.


The acquisition by Clear Channel joined KBKS with former long-time rival rhythmic top 40 station KUBE, as KBKS began competing against Sandusky Broadcasting's Top 40 KQMV (Movin' 92.5) and Modern AC KLCK-FM (Click 98.9), as well as Fisher Broadcasting's Hot AC KPLZ-FM (Star 101.5). KLCK-FM has since switched to country music as KNUC.

source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KBKS-FM