Thursday, May 30, 2019

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

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