The KISS 108 legend began with a huge splash - and a question. The question was: "What did Boston want?" It was 1979 - and the entertainment talk of the town - and the country - was the film Saturday Night Fever. The answer seemed all too obvious: The best way to start off with a bang was as a Disco station.
Ideas Into Action
The challenge for Rich Balsbaugh, first General Manager of KISS, was who should program the new station? The answer was Sunny Joe White who Balsbaugh recalls "was not only a great personality, but a great music guy". The station signed on January 15, 1979 as 'KISS 108 Disco'.
Turning to Top 40
"For the first 18 months of our existence, it was Disco, Disco, Disco," Karger recalls. "Then all of the sudden, Disco was as dead as cold fish. "It's a testament to KISS and Sunny Joe that we were the only Disco station in the country to effectively - pardon the expression -'stay alive' and evolve from Disco to Top 40", Karger added.
KISS didn't become a true heritage Top 40 until the late '80s. Its heritage grew out of the fact that Dale Dorman, J.J. Wright and Sunny Joe White were always on the air. Plus, Ed McMann had come aboard and fit right in at nights.
Becoming an 800-lb. Gorilla
KISS' main objective was to create one of a kind heritage events such as KISS Concert which was born in 1979 at the Metro. Before long, the Metro wasn't big enough anymore, so the concerts were moved to the Boston Garden. Now KISS Concerts are held at the Tweeter Center. Veteran top-notch promotion/marketer Beverly Tilden was brought on board to lead the marketing efforts. Having the same people on the air, year after year, was another heritage thread for our listeners. The focal point of KISS' air staff was morning star Matt Siegel, whose hiring was instrumental in leading KISS' evolution from Disco to Mainstream Top 40. Matt Siegel and KISS 108's Matty in the Morning has become an institute in Boston radio. Matty remains the number one personality to this day.
A New Era
And through over 20 years of good times, music trends that came and went, corporate takeovers and some brief personal turmoil, KISS 108 continues to be the heritage Hit Music station in Boston.