92.7 Kiss-FM / Chicago, IL (1998-99)

I moved to Chicago in December, 1998 to be part of a brand new radio station.  92.7 Kiss-FM was the first true Top 40 radio station here since Hot 94.7 signed off in 1991.  Chris Shebel brought me in from Pittsburgh to be the first DJ on the air at Kiss!  These pictures are from our humble beginnings out in an Arlington Heights shack.  It wouldn’t be until July, 1999 that we’d move downtown into new, more modern digs.

FINALLY…our last day in the sticks: 7/9/1999!  After 8 months in the run-down Arlington Heights studios, we moved downtown to Michigan Ave.  I got the be the first jock on the air in Arlington Heights…AND the last jock.  I opened the doors to the building (which is now gone, by the way) and let our listeners “check out the place” for one last time.  I expected MAYBE 50 people to show up.  The final tally was near 1000!  At the end of my shift at Midnight, we turned off the station, and the entire staff loaded up trucks to move the equipment to the city.  It was very exciting!

We started our new life as “cityfolk” on Saturday, 7/10/99.  This also marked my FINAL month at 92 Kiss-FM, unbeknownst to (most of) the staff or listeners.  It was less than one month later that I would move down the hall to sign-on and program The 80’s Channel!  Here are some random shots I took during my last month at Kiss.