It is co-owned with WMMJ, WOL, WPRS-FM, and WYCB, with radio studios and offices in Silver Spring, Maryland.

FM 93.9 began an automated beautiful music format, largely soft instrumental songs played in quarter-hour sweeps.

The transition to what is now WKYS occurred when NBC moved the Top 40 format that was on WRC to the FM station.

Instead of a blend of rock, pop and R&B hits, all popular on Top 40 stations, management noticed the coming boom in disco music.

[6] DJs during the disco era included Donnie Simpson, Jack Harris, Stoney Richards, Joe Cipriano, Eddie Edwards, Barry "Reazar" Richards, Bill Bailey, Jeff Leonard, Chuck Davis, Candy Shannon and Max Kinkel.

While that caused a setback in its dominance, WKYS did not suffer a huge of a threat to its ratings and audience share.

(Washington D.C. is one of the few large radio markets to have multiple urban stations on the FM dial for a long time).

However, WKYS reintroduced the "Kiss FM" name for a period of time and Clear Channel did not make further claims of legal action.