KZZP

Early years

104.7 FM signed on the air in 1950 as KTYL-FM (calls now used by a station in Tyler, Texas), co-owned with 1310 AM in Mesa. It later became KBUZ-FM with a beautiful music format. In 1976, the station changed its call letters to KIOG and aired a soft rock format. Western Cities Broadcasting purchased KIOG in 1980 and changed it to a Top 40 format as KZZP, with personalities like Jonathon Brandmeier, Jimmy Kimmel, Dave Otto, Kevin Ryder of Kevin and Bean fame and Steve Goddard. During those days, the station was then known as "104.7 KZZP."

Brandmeier, known as Johnny B., became a star in The Windy City at WLUP-FM Chicago. His show on KZZP featured prank phone calls, parody songs which Brandmeier himself usually wrote, sang and recorded and a cast of regular characters. When Brandmeier went to Chicago's WLUP, Western Cities won an injunction to keep him off the air in that market until his contract with KZZP had expired. As of July 2012, Brandmeier hosts mornings on Chicago's WGWG-LP for a reported seven-figure salary.

KZZP, also known as "Hit Music 104" in their early days, enjoyed a successful run from 1985-1990 as one of America's leading Top 40 radio stations, led by Program Director Guy Zapoleon and owned by Nationwide Communications. During Zapoleon's era, the station played mass appeal hits along with some adventurous dance and alternative releases. Zapoleon hired morning man Bruce Kelly from Boston in July 1985.

In addition to Brandmeier, KZZP also had a strong on-air presence with talent including Valerie Knight, Kevin Weatherly, Gene Baxter, Todd Fisher, Clarke Ingram, John Machay, Nick Sommers, Michelle Santosuosso, Bill "Stu" Stewart, Carey Edwards, Steve Goddard, Kent Voss, William "Buddy" LaTour, Mike Elliot, John O'Rourke, Susan Karis, Dave Ryan, KQKS/KJMN Denver alums Laurie Michaels and Brody Scott.

In December 1989, Bruce Kelly signed a lucrative five-year contract with the station, but was released just weeks later. Kelly sued for wrongful termination and won; years later, Bruce went to KKFR and teaming with former WLUP/Chicago DJ Maggie Brock to host KKFR's "Bruce And Maggie In The Morning."

Variety 104.7

On April 28, 1991, at 1 PM, after playing "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" by Elton John, KZZP began stunting with a ticking clock. Two days later, on April 30, KZZP changed to Hot Adult Contemporary, branded as "Variety 104.7." The KZZP calls were retired for KVRY at the time of the change. The first song on "Variety" was "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood.

104.7 KZZP and 104.7 ZZP

On March 8, 1996, at 3 p.m., after six hours of stunting with heartbeat sound effects and clips from the television show ER, KZZP returned to Phoenix, though with a Modern AC format, and the "104.7 KZZP" name, making an attempt to capture the audience that grew up listening to the original incarnation. The first song on the relaunched KZZP was "Friday I'm in Love" by The Cure. Brandmeier made a brief return, via syndication, in mornings, in 1996, but to no ratings success. The station returned to number 1 in the ratings for a couple of periods during this time. Jacor bought Nationwide's radio stations, including KZZP, in 1997.

Bruce Kelly returned in August 1998 for a brief run in mornings. In February 1999, due to competition from the similarly-formatted KMXP (which became its sister station at the time of the Jacor-Nationwide merger) and losing most of its audience to the new station, KZZP began evolving back to Mainstream Top 40 by including more rhythmic and upbeat tracks in its playlist; the shift was completed that April. In June 1999, KZZP would rebrand as 104-7 'ZZP "Arizona's Hit Music Channel". The station made even more changes, including airstaff (the station briefly aired Rick Dees in syndication for a few months in 2000) and playlist direction. With all of these changes, however, KZZP was continually ranked in the mid-2 to low-3 share range of the market.

104.7 KISS-FM (2001-present)

On April 20, 2001, at 6 PM, after playing "Higher" by Creed, KZZP began stunting with a 3-day loop of Prince's Kiss. At Noon on April 23, the station relaunched as "104.7 KISS-FM", featuring an introduction from Destiny's Child, whose song Survivor was the first song played. By this time, Jacor had been merged into its current owners, iHeartMedia (then known as Clear Channel Communications). KZZP, under Clear Channel and PD Tom Caloccoci, went into a Rhythmic-leaning Top 40 direction that included some dance crossovers. Although they would broaden up to include mainstream Pop product by 2004, KZZP's playlist still leaned heavily towards Rhythmic, similar to many Top 40 stations in large cities, as their playlist is less rhythmic-leaning, though they still add more rhythmic tracks than the usual CHR.

KZZP is also one of four Top 40 stations battling for listeners in the competitive Phoenix market, the other three being rhythmic rivals KKFR, KNRJ, KALV-FM, and KPNG, as well as the mainstream Top 40 simulcast of KMVA/KEXX.

HD radio

KZZP's HD Radio signal is multiplexed. The main signal is a simulcast of KZZP's Top 40 programming. The second channel carries The Hot Spot, a pop and new music format which is heard on several other KISS FM stations across the United States.