KLSS-FM

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KLSS-FM (106.1 FM), known as Star 106, is a radio station serving the Mason City, Iowa area. It plays hot adult contemporary music in English and is owned by Connoisseur Media. The studios are on Yorktown Pike in east Mason City, and the transmitter sits just outside the city.

History in brief
- The idea for KLSS-FM came from Hayward Talley, owner of KSMN. An FCC application was filed in 1966, and the station was approved in May 1967. KLSS began on November 1, 1967 with an easy listening format.
- In 1984, Talley sold KLSS and KSMN to Hedberg Broadcasting. In 1985, KSMN began simulcasting KLSS and adopted the KLSS call letters for its FM station; the AM station later became KRNI in 1990 after Hedberg bought KRIB and rules limited owning multiple stations in the area.
- Three Eagles Broadcasting bought the station in 1997. KLSS evolved from adult contemporary to hot adult contemporary by the 1990s, and the Star 106 branding debuted in May 1999.

Ownership and format changes
- KLSS-FM was sold to Digity, LLC in 2014, and Digity was acquired by Alpha Media in 2016. By the late 2010s, KLSS moved toward Top 40/CHR, with more rhythmic songs during evenings and overnights.
- The station has carried syndicated shows such as Backtrax USA on weekends and American Top 40 on Sundays, and previously aired programs like John Tesh’s Intelligence for Your Life.

Recent changes
- In May 2024, program staff reductions left KLSS without on-air DJs for a period. On June 5, 2024, the station began airing Westwood One’s Hits Now! format, and in 2025 switched to Westwood One’s Hot AC when Hits Now! ended.
- In May 2025, Connoisseur Media announced plans to acquire Alpha Media. The FCC approved the sale in August 2025, and the deal closed on September 4, 2025.

Community
KLSS hosts the Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon every October to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network and the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, helping local kids and families in need.