RadioInsight

As we approach the Labor Day weekend there seems to be heightened activity on the format change front, especially with nine markets switching to PPM ratings in October. This entry will be a catch-all for all changes and rumors happening this week:

Update 9/2 - Format Changes in Honolulu, Duluth (again), and Chattanooga as both of the pictured stations flip.
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Longtime Honolulu CHR “Hot 93.9″ KIKI Honolulu, previously known as “I94” flipped to Rhythmic Oldies “93.9 Jamz” at 12pm Hawaii Time today. The new station is positioning itself as “Your Generation’s Ol’ Skool” with Rhythmic Pop from the 80′s and 90′s.

The station bid farewell on its Facebook Page:

Mahalo nui loa for listening over the past 25 years.
From its inception as HOT I94 in 1986 to making us the #1 rated radio station in Honolulu for the first time in 1991 to today, just before noon, when we reach “The End Of The Road”…Thanks for listening!
Catch the end of HOT 93-9 and the beginning of something new at http://Hot939.com/
Many thanks to the air personalities and people behind the scenes that each had a part in creating the most legendary Top 40 radio station in Hawaii history.
Your contributions on the air and off the air will not be forgotten.
A special thanks to the team that gave it that last “hail Mary” over the past year.
You are all special people who we will always remember. fondly.
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday…
Aloha Hawaii…

The first hour of 93.9 Jamz consisted of:
2 Unlimited – Get Ready For This
Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam
Prince & The Revolution – Kiss
Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations
Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Montell Jordan – This Is How We Do It
Quad City DJ’s – C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)
Cameo – Word Up
La Bouche – Be My Lover
Rick James – Super Freak
Johnny Gill – Rub You The Right Way
MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
Jennifer Lopez – Waiting For Tonight
The Gap Band – You Dropped A Bomb On Me

The ESPN Radio affiliation could once again be on the move in Boston. After “ESPN Boston” 890 WAMG/1400 WLLH went dark last September, ESPN Radio has been relegated to overnights on 850 WEEI even with the launch and strong presence of ESPNBoston.com in the market.

That could soon change. Anthony Pepe, GM of Black Strap Broadcasting’s 1510 WWZN, recently registered 1510ESPNBoston.com and ESPN1510Boston.com via his Mouthpiece Boxing company. WWZN is currently airing a mix of brokered Progressive Talk, Mouthpiece’s MMA/Boxing/Wrestling shows, and Sporting News Radio.

WWZN will be the third entrant in a sports battle between Entercom’s incumbent WEEI and CBS’ upstart “98.5 The Sports Hub” WBZ-FM. The 50kw WWZN has a highly directional signal sending much of its power over the Atlantic Ocean.

CBS Smooth Jazz WSJT Tampa Bay flipped at 3:00pm to Adult CHR “Play 98.7“. Positioning itself as “Today’s Best Hits Without The Rap”, Play 98.7 is positioning itself between Clear Channel Hot AC “Mix 100.7” WMTX and CHR “93.3 WFLZ“. Paired with sister Rhythmic CHR “Wild 94.1” WLLD, the CBS and Clear Channel combos should have a nice battle shaping up for the female 18-34 demographic in the market.

WLLD PD Orlando adds similar duties at “Play 98.7″. WLLD and WSJT had swapped frequencies in August of 2009 to give the Rhythmic outlet broader coverage of outlying areas of West Central Florida. The previous Smooth Jazz format will be relaunched on 98.7-HD2.

We should also note that CBS had registered Play987.com in March of 2009, in a flurry of registrations hinting at flips that came in Tampa, Boston, Detroit, and Washington.

The first hour of Play 98.7 consisted of:
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With PPM measurement set to become the law in October, Clear Channel and Cox are cutting morning shows left and right in Orlando.

Dave Collins, co-host at AC “Magic 107.7” WMGF was let go on Friday after ten years at the station. Leslie Gayle and Zach Roberson continue with a more-music approach.

With Lex & Terry departing Clear Channel’s Premiere Radio Networks for United Stations Radio Networks following the flip of their flagship “Planet Radio 107.3” WPLA Jacksonville earlier this month, the pair have been dropped from sister 101.1 WJRR as well. Afternoon host Crash moves to mornings paired with LT. Pat Lynch, who at one time hosted mornings at the station, moves from weekends back into a daily shift. Lynch will air in the 3pm to 8pm slot.

At Cox Country “K92” WWKA, market morning mainstay Doc Holliday has been taken off the air. Holliday had spent 17 years at Clear Channel CHR “XL 106.7” before joining WWKA in 2007. WWKA PD Len Shackleford tells The Orlando Sentinel that Holliday remains on the Cox payroll but did not specify on his new role, or if they are just keeping him off the air to prevent him from going elsewhere at this time.

Update 8/26/10: KOCP made the flip to “Rewind 95.9” on Wednesday afternoon, mere hours after our report went live. The station is focusing on 70′s and 80′s pop hits or as station GM Chip Ehrhardt quotes, “The new station will focus on music from the 70s and 80s. It’s the kind of music mix of pop and rock hits that you might hear played at a wedding reception or anniversary party when people want to have fun and feel good.”

The first hour of Rewind 95.9 consisted of:
Michael Jackson – Wanna Be Starting Something
Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
The Eagles – Heartache Tonight
Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days
Madonna – Borderline
The Rolling Stones – Miss You
Naked Eyes – Always Something There To Remind Me
Bachman-Turner Overdrive – You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
R.E.M. – The One I Love
Adam Ant – Goody Two Shoes
War – Low Rider
Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead Or Alive
Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
Tom Petty – Free Fallin’

Original Report 8/24/10: Roy Laughlin, former Market Manager of Clear Channel Los Angeles had us baffled with the registration of 959Rewind.com a few weeks ago until our Twitter followers helped up put the pieces together. Laughlin, is a partner in LC Media (owners of currently silent 104.7 KQIE in Riverside/San Bernardino, CA) and Rincon Broadcasting (owners of 6 Santa Barbara, CA stations) with John Hearne. Hearne also operates five stations in Ventura, CA (just northwest of Los Angeles) as Gold Coast Broadcasting. One of these stations happens to be “95.9 The Octopus” KOCP Camarillo, CA. KOCP also has a Constructon Permit to move closer to Los Angeles giving the station coverage in parts of the San Fernando Valley. Will a flip to the fast-growing Classic Hits branding come along with the move?

Meanwhile across the country on the Virginia/North Carolina border, Lakes Media appears ready to flip 101.9 WKSK South Hill, VA from a simulcast of sister Country “US 98.3” WLUS to “Rewind 101.9“. The station reaches the northern fringe of the Raleigh-Durham market.