I100 Debuts in Pensacola/Mobile

After a few days stunting with a wheel of formats as “Storm 100″ hinting at Classic Country and Urban AC, Cumulus Hot AC WJLQ “Q100″ relaunched as CHR “I100” at 12pm today. The station joins its Cumulus brethren in Nashville, Indianapolis, and Dallas as “I” branded CHR’s.

Channel 104.3 Baltimore Becomes CHR Z104.3

At 10:00am, Modern Rock “Channel 104.3″ WCHH Baltimore dropped the format and began stunting as Urban AC “Charm 104.3 – Baltimore’s Best R&B”. At 12pm, the station segued to CHR as “Z104.3“. Out with the flip is the “Elliot in the Morning” show, which can still be heard in parts of the market on flagship “DC101” Washington, D.C.

Instant Insight: This returns the CHR format to Baltimore for the first time since 2001, when CBS’ WXYV dropped out of the format. CBS’ “Mix 106.5” WWMX has straddled the line between Hot AC and CHR to fill both niches, but still left a hole for CHR in the market.

This also returns the format to the frequency of its greatest triumph. In the 80’s, “B104″ WBSB was the powerhouse that many markets had in the market, however the brand has since been diluted by “B102.7″ in the late 90’s and Classic Rock “B104.3″ earlier this decade.

Clear Channel To Launch Pair Of North Carolina FM News/Talk Stations

Update 11/2 Clear Channel has confirmed that 94.5 WGBT and 106.1 WRDU will flip to talk in January. In addition to carrying Limbaugh from 12pm to 3pm daily, both stations will carry Glenn Beck from 9am to 12pm, Sean Hannity from 3pm to 6pm, and Coast to Coast AM in overnights. Other dayparts have yet to be announced, but will reportedly feature local hosts.

Original Report 10/31: Premiere Radio Networks, the syndication arm of Clear Channel has announced it will not be renewing its affiliation agreements for Rush Limbaugh with Curtis Media’s 680 WPTF Raliegh/Durham and 600 WSJS/1200 WSML in Greensboro/Winston-Salem after December 31.

Clear Channel appears to be using Limbaugh as the cornerstone of new FM News/Talk stations in both markets, similar to “Rush Radio 99.5” WRNO New Orleans. A number of domains have been registered by Clear Channel pointing to Spanish Oldies “La Preciosa 94.5” WGBT Greensboro and Country 106.1 WRDU in Raleigh/Durham as future News/Talk outlets.

These domains include NorthCarolinaNewsTalk.com, NewsRadio945.com, NewsTalk945.com, TalkRadio945.com, 945WPTI.com, and TriadNewsTalk.com. All of those domains along with a few others redirect to RushRadio945.com, which is currently password protected. For Raleigh, NewsRadio1061RDU.com, NewsTalk1061RDU.com, Talk1061RDU.com, and RushRadio1061RDU.com are registered but not pointing to any site yet.

Party 105.3 Long Island To LMA 87.7 New York

Following yesterday’s demise of “Pulse 87” WNYZ-LP New York, it hasn’t taken long for another party to step in to keep the format alive. JVC Media, owners of Long Island’s Dance “Party 105.3” WPTY and Spanish “La Fiesta 98.5” WBON will take over operations of the 87.7 signal on Monday, November 2 bringing a simulcast of WPTY along with it.

Austin Shakeup Ahead

Update 11/2: Although not mentioned anywhere on their site, 92.5 KXXS is continuing to simulcast the new Sports “104.9 The Horn” as that station made its debut along with the new “Big Talker” 98.9 KXBT.

Update 10/31: Updated the info about 1490, 92.5, and 98.9 based on info from The Austin American-Stateman.

Update 10/30: The shakeup of the Austin Radio landscape continues to expand. Border Media has confirmed that all 4 of its stations will flip from Spanish to a variety of English formats on Monday, November 2. Meanwhile Emmis gets involved by making a preemptive strike. Here’s a rundown of all frequencies involved and what has or will happen.

590 KLBJ – Emmis’ News/Talk station has made a preemptive strike by adding an FM simulcast on 99.7. The translator, K259AJ had been simulcasting sister Rhythmic “Hot 93.3” KDHT.

1490 KFON – Border Media’s Spanish Variety Hits “Juan 1490″ will be the only Border Media station to keep its current format.

1530 KZNX – Simmons Media’s Sports outfit will move its local programming to 104.9, while 1530 will continue with the national ESPN Radio feed.

92.5 KXXS – The former “Digital 92.5″ will continue to simulcast 104.9, this time as All-Sports “104.9 The Horn”.

98.9 KHHL – The former “La Ley 98.9” has swapped calls with sister 104.9 KXBT. RadioInsight.com has discovered 989BigTalker.com registered this week and expect the station to flip to News/Talk on Monday. Sammy Allred, former morning host on Country KVET will be one of the hosts on the new station.

99.7 K259AJ – The FM translator flipped from simulcasting Emmis’ Rhythmic “Hot 93.3” KDHT to News/Talk 590 KLBJ Friday at 3:00pm.

104.9 KXBT – The former “Digital 104.9″ simulcast of 92.5 KXXS swapped call letters with sister 98.9 KHHL and will flip to Sports on Monday, November 2. The station will acquire the local programming from “ESPN Austin” 1530 KZNX, but will take on a new name. Our NetGnomes expect that name to be “104.9 The Horn“, a homage to the University of Texas Longhorns.

Original Entry 10/28: Yesterday, Border Media Partners let go the entire on-air staff at Spanish CHR “Digital 92.5/104.9″ KXXS/KXBT and Regional Mexican “La Ley 98.9” KHHL Austin, TX leading to speculation of format changes at all three frequencies. Today, the first shoe has dropped as Simmons Media, owner of crosstown “ESPN 1530” KZNX has announced that the local programming of that station will move to 104.9 on Monday, November 2. The NetGnomes expect that the new station will take on the name “104.9 The Horn” in honor of the local University of Texas Longhorns as 1049thehorn.com was registered yesterday. 1530 will continue airing the national ESPN feed.

We’ve also detected 989BigTalker.com registered yesterday as well. Nothing yet for 92.5.

Pulse 87 New York Signs-Off

Update 7:20pm: Here’s a link to the sign-off of Pulse 87 courtesy of Tony Santiago of the New York Dance Music Coalition.

Update 6:00pm: After 10 minutes of silence, the WNYZ returned to the air with an automated Dance format. Meanwhile, Pulse 87’s webstream has continued with its own jockless Dance format.

Original Entry 5:05pm: After a roller coaster of a year, which saw planned expansion to Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. halted to having to beg listeners to donate money to keep the commercial station afloat, “Pulse 87” signed-off today at 5:00pm. Operator Mega Media Group had filed for Bankruptcy in August, reportedly owing over $500K to Island Broadcasting, the owner of the TV Channel 6 that was re-purposed into the 87.75 FM frequency that Pulse called home.

The station signed-off with George Lamond’s cover of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and The Beatles’ “Back In The USSR” believing that the station will return to its previous Russian-language format.

100.3 The Beat St. Louis Format Flip Ahead

Update 10/30 1:02pm: The Urban format at KATZ-FM ended at 12:00pm central with Boys II Men’s “End Of The Road”. 100.3 is now stunting as “Halloween 100.3” playing “Scary Music For St. Louis”.

A format change appears to be imminent at Clear Channel Urban “100.3 The Beat” KATZ-FM ST. Louis. A number of newly registered domains are all pointing to the now bare-bones KATZ website hinting at the short-term and long-term futures for the station: Halloween1003.com, STLHalloween.com, Christmas1003.com, STLChristmas.com, and ChristmasSTL.com tease holiday music in the near future, with a permanent flip to Rock on the horizon via Rock1003.com, Rock1003STL.com, and STLRock1003.com. A flip to Rock of any sort will put the station into battle with Emmis’ Classic Rock 94.7 KSHE and Modern Rock “105.7 The Point” KPNT.

CBS Taking Stations National Via HD Radio

Update 10/31/09: Following our original report, CBS Radio has issued a release hyping all of the HD simulcasts we mentioned with the exception of KROQ potentially airing in New York. WFAN will air beginning today on 105.9 WOCL-HD3 Orlando, 94.1 WLLD-HD3 Tampa, and 104.3 WEAT-HD3 West Palm Beach. Additionally, “98.5 The Sports Hub” Boston will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM-HD3 Hartford in a few weeks.

Original Entry 10/29/09: CBS Radio has begun simulcasting a number of stations from other markets on its HD subchannels. In Los Angeles, Country 95.1 KFRG Riverside is now available on 94.7 KTWV-HD3 and Hot AC “Sophie 103.7″ KSCF San Diego is heard on 97.1 KAMP-HD2. This has drawn the ire of Saul Levine, owner of “Go Country 105” KKGO Los Angeles as he has filed a complaint with the FCC that CBS is using the HD subchannels as illegal translators to expand the reach of out-of-market stations. We personally think this is a stretch as HD subchannels have limited listener reach and have nowhere been declared as translators.

Regardless it looks as though CBS plans on more out-of-market HD simulcasts. Los Angeles’ 106.7 KROQ is now on in San Diego on 103.7 KSCF-HD2 and could soon be heading to New York based on the registration of kroqnyc.com. Additionally, Sports WFAN New York is heading to three Florida markets where many New Yorkers winter or have relocated. 105.9 WOCL-HD3 Orlando has reportedly already begun simulcasting WFAN and will soon be joined by stations in Tampa and West Palm Beach based on the registrations of WFANOrlando.com, WFANTampa.com, and WFANWestPalm.com.