92.9 WBOS Relaunches as “Radio 92.9″
February 2, 2008
Greater Media AAA 92.9 WBOS Boston has relaunched as “Radio 92.9“. The station has dropped all its personalities and tweaked its music towards Gold-based Alternative much in the vein of Clear Channel’s similar Modern Rockers in Philadelphia, Hartford, and Columbus. Dana Marshall, who had been Acting PD at WBOS gets the job permanently with the new format.
96.1 WMAX-FM Grand Rapids Becomes “Radio X”
February 4, 2008
Update 2/4/08: As predicted WMAX did become one of Clear Channel’s gold based Alternative rockers at 10:01am today, using the “Radio X 96.1” branding as opposed to the “Channel” moniker we predicted. The station debuted with Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
Original Post 1/31/08: At 3pm today, 96.1 WMAX-FM Holland/Grand Rapids, MI dropped its Modern AC format and began stunting with a ticking clock. The station’s website features a quick 12 second viral video in the vein rof Cloverfield and SaveUs_222 pointing to next Monday February 4, at 10:01am as the debut time of the new format.
Clear Channel has registered a number of 961 related domains over the past couple weeks: channel961.net, channel961fm.com, channel961online.com, chanel961.com, ch961.com, radiox961.com and 961shinefm.com.
Based on the amount of domains registered, we expect to see Channel 96.1 launch on Monday as a Modern Rocker much in the vein of 104.5 Philadelphia and 106.7 Columbus. Clear Channel uses the “Channel” moniker mainly on CHR’s, including WKQI Detroit and KHTS San Diego, however with sister 104.5 WSNX already in the format there isn’t much logic in going there. Additionally, Regent’s Active leaning Alternative 97.9 WGRD is WSNX’s primary competitor in the younger demos. Although we should note that WMAX is one of the stations Clear Channel is about to send into trust and requied to spinoff.
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Don Geronimo To Retire
February 4, 2008
Longtime CHR jock and Talk show host Don Geronimo has announced that he will retire from his WJFK Washington and syndicated “Don & Mike” show on May 30.
Co-host Mike O’Meara will continue on as host of “The Mike O’Meara Show” beginning in June. Our sister site, Airchexx.com, has a collection of airchecks from Geronimo’s time as a CHR jock before being paired with O’Meara for mornings at WAVA Washington in 1985.
The two moved to crosstown WJFK for afternoons in 1991, where they have remained to this day, with the exception of a move to middays in 2001-02, to syndicate the show to New York and Philadelphia and to offer stations a daytime block of Howard Stern in mornings, Don & Mike in middays, and Opie & Anthony in afternoons.
More at DCRTV.
CD 101.9 New York Becomes AAA 101-9 RXP
February 5, 2008
Emmis Smooth Jazz “CD 101.9” WQCD New York has flipped to AAA as “101-9 RXP: The New York Rock Experience” at 4pm today.
WQCD PD Blake Lawrence stays on as PD for WRXP, while Brian Schlock has joined on as MD/Afternoons. The station has already received FCC approval for the WRXP call letters.
The station debuted with The Velvet Underground “Rock and Roll” and R.E.M “Supernatural Superserious”. The station’s website details the significance of those two songs as well as the music log for the first hour.
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102.7 WRCI Rochester To Go Gold AC
February 6, 2008
This Monday, February 11, Crawford Christian AC “102.7 The Light” WRCI Rochester will drop its format after 15 years to simulcast sister “Legends 990” WLGZ as “Legends 102.7″.
As part of the change, WLGZ will modify its format away from Standards to Gold-based AC leaning on artists like Elton John, Billy Joel, and The Beatles.
Brother Wease Out At WCMF
February 7, 2008
After 22 years in mornings at 96.5 WCMF, Brother Wease was let go today after failed contract negotiations. Entercom, which acquired WCMF from CBS in November, had taken Wease off the air at the end of 2007 while attempting to negotiate a new contract.
Entercom released the following statement from RVP Michael Doyle, “We did our best to try and bring Wease back to WCMF, but in the end, were not able to reach an agreement. We understand that he intends to pursue other opportunities.”
Effective immediately, Wease’s sidekicks Tommy Mule, Bill Moran and Sally Carpenter will host a new morning show entitled “The Men’s Room”.
Lots of Job Cuts at CBS Radio
February 7, 2008
We hate making posts like this one. In the past week we’ve seen Clear Channel announce a hiring freeze, Emmis lay-off 40+ employees, and today word comes of major cuts from CBS.
Among the staffers known to be out are:
WCBS New York PD Crys Quimby
WWFS New York PD Rick Martini
WXRK New York PD Tracy Cloherty
WCBS-FM New York Promotions Director Theresa Beyer
WFAN New York Promotions Director Jocelyn Taub
KVIL Dallas PD Charlie Connolly
KHJZ Houston PD Maxine Todd
WXRT Chicago VP/GM Michael Damsky
WDOK Cleveland PD Scott Miller
Pittsburgh VP/GM Jim Meltzer
KKJJ Las Vegas PD Craig Powers
WPGC-AM Washington PD/MD Cheryl Jackson
KHTK Sacramento PD Mike Remy
KOOL Phoenix morning host Bill Gardner
Our thoughts go out to all those affected by these cuts at CBS as well as those elsewhere.
Sassy 107 Denver Becomes CHR 107 One-FM
February 7, 2008
Update 2/7/08: After stunting all morning with songs featuring “One” in the title, KSYY flipped to CHR as “107 One-FM” at 1:00pm Mountain time. The station’s first hour featured:
Usher – Yeah
Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
Mary J. Blige – Just Fine
Maroon 5 – Makes Me Wonder
Snoop Dogg – Sexual Eruption
Rihanna – Hate That I Love You
Justin Timberlake – LoveStoned
Matchbox Twenty – How Far We’ve Come
Jordin Sparks – Tattoo
Kanye West – Stronger
Kirk Franklin – This Is It
Fergie – Big Girls Don’t Cry
Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie
Lenny Kravitz – I’ll Be Waiting
Original Post 2/6/08: With owner Denver Radio Corporation in bankruptcy protection, it isn’t too unexpected that changes would be coming to AC KSYY “Sassy 107.1″ in the Denver market. On Monday, the entire airstaff was let go with a format flip pending. More from the Denver Post.
New York Shuffle
February 10, 2008
Not since 1996 has there been a shakeup in New York City radio much like we’ve seen so far in 2008. New PD’s have been installed at WBLS, WLTW, WWPR, and WRKS. The PD’s at WXRK, WCBS, and WWFS have been let go with no replacements named as of yet. The GM of WXRK resigned. WKTU and WCAA have new morning shows. WQCD flipped. A Low-powered TV signal will debut as a full-fledged radio station this week with some well-known names in the market.
In 1996, the format changes at WAXQ, WPAT, and WYNY were brought on by station sales as consolidation took hold. Now, we’re seeing the effects of consolidation’s wrath. Having to answer to stockholders more than listeners as radio became big business, costs were cut. The days of one staff per station have given way to one person having duties at as many as 6 stations just in New York along with responsibilities elsewhere in the country. WWPR’s new Program Director, Cadillac Jack is also Operations Manager of Clear Channel’s Boston stations. How is that any way to focus attention on building and maintaining a station, er. “brand”.
106.1 WNMX Charlotte Shifts To Oldies
February 12, 2008
Not a major shift as GHB Broadcasting’s 106.1 WNMX-FM segued from Adult Standards to Oldies at 10am today. Charlotte had been without an Oldies outlet since Clear Channel’s “Magic 96.1″ WWMG flipped to Rhythmic CHR “96.1 The Beat” WIBT in 2004.
