Cox Radio AAA “100.1 The Bulldog” WPUP-FM Athens, GA has flipped to CHR as “Power 100.1“. The station had been stunting as “Obama 100″ with a combination of President Obama’s speeches, Rhythmic Oldies, and Hawaiian music.
Journal Broadcast Group has flipped Active Rock KZRQ “Z106.7″ to Variety Hits “106.7 The River” at 12pm today. A station press release reveals John Mayer, Madonna, Styx, Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Clarkson, Chicago, Nickelback, and The Beatles among core artists for the new format.
Valorie Knight, OM of Journal’s Springfield cluster will be the PD of the new station, while “Z106.7″ PD Simon Nytes shifts over to sister Rhythmic CHR KSPW “Power 96.5“.
After speculation dating back to March, CBS Radio flipped Smooth Jazz “V98.7” WVMV to CHR on Friday, October 2 under VP/CHR Programming Dom Theodore. Over the weekend, “98.7 Takeover” launched with an aggressive street promotional campaign hyping the the new format. At 8:00am today, the station unveiled its “Amp Radio 98.7” branding.
The Smooth Jazz format continues online at V987.com and on 98.7′s HD2 format. Dom Theodore, the CBS VP/Programming who will be overseeing the new station is the former PD at crosstown Clear Channel CHR WKQI “Channel 95.5” and a number of former WKQI personalities work at sister WXRK “92.3 Now-FM” New York.
Update 10/8/09: WQXR made the move to non-commercial status on 105.9 as expected tonight at 8:00pm. Meanwhile, Univision’s 96.3 is stunting with a mix of Spanish music and English Rhythmic pop while promoting a new format to debut Thursday, October 15 at 6:00am.
We’ll have the audio of the flips coming very soon.
Original Post 9/11/09: The frequency swap of Classical 96.3 WQXR New York and Spanish Urban “La Kalle 105.9″ WCAA made possible by the $45 Million Three-way swap announced in July, will take place on October 8 at 8:00pm from the stage of Carnegie Hall. Univision paid the New York Times Company $33.5 Million for the 96.3 allocation. WNYC then paid $11.5 Million for the WQXR intellectual property and the 105.9 signal. WQXR will convert to non-commercial operation under WNYC’s ownership and will continue to air Classical Music programming. Soon-to-be sister 93.9 WNYC-FM will drop its nighttime and weekend Classical programming for more News/Talk.
With Univision completing its acquisition of 96.3 in New York from the New York Times company and transfer of 105.9 and the WQXR assets to WNYC, they did not bring the “La Kalle” name and format along for the ride. Since its takeover of 96.3 last night, WCAA has been stunting with sweepers promoting a new format launch Thursday, October 15 at 6:00am. Univision may have inadvertently given away the new station’s name as “96 X” was placed on the RDS text data for the new station. We’ve confirmed that Univision registered X963FM.com on October 2.
Additionally, WCAA Morning Host Luis Jimenez’s website features a banner announcing his return on the 15th.
Update 5:02pm: WPEN has announced that as of Monday at 10:00am, “950 ESPN” will relaunch as “97.5 The Fanatic” as we mentioned earlier. However, 97.5 has already begun simulcasting the programming of 950.
Update 7:00pm: The station has unveiled its new lineup. ESPN’s Mike & Mike continue from 6 to 10am. Middayers Harry Mayes and Dan Schwartzman are split up. Mayes moves to 10am to 12pm teamed with Stephen A. Smith until a permanent host is named for that slot. Schwartzman will be joined by NBC 10 Sports Director (and former Eagle) Vai Sikahema for 12pm to 2pm. Mike Missanelli adds an hour to his show, which will now run from 2pm to 7pm. Specialty shows will run from 7pm to 10pm. Content Factory/Fox Sports Radio’s Into the Night with Tony Bruno airs from 10pm to 1am, while ESPN’s Jason Smith runs overnights.
Original Entry 10/9/09 1:35pm: AllAccess.com has reported within the last hour that Greater Media will move Sports WPEN “950 ESPN” Philadelphia to 97.5 FM on Monday, October 12 replacing Hot AC WNUW “Now-FM“.
With the move of the programming to the FM band, it appears as though a new name will accompany the shift. 975TheFanatic.com and 975FMTheFanatic.com were registered anonymously earlier this week. While most markets are familiar with the shortened term “Fan”, Philadelphia is home to the beloved Philly Phanatic.
In its current form “950 ESPN” carries local programming from 11am to 10pm, we’re going to guess that 950 will shift to a 24/7 simulcast of ESPN Radio’s national programming following the launch of 97.5.
Since the launch of Cox Radio’s Alternative “X102.9” WXXJ in February, Clear Channel Active Rock “Planet Radio 107.3” WPLA Jacksonville, FL has dropped in the ratings from a 5.7 to 2.5 12+. Has Clear Channel seen enough?
Based on yesterday’s registration of 1073thebrew.com, we’d say yes. “The Brew” is an 80′s heavy Classic Rock brand used by Clear Channel in Milwaukee, Omaha, Columbus, and Portland, OR. The would take WPLA out of competition with WXXJ and would attack Classic Rock WFYV “Rock 105” head-on.
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.
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.
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.
