Update 10/30: A likely trademark claim has quickly forced “94.5 The Loft” K234BX Wahpeton/Fargo to rebrand as “94.5 The City“.

SiriusXM holds a trademark on “The Loft” in regards to “ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES, NAMELY, PROVIDING AUDIO PROGRAMS FEATURING MUSIC, SPORTS, TALK, NEWS AND DATA VIA SATELLITE AND VIA A GLOBAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK”. The Loft has been one of XM’s AAA formatted stations since the company launched in September 2001.

This is the third terrestrial radio station to change names due to using a SiriusXM trademark. Variety Hits “103.3 Ed-FM” KDRF Albuquerque originally launched in 2004 as “Fred-FM“, while defunct Alternative 99.1 KQLZ Gooding/Boise launched as “The Virus” before adjusting to “V99.1“. Both of those channel names also originated at XM prior to its merger with Sirius.

Original Report 10/27: Radio Fargo-Moorhead has launched Adult Alternative “94.5 The Loft” K234BX Wahpeton/Fargo, ND via 95.1 KBVB-HD2.

Positioned as “Where Music Comes First”, the station lists Adele, The Black Keys, Sara Bareilles, Train, Gavin Degraw, Counting Crows, Ingrid Michaelson, Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, Grace Potter, Matt Nathanson, Jason Mraz, and Brandi Carlile as core artists. The station launches with the usual 10,000 songs commercial free.

The 250 watt translator covers all of Fargo and is owned by Radio Fargo-Moorhead owner James Ingstad under the name North Dakota Free Airwaves.