Update 2/3: As we predicted, KSZR shifted to CHR as “I 97.5” at noon today with 10,000 songs commercial free.

The first hour of I97.5 consisted of:
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Flo Rida – Good Feeling
Rhianna – We Found Love
Hot Chelle Rae – Tonight Tonight
Selena Gomez & The Scene – Love You Like A Love Song
Lupe Fiasco – The Show Must Go On
Gym Class Heroes – Ass Back Home
Gavin Degraw – Not Over You
Cee Lo Green – F**K You
Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
The Fray – Heartbeat
Ke$ha – Blow
Bruno Mars – It Will Rain
David Guetta w/ Nicki Minaj – Turn Me On
Adele – Set Fire To The Rain
Jessie J – Domino

Original Report 2/1: Cumulus Variety Hits “97.5 Bob-FM” Oro Valley/Tucson is running teasers that the station will debut a new format on Friday, February 3 at noon. The station has reportedly told advertisers it will begin a phase of commercial free stunting at that time.

We’re expecting the station will become CHR “I97.5” at that time. I975Hits.com was registered last week by Jeff Andrews, APD of Cumulus’ WLS-FM Chicago and former PD of “I106” WNFN Nashville. Andrews works hand in hand with Cumulus VP/Programming Jan Jeffries.

This would be the fourth FM in the Tucson market to revamp in the last five months. Clear Channel shifted Modern AC “92.9 The Mountain” KWMT-FM to Hot AC “My 92.9” KMIY and Spanish Oldies “La Preciosa 97.1” to News/Talk KNST-FM. Journal Rhythmic Oldies “Mega 106.3” KGMG relaunched as “106.3 The Groove” KTGV.

Astral Media has closed on its acquisition of AAA “Shore 104.3” CHHR Vancouver from Shore Media Group and is preparing to get ready to change formats.

The entire airstaff was dismissed today. The station’s website currently features the following message:

We’re making changes to make Shore FM a better radio station. We appreciate your patience.
For now, we’re playing even more of your favourite Shore music. If you have suggestions or ideas on what you’d like to hear on Shore FM let us know using the form below.

We reported in December that Astral had registered Boom1043.com for potential use at CHHR.

Update 2/1: 104.3 returned to the air today simulcasting 1570 WNDA with the WLUE-FM calls replacing WWPW.

Update 1/25: Following the registration of Louie1043.com, a few more domains were registered for the station: Sports1043.com and 1043TheZone.com.

It also appears that New Albany Broadcasting will be operating 104.3 when it returns to the air. The WLUE calls have been placed on the former 1600 WTSZ Eminence, KY. That station simulcasts “News/Talk 1570” WNDA New Albany, IN. The two new domains for 104.3 refer to previous formats run by 1570/1600.

Original Report 1/15: 104.3 WWPW Charlestown, IN/Louisville will soon be returning to the air with a name and format previously used in the market.

The station went silent in mid-December when Radio Multi-Media lost its lease to operate the station as Urban “104.3 The Beat“. The Way Media owned station has been dark while it awaits a new programming source.

That source will apparently bring back the Variety Hits “Louie” brand that Clear Channel ran on what is now “Gen X Radio” 100.5 from 2005 to 2009. 1043WLUE.com, WLUE1043.com, and Louie1043.com were registered by a Vortex Computer Solutions on Thursday. Additionally, the station applied for those aforementioned WLUE calls on the same day.

Martz Communications has ceased operations of its pair of HD fed translators in Detroit.

While Smooth Jazz “The Oasis” had been operating on HD only while awaiting its move to 92.7, Modern Rock “94.3 The Bone” had just added the syndicated Bubba The Love Sponge for mornings.

Both station’s Facebook pages feature the same statement: “All good things must come to an end.
We’re sorry to say that The Oasis has ceased operations today. Thanks for your support Detroit. You’re the best.”

Bone PD Holly Hutton added, “Hey – Just wanted to say Thank you to everyone who listened and supported us. I know we had signal issues…but my personal experience at this station was a positive one. This company really celebrated true radio programming and gave me an opportunity to learn and discover that radio could be FUN again. I appreciate Martz and the time I had here and the friends I have made. From the inside and out; it was the radio that I fell in love with a bzillion years ago. I’m not sure if you’ll hear me on the air again…but if it’s meant to be, it will and I’ll talk to you then. xoxo ~ Holly Hutton”.

Both translators debuted last April 20 with programming fed by HD subchannels of 107.5 WGPR. The Oasis has struggled with interference issues with WIOT Toledo.

Update 1/31: Clear Channel and ESPN have announced that “ESPN Deportes 97.5” will debut on Wednesday, February 1.

ESPN describes the 97.5 translator as serving downtown Chicago and nearby Hispanic/Latino neighborhood communities, including Cicero, Berwyn and Pilsen. Next Media’s 1220 WKRS Waukegan, IL will also be flipping to ESPN Deportes tomorrow in order to cover Chicago’s Northern suburbs.

97.5 will continue to be fed by 95.5 WNUA-HD2 and will be overseen by “Mega 95.5” PD Ricardo Otero.

Update 1/20: 97.5 is on the air as Country “97.5 The Bull” being fed by 95.5 WNUA-HD2. The website has removed the countdown clock ticking down to February 1.

Is this the final format? We doubt it, since the launch of a new Chicago FM would likely have a little more pomp and circumstance around it. More likely they’re playing into our reports about the pending launch and getting a little bit of attention in the industry for the translator.

Update 1/18: 975TheBull.com is now live and counting down to a February 1 launch. However, there is nothing on the site linking the domain to Chicago or any other market.

ESPN Deportes will be debuting in the Chicago market on February 1 as well. NextMedia’s 1220 WKRS Waukegan, IL, which serves the northern suburbs of Chicago will drop News/Talk for the Spanish Sports network. NextMedia has registered ESPNDeportes1220.com for the new format.

We should note there is little overlap between 1220 and 97.5, so we are not completely ruling out both stations debuting the network. Clear Channel teased a Country flip prior to flipping 95.5 WNUA to Spanish AC in 2009.

Original Report 1/11: The EMF Broadcasting/Clear Channel translator partnership is on its way to Chicago.

EMF’s 97.5 W248BB Hillside, IL was granted a CP in August to move to the former Amoco Building, now known as the Aon Center where it would rebroadcast a subchannel of Clear Channel’s 95.5 WNUA. From that location the translator would cover much of the Chicago city limits and adjacent towns.

A trio of domains have appeared giving the first possibilites over what format will appear on the translator. 975TheBull.com would likely indicate a Country format to pull a few shares away from CBS’ “US 99.5” WUSN with the double connotation of Chicago’s NBA franchise. SmoothJazz975.com would compete with Venture Technologies’ “Smooth 87.7” WLFM-LP, a low power TV masquerading as a radio station that has garnered a 1.5 share, but is on borrowed time as all LPTV’s will eventually have to convert to digital. The third, ESPNDeportesChicago.com would be a perfect fit signal wise for the translator or one of Clear Channel’s AMs in the market; 1390 WGRB or 1690 WVON, the latter of which is currently leased to Midway Broadcasting.

Update 1/30: The Raleigh/Durham affiliate of 24/7 Comedy will be Curtis Media’s 570 WQDR. WQDR has been of the air since a tornado destroyed its tower last April.

Funny570.com was registered on January 17 and Facebook and Twitter pages is currently active with the Curtis Media logo.

The former “Country Legends 570” is going to de diplexed on the tower of sister 680 WPTF when it returns to the air as “Funny 570” with 1kW daytime and 40 watts at night. An application to extend its allowed period of silence was filed on January 12 with the expectation that the station will be back on the air within 60 days.

Original Report 1/27: Three more stations are preparing to flip to Donkey Comedy Network’s “24/7 Comedy“.

Volt Radio’s Dallas market 1700 KKLF Richardson, TX will drop its simulcast of Cumulus Talk 570 KLIF on February 1 to join the network created by a few Dallas radio veterans. KKLF, like all Volt Radio stations, are in the process of being spun off due to the Cumulus/Citadel merger.

The network will also be debuting on the fringes of the Phoenix market on 1TV.com’s 97.3 KIKO-FM Claypool/Globe, AZ. The station had been Hot AC as “Variety 97.3“. KIKO-FM broadcasts from 80 miles east of Phoenix and is on an adjacent frequency to Trumper’s “Hot 97.5” KMVA Dewey-Humboldt. As an aside, the licensee calls itself 1TV.com yet that domain is controlled by a Russian television network. Doesn’t make much sense to brand your company after a web domain you have never owned.

In a Dallas Observer feature on the network, it also is mentioned that an affiliate will soon launch in Raleigh/Durham, NC.

24/7 Comedy has seen strong numbers on its two HD2/Translators in Kansas City and Austin. Emmis’ “Comedy 102.7“, which launched on October 20, surged to a 3.8 share in the Holiday PPM monthly putting it in a 10th place tie in the market. Cumulus’ “Funny 102.5” Kansas City as constantly placed in the mid 2′s since launching in early 2011.

Two weeks ago, we reported on Clear Channel’s 970 WFLA Tampa process of adding a translator on 95.3 in Tampa. Additionally, Radio Training Network’s 94.5 W233AV Gulfport, FL has had its originating station changed to WFLA which will give the station FM coverage in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Additionally, sister station “540 WFLA” WFLF Pine Hills/Orlando will gain a translator. Reach Communications’ 104.5 W283AN Altamonte Springs, which has a CP to increase from 10 to 221 watts, will rebroadcast 540 once the upgrade is complete. 1045WFLA.com was registered on Friday and is already redirecting to WFLF’s website.

Clear Channel also uses the WFLA brand on 94.5 WFLF-FM Parker/Panama City and 100.7 WFLA-FM Midway/Tallahassee.

Update 1/27: “97.9 ESPN” launched at 6am today.

Currently running the national ESPN Radio lineup in full, 97.9 will soon add a local afternoon show. The station gives ESPN an FM signal audible at its Bristol, CT headquarters.

Update 1/25: 97.9 and 100.9 have both applied for licenses for their new tower locations and have begun testing at half power. The new 97.9, licensed to Windsor Locks CT transmits from downtown Hartford and will operate with 3.4kW from 443 feet. 100.9, formerly AAA WRNX, has been simulcasting with 97.9 since Halloween. It will now operate with 870 watts from 860 feet, approximately 13 miles north of Springfield.

Original Report 12/6: As 97.9 WPKX prepares to make its move from Springfield, MA to Hartford, Clear Channel has registered a number of domains giving our first clues at the format the station will take.

The company registered seven domains on Friday for possible use on the station: 979ESPN.com, 979Magic.com, 979Mix.com, 979StarFM.com, ESPN979.com, Smooth979.com, and WUCS-FM.com.

Four of the domains hint at a variation of AC, which makes sense considering CBS’ “Lite 100.5” is leading the market. The two ESPN domains would indicate the moving of “ESPN Radio 1410” WPOP to FM. Considering ESPN’s headquarters are in neighboring Bristol, CT we can see the company actively pursuing an FM affiliate in its hometown.

No request has been made for the WUCS calls as of yet. 97.9 is still WPKX, which will soon join the Kix Country format on 100.9 WRNX when 97.9 signs off in Springfield.

On the heels of “X103.9” KEXX Phoenix flipping to Variety Hits “My 103.9“, Sandusky Radio may be looking to the past to return Alternative Rock to The Valley of the Sun.

Sandusky has registered a number of domains over the past few weeks: 1060KUKQ.com, KUKQ1060.com, KUKQAM1060.com, AltRadioKUKQ.com, ArizonasAlternative.com, KUKQLive.com, KUKQPhoenix.com, KUKQPHX.com, and KUKQRadio.com among them.

1060 KUKQ was the first Alternative Rocker in Phoenix from 1989 unti 1993, when “106.3 The Edge” KEDJ debuted. KEDJ would move to 103.9 in 2001, eventually rebranding as “X103.9” before its demise earlier this month.

1060 has been Sports “1060 The Fan” KDUS since 1997. As one of three Sports station in the market, KDUS registered a 0.2 share in the most recent monthly.

Update 1/25: While no FCC filings have been made, 860 WNOV has gone silent as well.

As a correction, 102.5 had been using the name “102.5 The Beat” recently after a complaint from Clear Channel, which used the Majic name on 100.7 WKKV-HD2.

Original Report 1/24: Due to interference claims from Northwestern College’s WNWC-FM Madison, “Majic 102.5” 860 WNOV Milwaukee has taken its translator silent.

W273AT Mequon, which had been operating with 99 watts, had been causing interference to WNWC-FM’s reception in the Milwaukee area. While WNWC-FM has no protection from full powered stations in the disputed area, translators cannot cause interference to existing stations. While awaiting the FCC to approve the translator application to move to 93.9, they have applied for a STA to take it off the air in the interim.

WNOV continues to operate on its primary 860 signal with 250 watts in the daytime and 5 watts at night.