In what cannot be seen as a shocking development, a trademark claim from Radio One has led to a quick rebranding of “Boom 97 Uno” to “Oi2 97 Uno” (pronounced Oidos Ninety Seven Uno).
Original Report 4/19: Oi2 Media has launched Bilingual CHR “Boom 97 Uno” on iHeartMedia’s 97.1 W246BT Clermont and 97.1 W246CK Kissimmee/Orlando FL.
Fed by 100.3 WRUM-HD2 the new format is targeting bilingual millennials with a mix of English and Spanish Hits. The station’s airstaff features hosts from across the globe including US based Michelle Ciotti, Puerto Rico based Luis ‘El Coyote’ Ortiz, and DJ Semaforo from Colombia.
Oi2 Media is using the new station to debut its “Visual Radio” technology in the United States and will make both the visual element and this format available to other broadcasters. In a spanish release translated Oi2 Media CEO Anthony Michael Hernandez stated, “The format debuts at a time when the Orlando market commands more than 34% of the Hispanic population. This is the perfect launch for our arrival in other markets.”
The two translators had been broadcasting as Spanish Christian “Alma 97.1” for the past year.
How about having a station playing contemporary Spanish-language music, but with all of the announcing (newscasts, weather, commercials, etc.) in English??
I haven’t listed that much, but it does look like the branding is truly bilingual: The TOH legal ID includes “Boom ninety-seven uno”.
I wonder if Entercom could acquire 98.1 if they swap stations with Entravision, and possibly change the format on 101.9.
I didn’t want to say anything before I came across some confirmation, but today’s Tom Taylor Now does report that Radio One is sending cease-and-desist letters over the use of the “Boom” name. See http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=78b390ff9f5b002e3f050238c&id=2a2ad5c851 (under “iHeart leases out two Orlando translators for a bilingual ‘Boom’ – and there’s a problem”).
Making it even stranger is that Oi2 Media registered domains connected to “Zoom 97 Uno” as a brand alongside the Boom ones. So they KNEW that there was at least a possibility of a C&D and still went along with it.