Update 7/30/10: Saga has flipped “Smooth Jazz 103.5” WJZA and “Big Hits B104.3” WODB to 80’s based Oldies “Rewind 103.5 & 104.3“. The flip occured around 4:35pm following a brief stunt of “goodbye” songs on both stations. The flip positions the stations between NABCO’s 70’s oriented “Classic Hits 103.9” WTDA and Clear Channel’s 90’s based “Gen X Radio 106.7” WCGX.
The first hour on Rewind 103.5 & 104.3 consisted of:
Earth, Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove
Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music
Madonna – Like A Prayer
Huey Lewis & The News – Heart And Soul
Michael Jackson – Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name
Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes
INXS – Need You Tonight
The Commodores – Brick House
.38 Special – Hold On Loosely
Animotion – Obsession
Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
Modern English – I Melt With You
Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Blinded By The Light
Hall & Oates – Kiss On My List
Orginal Report 7/18/10: Saga Communications appears poised to flip one or two of its stations in Columbus, OH to Talk. 1035FMTalkColumbus.com and 1043FMTalkColumbus.com were both registered last week. “Smooth Jazz 103.5” is WJZA Pickerington, OH rimshotting Columbus from the East. Classic Hits “B104.3” WODB Richwood, OH targets Columbus from 28 miles Northwest of the city.
The stations had simulcasted from the late 90’s until February 2009 when 104.3 acquired the Classic Hits format and WODB calls when sister 107.9 claimed the “Mix” branding and Adult CHR format that had been dropped by 97.1 WBNS. WODB is one of three Columbus rimshots airing Classic Hits competing with 103.9 WTDA Westerville and 101.7 WNKO Newark (which has a CP to move-in and cover most of Columbus), while the Smooth Jazz format continues to vanish nationwide. Talk on 103.5 and/or 104.3 would primarily compete with Clear Channel’s 610 WTVN.
The Columbus market has seen a fair share of changes over the past few months. Clear Channel has flipped Modern Rock “Radio 106.7” to 90’s Hits “Gen X Radio” and relaunched AC WLZT as “Soft Rock 93.3“. Modern Rocker “CD 101” WWCD is in the process of moving to 102.5 in order for Ohio State University to acquire its 101.1 allocation to launch a non-commercial Classical format.
