iHeartMedia flipped Classic Hip Hop “Throwback 99.1” W256BT/WMMS-HD2 Cleveland to Sports on Tuesday.
The new “Sports Radio 99.1” is currently running the national Fox Sports Radio lineup 24/7. The station states it is powered by Rock Entertainment Group, which owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, NBA G-League’s Cleveland Charge, and the WNBA expansion team set to debut in 2028.
The move marks the end of the Classic Hip Hop format after just fourteen months. The station had a 0.6 share in the July 2025 Nielsen Audio ratings. The potential change follows the local on-air staff of the brand moving back to sister CHR “96.5 Kiss-FM” WAKS-FM in late May.
iHeartMedia already operates a Sports brand in the Cleveland market as 1350 WARF Akron targets the market as “1350 The Gambler” with a mix of VSiN and Fox Sports Radio network programming. WARF had a 0.0 share in the July ratings as the third Sports station in the market behind Audacy’s “92.3 The Fan” WKRK-FM and Good Karma Brands’ “ESPN Cleveland” 850 WKNR. iHeartMedia News/Talk 1100/106.9 WTAM features Sports Talk at night plus play-by-play for MLB’s Cleveland Guardians and Cleveland Cavaliers, which both simulcast on Rock 100.7 WMMS.
Caroline
I was really enjoying the Throwback station 99.1. Was super excited when I first heard it back last August 2024 and I have it set as a station ever since. Lately though they kept playing the same songs and were not mixing them up like they did the first 3 months it started. Now this week it’s gone and once again there isn’t another station that plays this kind of genre in my area. It’s too bad not enough people were listening to it.