Format Changes
Salt Lake City To Lose Classical As BYU Consolidates Operations
Brigham Young University is consolidating its local and national broadcast operations which will lead to the end of its Classical music programming on 89.1 KBYU-FM Provo/Salt Lake City on June 30, 2018. On that date “Classical 89” will begin simulcasting the Talk/Sports programming of “BYU Radio” currently heard on SiriusXM channel 143. BYU Radio carries LDS Church oriented talk shows and programming connected to BYU’s sports teams. The station and its network of translators throughout Utah are the only terrestrial Classical voices in the state, although University of Utah’s 90.1 KUER-HD3 carries the Classical24 network for HD Radio listeners. At the same time KBYU-TV will drop its PBS affiliation and switch to the national BYUtv programming service, whi...Read More
Peoria NonComm To Flip To Urban AC
Sirius Syncope Variety 90.7 WAZU Peoria IL will flip to Urban in mid-November. WAZU currently airs a mix of local talk and music programming along with some shows syndicated by Pacifica. Owner Jeremy Styninger told the Peoria Journal-Star that the change will come as he turns over programming to former WAZU host DeMarcus ‘DJ Smooth’ Hamilton due to he needing to deal with his health following a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis last year. WAZU had been dealing with fundraising issues as an online fundraiser earlier this year netted the station only $958 dollars. Hamilton told the Star, “I think I know what the city needs. There’s been a void on local radio when it comes to the urban AC format. I know the station faces challenges but we’re not clocking out. The word is starting...Read More
The First All-Christmas Launch Of 2017 Is…
For the third time this decade, Equity Communications Soft AC “Easy 93.1” WEZW Wildwood Crest NJ has become the first station nationally to make the move to Christmas Music. Making the change with temperatures in the mid-70’s, WEZW was also first to make the move in 2011 and 2014. Stations preparing for new format launches expedited the timetables the last two years as SummitMedia’s 100.1 W261BX Birmingham was first on 9/25/2015 and Earls Family Broadcasting’s 1220 KCAX/98.1 K251BZ Branson MO began on October 2, 2016. When it was first in 2014, WEZW made the move on the third Friday in October just like this year.
Eastern NC’s 99X Gives Way To Hot 99.5
Curtis Media Group flipped Modern Rock “99X” 99.5 WXNR Grifton/New Bern/Kinston and 97.5 W248BS Jacksonville NC to CHR “Hot 99.5” at 3pm today. The move places WXNR in direct competition with Dick Broadcasting’s “Bob 93.3” WERO. WXNR ranked ninth in the Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville market with a 3.0 share in the Summer 2017 Nielsen Audio ratings. New head on competitor WERO was third in the market with an 8.1 share.
Salem Brings Praise To St. Louis While Moving The Answer
Salem Media is shuffling its St. Louis operations. Conservative Talk “1260 The Answer” WSDZ Belleville IL has moved to 1380 KXFN/105.3 K287BY St. Louis replacing Health/Wellness Talk “1380 The Pulse“. That move will clear the way for the launch of Gospel “Praise 95.1” on Monday, October 23 on WSDZ and 95.1 K236CS St. Louis. Positioned as “The St. Louis Gospel Experience”, the move gives a direct format competitor to Church of God In Christ’s “Jubilee 690” KSTL and iHeartMedia’s “Hallelujah 1600” KATZ. The new format will be led by former 104.9 KMJM-FM/1600 KATZ program director Darrel Eason. -Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM), announced today that it will launch a contemporary urban gospel radio statio...Read More
KARZ & KNSG Swap Locations
Linder Radio Group has shuffled brand locations in Marshall MN. The call letters of Rock 107.5 KARZ Marshall have moved over to Classic Hits 94.7 KNSG Springfield while retaining the existing format. The KNSG call letters slide to 107.5 with a Sports heavy Rock format. The station will completely flip to Sports by early 2018.
WWJB Boots Talk For Country
Hernando Broadcasting Company has flipped Talk 1450 WWJB/92.3 W222CI Brooksville and 103.9 W280DK Spring Hill FL to Country “103.9 The Boot“. Longtime 99.5 WQYK Tampa host Randy Price has joined WWJB for mornings. Price worked at WQYK from 1982-2010 co-hosting with Dave McKay from 1996 until his departure and then returned in 2015 for fill-ins. Most of the Talk programming that had been heard on WWJB continues to be heard in the Spring Hill area on 99.9 WXJB Homosassa.
WYKB Flips To Classic Country Jax Country 105.3
As we first reported last month in Daily Domains, NIA Broadcasting’s 105.3 WYKB Fernandina Beach/Jacksonville FL has found a new operator. The station, which had been simulcasting Country “K-Bay 106.3” WKBX Kingsland GA since January 1, is now being operated by Delmarva Educational Association/Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting as Classic Country “Jax Country 105.3“.
Jack On The Move In Salisbury/Ocean City
With the sale of 101.1 WSUX-FM Snow Hill MD to GSB Broadcasting, the station’s Variety Hits “101.1 Jack-FM” programming is on the move to a new frequency. The Jack-FM programming will move to Miriam Media’s 94.9 WAMS Newark MD on Wednesday, November 1. That will replace the LMA held by Rothschild Broadcasting who had been operating the station as AAA “Delmarva’s Album Music Source“. 94.9 WAMS launched on April 1.
Northeast Missouri AAA V104.3 Launches
The former 104.3 KKAC Vandalia MO, currently owned by Dennis Wallace the court appointed receiver Randy Wachter’s Broadcast Associates, has returned to the air as AAA “V104.3” KVMO. The station has been off the air regularly since 2009. In brief spurts it operated as AC “104.3 The Oasis” and in 2014 as AAA “104.3 FMX” with Wachter filings STAs citing lack of finances and health issues in the applications preventing him to operate the station. Being operated by Mike Batchelor, the station is positioning itself as “Continuous Rock Variety of Yesterday & Today”. Cloudcast Radio’s syndicated John & Heidi Show is airing in mornings.
iHeart Commemorates Cedar Rapids Icon With Leo 1360
iHeartMedia has flipped Classic Country 1360 KMJM Cedar Rapids IA to Adult Standards “Leo 1360“. As first reported by Northpine, the station is named after former WMT host Leo Greco. Greco was a bandleader in the 50s and 60s turned host of 600 WMT’s “Variety Time” from the early 70s until his death in 2011. Now hosted by Frank Balvanz, who joined Greco as a co-host in 2007 and then took over the show, will now air on both WMT and KMJM in its Sunday 7am-12pm timeslot.
Jordan Teklay Brings Bouncehouse To 106.5 The End Sacramento Nights
Entercom CHR “106.5 The End” KUDL Sacramento has added Jordan Teklay as its new night host. The Sacramento native will host “Jordan’s Bouncehouse” from 7pm-12am weeknights. He most recently was hosting nights at Midwest Broadcasting CHR “i106.7” WNFN Nashville and has also worked at “Z99” ZFZZ Grand Cayman Island as well as stations in Modesto CA and Tyler TX. Entercom Sacramento announced today the appointment of Jordan Teklay as night show host for Top 40 radio station KUDL-FM “106.5 The End”, effective immediately. The show, ‘Jordan’s Bouncehouse’ will air Monday-Friday, 7pm to Midnight PST. Teklay returns home to Sacramento where he grew up and attended Florin High School. Teklay was previously night show host at WNFN-FM “i106.7” in...Read More
