With our Net Gnomes discovering at least twenty stations changing formats during the holidays, we figured we’d make it easier for you to find a complete rundown of all programming changes to take place between December 25 and January 3.
1/3 – Astral’s “101.5 Silk-FM” CILK Kelowna, BC rebranded on January 1 as “101.5 EZ Rock“.
1/3 – 102.1 KCKC Kansas City ended its extended Christmas music stunting at 12pm today to become Gold oriented AAA “Alice 102”
1/3 – Spanish Christian “Radio Cantico Nuevo” shifts its programming in New York City from 1430 WNSW Newark, NJ to 740 WNYH Huntington, Long Island. WNSW shifts to Russian programming produced by the Russian government’s “Voice of Russia”.
1/3 – CHR “107.1 The Fix” KFYX Texarkana, AR flips to a simulcast of sister Talk 940 KFTS Texarkana, TX as “Freedom 107”.
1/3 – The next step of the Wilmington, NC shuffle takes place as “Modern Rock 98.7” debuted at 10:00am.
1/3 – 1160 KVCE Dallas and 105.5 KSAC Sacramento has launched their previously announced “Money Radio” Business Talk formats.
1/3 – WMVX Cleveland segues to Variety Hits “106.5 The Lake”
1/3 – 105.7 WBZZ Albany, NY flips to “90’s & More” as “105.7 Crush-FM” under new WQSH calls.
1/2 – 106.9 WPHR Syracuse drops its Urban AC format becoming “FM Newsradio 106.9” WSYR-FM simulcasting 570 WSYR.
1/2 – At some point this past week, “98.7 Bob-FM” KELI San Angelo, TX dropped Variety Hits for AC as “Magic 98.7“.
1/1 – The first portions of the four station format swap in Wilmington, NC has taken place. “Surf 98.3” WSFM dropped its Modern Rock format on 12/31 and assumed the AAA format of “106.7 The Penguin” WUIN. 98.7 WLGD dropped its Spanish “La Gran D’ format and is currently stunting with a loop promoting the new “Modern Rock 98.7” that will debut Monday at 10:00am. Still to come, the move of 1180 WMYT to 106.7 (which continues to silmulcast 98.3) and the debut of a new format on 1180.
1/1 – The previously announced AM format swap in Pittsburgh took place at 12am. ESPN Radio shifted from 1250 WEAE to Clear Channel’s 970 WBGG, while Radio Disney shifted from an LMA on Birach Broadcasting’s 540 WWCS to the Disney owned 1250 under the WDDZ calls that had been on 550 in Providence, RI. 540 is currently directing its former listeners to the new location on 1250.
1/1 – “Life 88.3” WDLF Knoxville, TN has flipped from Christian AC to the national “K-Love” format, while sister “Love 89.1” WYLV goes from locally programmed Christian CHR to Air 1.
12/31 – CBS’ CHR “Movin 99.7” KMVQ San Francisco has rebranded as “99.7 Now“.
12/31 – Talk “Fox News 1280 & 102.3” KDOX Las Vegas has flipped to Oldies as “Kool 102”.
12/30 – 105.5 KSAC Sacramento, CA drops its Spanish Christian “Radio Luz” format and will flip to Business Talk on Monday, January 3.
12/28 – 1400 KBDB Reno drops Regional Mexican for Smooth Jazz using Broadcast Architecture’s Smooth AC Network.
12/27 – Smooth Jazz 98.9 KWJZ Seattle shifts to Modern AC “Click 98.9“.
12/27 – 100.3 WNIC Detroit shifts to Hot AC as “Fresh 100.3”
12/27 – Michiguide.com reports a pair of AM flips. 1450 WKLA Ludington, MI from Talk to Oldies and 1140 WVHF Grand Rapids from silent to Catholic.
12/27 – 98.9 WWGA-FM Carrollton, GA has flipped to Classic Hits “Great Classics 98.9”.
12/27 – 107.9 WCDY Cadillac, MI has debuted its permanent format of Hot AC “Cadillac’s Best Mix”.
12/27 – 92.9 WLMI Lansing, MI assumes the Classic Hits format of sister 92.1 WQTX, which is now stunting.
12/27 – Standards 1390 WNIO Youngstown, OH is now “The Sports Animal” with Fox Sports Radio & Jim Rome making up the lineup.
12/27 – CBS AC 102.5 KEZK St. Louis relaunched as “Fresh 102.5” as previously announced.
12/26 – Peoria rimshot Classic Hits “CD 107.9” WCDD Canton, IL shifts from Classic Rock to Country as “CD Country 107.9“.
12/26 – WSHP Lafayette, IN (which was the first station to go all Christmas this year) has returned to its previous Rock format “95.7 The Rocket“. The station had previously indicated the station would change formats.
12/26 – Salem’s “99.5 The Jewel” KHUI Honolulu dropped Standards yesterday for a simulcast of Christian Preaching 760 KGU with new KGU-FM calls in place.
12/26 – “True Oldies 99.3” KPCH Ruston, LA has flipped to Gen X Hits “99.3 X“.
12/26 – The former “Curve 94.3” CHIQ Winnipeg flips to Classic Hits “Fab 94.3”
12/26 – Classic Hits 95.7 KJR-FM Seattle relaunches as “Oldies 95.7”
12/26 – Lotus Communications’ Classic Hits “107.1 K-Hits” KHIT-FM Fresno is now Spanish AC “Exitos 107.1“.
12/26 – Also in Fresno, Clear Channel’s “Big Country 102.7” KHGE has tweaked and relaunched as “New Country 102.7 The Wolf“.
12/26 – 97.5 KMVA Phoenix relaunches as Adult CHR “Hot 97.5“.
12/26 – 95.9 CHFM Calgary segues from AC to Adult CHR and tweaks its name slightly from “Lite 96” to “Lite 95.9“.
12/26 – 100.3 WSDD St. Louis has dropped Modern AC “The Sound” for 90’s Hits “Gen X Radio 100.3“.
12/26 – 93.1 WHDR Miami has debuted its new Soft AC format as “Easy 93.1“.
If you would like to report a change that we do not have listed, please contact us to let us know.
Looks like Fresh 102.5 St. Louis is staying AC after all. The target demo is now 25-54, and powers turn over every 7 hrs., resulting in limited repetition during the 9-5 workday and weeknight. Fresh 102.5 sounds a lot like the “Cool Songs” format at K104.7 Charlotte.
I am not thrilled that 95.7 KJR switched over to oldies 95.7 although their music hasn’t really changed that much I just don’t think that stations can call themselfs an oldies station with out the music from the early days of rock n roll from the late 50’s.
Regarding this change — CHR “107.1 The Fix“ KFYX Texarkana, AR flips to a simulcast of sister Talk 940 KFTS Texarkana, TX as “Freedom 107“³ — is that a first? A simulcast in which the two stations are located in different states, but identically named cities? Anything like that in the two Kansas Cities? I’m also intrigued by the “Fix” name – can’t say I’ve ever heard that one before.
The only situation I can find with even matching calls was in Texarkana as well. 790 KKYR in Arkansas and 102.5 KKYR-FM in Texas had the same calls from 1989 to 2002, but I don’t know if they simulcasted during that time.
It doesn’t appear as it ever happened in Kansas City, but I know who to ask if it did.
KKYR and KKYR-FM simulcasted the “Kicker” format for part of the time they shared the same calls. 790 has had a variety of formats over the years.
KFYX was “107FYX, the Fix”…the curious change here is that KTFS 940 was already on FM via the 105.5 translator there. So, converting KFYX to KTFS-FM would seem to make that redundant…wonder if the 105.5 translator is being used for something else (give a FM simulcast for co-owned KCMC 740, for example?).
OMG we lost one of the best stations, 99.5, The Jewel, which played all the hits of the 50’s through 80’s….why, why, why….all done without any notice. Please let me know if they moved to another channel…I will devotedly listen to that station if it plays the “oldies” only…