Update 6/19: At noon, W297BB debuted its new format as Alternative “X107.3“.
Launching with 10,000 songs in a row commercial free, the new format brings Alternative back to Orlando for the first time since CBS flipped 105.9 WOCL to Classic Hits in January 2008.
Listen to the launch of X107.3 at FormatChange.com.
Cox Media Group (CMG) has launched a new Alternative format in the Orlando Market located at 107.3 FM WCFB HD2. This new station, which launched today at 12 noon will feature 10,000 songs commercial free. The target audience is adults 18-34 and features today’s hottest Alternative artists such as Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Bastille, Black Keys and more. X107.3 will be the seventh radio station for the Orlando cluster including WDBO-FM, WDBO-AM, WWKA, WMMO, WCFB and WPYO.
The Cox Media Group Programming Strategic Team lead by VP of Programming, Steve Smith, format leaders, Jeremy Rice and Keith Hastings, and CMG Orlando Operations Manager Stevie DeMann–started following the alternative listening habits and became creative minds behind this new product. They recognized a growing new artist roster and new unique alternative sound developing that the audience was embracing with an immediate passion.
“It’s time for an Alt Revolution!” said DeMann, Operations Director for WPYO/WWKA/X107.3. “X107.3 will be reaching an audience of alternative music fans that no Orlando radio station was serving until now. It will also super-serve the new alternative music fan by focusing on acts like Grammy champions Imagine Dragons and Lorde. The station is establishing a modern music library that delves deep into acts like Bastille, The Black Keys, Muse, Awolnation, and Artic Monkeys. It’s been many years since traditional alternative radio landed on America’s radar. X107.3 is ready to invade Orlando radios and mobile devices with the new X107.3 App.”
CMG VP/ and Market Manager Susan Larkin said, “The Orlando community is ready and it’s the perfect time to hear X107.3 Orlando’s New Alternative. We will have the opportunity to introduce new artists and music, along with those that are familiar, over- the- air and digitally to an audience that we expect to be responsive and engaged.”
Update 6/17 8:00pm: W297BB is now looping The Beatles “Revolution” with sweepers indicating “The Revolution Begins Thursday At Noon”.
Original Report 6/17 3:00pm: Cox Media Group has completed its upgrade and relocation of 107.3 W297BB De Bary, FL to Orlando.
As it prepares to launch its permanent format, the translator is stunting with a “Wheel Of Formats” approach including Christian AC “Rejoice” and Soft AC “The Dove“. Heard between songs are clips from sister Country “K92.3” WWKA. The stunt can be heard online here.
Cox acquired W297BB from Reach Communications last August for $200,000. The translator has since been relocated to the tower of Cox’ 95.3 WPYO and 98.9 WMMO where it is rebroadcasting 94.5 WCFB-HD2 with 250 watts at 137 meters (Coverage Map).
RBRadioWaves 
Charles Everett 
BC 
johndavis 
JayR
Methinks the following will happen:
-Soft AC, possibly to compliment WMMO (or allow it to shift to a more staunch classic rock format, ala “107.3 The Eagle” in Tampa) and take Magic 107.7 down a notch. I’m not sure what the demographic makeup for Western Orlando is, though.
-Classic country. The K-92 clips make this seem like this is the end goal for Cox. It would serve as an obvious flanker for K92, and they could sell advertising as a package. “Buy ad space on one station, and we’ll give you an older-skewing translator!”
-ESPN 580 simulcast? (580/94.5-2/107.3) Won’t be another revenue stream, but HEY! Magic Games on FM!
I HIGHLY Doubt that “Rejoice” will get the transmitter. COX, to my knowledge, does not do Christian AC. Then again, I’ve heard crazier things happen.
Also, the online stream also has K92 in the background. It distracts from the stunting a bit.
“Classic” country = OLD country. Doesn’t work in a region where the economy is based on tourism.
well i know the Orlando market having been there, so this will be an interesting one to speculate. I like that we’re thinking WMMO flanker, but I think Charles is right, and having listened to various cox media formats, they have youthful presentations. Soft ac is only an expansion goal for their brother company, summit media, but I don’t personally see cox making any more of a longterm investment outside of the markets where it works. My thoughts with what we have, revolution 107.3 will be some sort of rock format whether a classic hits flanker to WMMO, or an alternative flanker. What makes this flip so interesting is that cox is well known for their “across the board” branding, eagle for classic rock, x for alternative, so I’ll applaud their strategy, I can’t guess it at all. Wouldn’t it be strange though if they made that a syndication partner of the bone in tampa? They added Mike Calta on DBO, and this would provide the most interesting flanker and sales proposition in their cluster. Just a thought.
At this point, they’ve created enough smoke that I would expect them to go in as far opposite of a direction than any of us think they’re going.
Cox has found success in other Florida markets with alt-rock and itt will be interesting to see how the format does on the translator. 97X in Tampa was competitive, at least when I had access to the Arbitron numbers there several years ago, on a signal with a rather limited reach, and I’ve heard that Cox has done well in Jacksonville with its alt-rock outlet there.
this is actually not surprising at all, Revolution was a smoke screen because I’m a regular out of market cox tampa listener. 97x and x102.9 respectively use the slogan, “the alt REVOLUTION is on” but as the last comment had suggested, they could have pulled it in a different direction, but they go with what they know. does anyone think a similar move will happen in Atlanta?
by the way Lance, you’re the man, didn’t get to catch this live definitely wanted to but as of now I’m only using iphone internet. Thank goodness for good aircheck sites.
I clicked on the link to listen to the launch but heard nothing.