After a brief April Fools Day stunt looping various versions of “Proud Mary”, Dix Communications has flipped Adult Standards 1450 WTBO/105.7 W289BR Cumberland, MD to AC “105.7 The River“.
Playing “Hits from the 80’s, 90’s and Now”, WTBO will also carry Baltimore Orioles baseball, Pittsburgh Steelers football, and Fort Hill High School football. The W289BR translator had been rebroadcasting sister Country 105.3 WFRB-FM Frostburg.
WTBO adds FM Frequency at 105.7 and takes to “The River”
Cumberland Radio listeners, who tuned to WTBO AM 1450 or 105.7 FM, a Cumberland frequency for sister station WFRB FM, were awakened to the sounds of the song “Proud Mary” repeatedly on April Fools day. As it turns out this was no April Fools joke, but a transition for the former Adult Standards Radio station to an entirely new Adult Contemporary format. After several hours of hearing the refrain of “Rollin’ on the River,” a new radio station premiered on FM 105.7 and AM 1450 called “The River.”The area’s most popular country formatted station, WFRB FM, remains unaffected at 105.3 FM.
The new station, a sister station to WFRB FM, GO 106 FM, and Talk Radio 560, will play “The Hits from the 80’s, 90’s and Now.”
Typical artists will include Adele, Billy Joel, Bruno Mars, Bryan Adams, Jason Mraz, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Maroon 5, Michael Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Pink and others.“105.7 The River” will broadcast Baltimore Orioles Baseball and Pittsburgh Steelers Football as well as Fort Hill Football.
Both the Potomac River and WTBO Radio have such a large history and presence in Cumberland, the new moniker was a natural. The station logo for “The River” evokes an image of the Potomac River as well as The Blue Bridge. The logo says “this is Cumberland.”
In addition to broadcasting on AM and FM, “The River” will broadcast on the Internet and to mobile devices such as iPhone and Android. The station website is http://www.cumberlandsriver.com. Mobile apps are available at iTunes and Google Play.
WTBO was Cumberland’s First Radio station, and one of the first five in the entire state of Maryland, WTBO has been largely an AM-only operation since 1928. But the march of time and listeners to FM has led WTBO-WKGO Corporation (A division of Dix Communications since 1978) to give the station an FM dial position, and fresh new format, they hope will appeal to the existing WTBO audience while reaching a broad new audience. The station will target a Female audience; yet have many artists that guy’s like as well. Mornings on The River will feature announcer Chuck “D,” but like the rest of the day the music will be the focus. Everyone should enjoy listening to “105.7 The River.”
