Update 5/25: The Alpha shuffle is complete. News/Talk KXL is now exclusively on 101.1, Sports “The Game” is on 750, and 95.5 has debuted its new format as “Live 95.5” with the prerequisite 10,000 songs in row commercial free. Alpha is describing the station as Next Generation AC targetting women 27-38. Keola, currently APD/MD and afternoon host at sister Country 98.7 KUPL has been named Program Director of the new station. The webcast of the station is highlighting new KBFF calls, however no application has been made at the FCC for those as of yet.
Listen to the debut of Live 95.5 at FormatChange.com.
The first hour of music on the station consisted of:
Pink – Raise Your Glass
Matchbox Twenty – Bright Lights
Neon Trees – Animal
Lifehouse – You And Me
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Akon – Don’t Matter
Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
Kelly Clarkson – Since U Been Gone
Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are
Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy
Uncle Kracker – Smile
Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
Maroon 5 – Never Gonna Leave This Bed
Matt Nathanson – Come On Get Higher
Cee-Lo Green – Forget You
Taylor Swift – Mine
Update 5/24: We can confirm that 95.5 KXTG will become Modern AC “Live 95.5” following the move of the Sports format to 750.
The station will be branding itself as “Today’s Modern Mix” positioned in between Entercom Modern Rock 94.7 KNRK and Hot AC 105.1 The Buzz KRSK, while also targeting Clear Channel CHR “Z100” KKRZ while flanking sister AAA KINK.
The station’s website is up (for now), while hidden unless you know where to look. Although it is quite possible that link will be removed now that we’ve published it. If this is all a ruse, Alpha has sure gone out of their way and I will be the first to commend them.
Update 5/20: KXTG just announced on-air that it will be moving to 750 on Wednesday, May 25 at 5:00pm. The Talk programming of KXL will remain on 101.1 where it has been simulcasting since March 15, when it displaced Rock KUFO. Some Sports play-by-play coverage will simulcast on 750 The Game and 101.1 KXL.
Which of the many domains registered will be the new identity for 95.5? Live955.com has been transferred to Alpha’s hosting provider, while a corresponding Twitter account has been activated.
Update 5/6: Add a few more domains to Alpha’s collection: 955ClassicHits.com, 955TheTruthRanch.com, and 955TheRanch.com.
Update 4/27: Alpha continues to add some more potential domains for 95.5, playing along with the discussion brought upon by our report. The new domains for 95.5 are 955TheSound.com, Rewind955.com, and Vibe955.com. They’ve also added 750TheGame.com for a potential shift of the Sports format to AM.
There may be also more moves coming in Portland for Alpha. Alpha has registered 979TheVibe.com and Arrow979.com for what is currently Cumulus’ Modern Rock KNRQ Eugene, OR. KNRQ has a Construction Permit to move to the Portland market with 3.7kW licensed to Tualatin, OR and a further application for 10kw licensed to Aloha, OR, both from the KGW-TV tower that houses a number of Portland FM’s. Nothing has been filed yet regarding Alpha leasing or purchasing KNRQ from Cumulus, but these registrations indicate Alpha at least wants us to believe that such a move is pending.
Update 4/24: Add one more domain to Alpha’s registrations this week: Live955.com.
Original Report 4/21: Following the replacement of Active Rock 101.1 KUFO with a simulcast of News/Talk 750 KXL, Alpha Broadcasting is preparing to make a programming change at another of its Portland, OR stations.
Over the past few days, a number of domains have popped up indicating that the Sports format of “95.5 The Game” KXTG may be on its last legs. The following domains have all been registered directly to Alpha Broadcasting this week: 955Jack.com, 955LaRaza.com, Click955.com, MyAlice955.com, MyPower955.com, MyQ955.com, and 955Sam.com. There’s also 955TheSpot.com registered to a local Portland resident that we’re monitoring for a possible connection to KXTG.
KXTG is the flagship station of the NBA Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently in the midst of their first round playoff series. Any change at KXTG would seemingly not take place until after the NBA season ends locally. As KXTG is also the flagship for the MLS Portland Timbers and University of Oregon we expect the Sports format will be relocated to Alpha’s Talk “Freedom 970” KUFO or 750 KXL or merged into the News/Talk format at KXL AM/FM.
Alpha Broadcasting owns 750 KXL, 970 KUFO, 95.5 KXTG, Country 98.7 KUPL, 101.1 KXL-FM, and AAA 101.9 KINK in the Portland market.
Also note that http://myalice955.com/ actually LINKS to the alpha broadcasting website. What is Alpha trying to do here?
All link to the Alpha page. Is this a competitor fot KKCW on the Horizon. Let the rumors begin. 🙂
The season is officially over for Portland’s pro basketball team. So we’ll see what happens.
Link leads to a template for SAM 95.5 Portland’s Classic Hits, a return to Oldies?
The “Live955.com” site reads: “Portland’s Classic Hits 95.5 SAM FM”. “Welcome To Portland’s Classic Hits. Date of Birth: Wednesday, May 25th, 2011 at 6:00pm”. Recording embedded: “The New Sam 95~5 Portland’s Classic Hits – The Greatest Hits Of The Seventies”. Song clips that play: Rock ‘n Me – Steve Miller Band – 1976; That’s All – Genesis – 1983; Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen – 1980; Let It Ride – Bachman-Turner Overdrive – 1974.
99% sure this is a decoy setup after I published the update last night. If/when you see to high quality professionally designed site that was there then and compare it to what’s there now, you’ll see why we’re so confident.
At worst the station will be stunting as Sam before the actual flip to Live.