Update 9/1: The first half of the shift is complete. 100.3 began simulcasting 107.9 WRNB at 12:00am. The call letters have been swapped, with 100.3 now WRNB Media and 107.9 now WPHI-FM Pennsauken.
Update 8/30: Radio-One adds what look like two decoy domains with 1079PhillyRocks.com and 1079News.com.
Original Report 8/25: Radio-One has announced that Urban AC “107.9 R&B” WRNB Philadelphia will move to 100.3 on Thursday, September 1.
107.9’s programming will move completely intact to 100.3 including Tom Joyner in mornings.
This shift will transfer the WRNB programming from the Class A signal licensed to Pennsauken, NJ where it operates with 780 watts at 906 feet to 100.3’s directional Class B. The latter is licensed to Media, PA with 17kW at 863 feet. The station is directional towards the northeast and southwest to protect 100.3’s in New York and Washington, DC, but gives better coverage of the majority of the Philadelphia market.
The move will completely displace Urban “100.3 The Beat” WPHI. The Beat recently let go of morning team Star & Buc Wild and earlier this week announced that Program Director Boogie D was transferring to Radio-One’s St. Louis cluster.
What will come to 107.9? It appears a revamped Urban format will debut as Radio-One registered Hot1079Philly.com in late July. They have already applied to swap the call letters of both stations. 100.3 will become WRNB and 107.9 will be WPHI.
In the July monthly PPM’s, WRNB registered a 4.1 share of the audience, placing it well behind Clear Channel’s 105.3 WDAS‘ 5.9. The Beat was at a 2.3, well behind “Power 99” 98.9 WUSL’s 4.1 with an identical format.
Radio-One also operates Gospel “Praise 103.9” WPPZ in Philadelphia.
Aaron
The move of Radio One’s young adult-targeted station to the weak 107.9 signal signifies Radio One giving up on battling Power 99. Radio One needs a young-targeted station so they can sell it in combo with WRNB and WPPZ, but they also realize they can’t beat Power. Expect “Hot” to be a hip-hop heavy station run as cheaply as possible and expect it to be a non-factor in the ratings.