Update 11/17: Entercom wasted no time after the merger with CBS Radio closed to initiate the first half of its San Diego frequency swap minutes after the deal closed.
Country 97.3 KSON has relocated to the former home of CHR “Energy 103.7” KEGY while utilizing 97.3 to redirect those listeners to the new frequency.
The Energy format is running exclusively online this weekend commercial-free but with the airstaff in place and will relaunch on 97.3 on Monday, November 20.
Update 11/14: In addition to KSON, CHR “Energy 103.7” KEGY is now promoting it will be moving to a new home on Monday, November 20. With 103.7 expected to become the new home of KSON on Friday the only question was whether Energy would move or be abandoned altogether.
We can also exclusively report that Entercom registered Energy973.com today, but will the CHR move just be a placeholder until a flip to Sports in time for the start of the 2018 baseball season?
Original Report 11/13: Setting a moving time for Friday, November 17 at 12:00pm, KSON is not yet announcing where it will be moving as it is headed to a frequency not yet owned by Entercom. We have learned that 103.7 will become the new home of KSON as what is now CHR “Energy 103.7” KEGY has a better signal than 97.3 in the northern portions of the San Diego market that had been served by simulcaster 92.1 KSOQ-FM Escondido. KSOQ-FM was spun-off to Educational Media Foundation and will become part of its Christian CHR “Air 1” network.
Is the CHR format going in reverse to 97.3 or are there more pieces in play? After the merger closes Entercom will also own Alternative “FM 94.9” KBZT, AC 96.5 KYXY, and Classic Hits “Sunny 98.1” KXSN in addition to 97.3 and 103.7. And does the final result end up with a Sports format to better pair with the company owning the rights to MLB’s San Diego Padres than putting the games on 94.9 paired with Alternative Rock?
Can’t help but wonder if they’ll announce this week that WEEI Boston is moving to one of the stronger signals they’ll be acquiring. Would make so much sense.
Is San Diego capable of supporting three all-Sports stations? 1090 and 1360 both still have a decent amount of local programming in spite of neither station having any professional PBP rights.
That contract with Entercom is a gigantic albatross, but it’s not really Entercom’s fault per se.
Not everything has to be centered around pro sports. Xtra Sports 1360 and cluster companion 101 KGB have the San Diego State Aztecs. The Mighty 1090 and co-owned ESPN 1700 have the University of San Diego Toreros.
They did a decent job communicating the move on the KSON side, but the KEGY side? Not so much.
Granted, coordinating the marketing aspect of this would be difficult because that could bring up prior control issues, but the format basically disappeared last night. Other than a handful of social posts saying “tune in to find out where we’re moving” and now saying to download the app, they’ve done the Energy audience no favors.
If they don’t consider this audience expendable, they’re not acting like it.