Entercom has flipped another former CBS Radio CHR to Alternative as “101.9 Amp Radio” WQMP Daytona Beach/Orlando has become “Alt 101.9“.
The change took place just after 3:00pm this afternoon as the station joined 92.3 New York and 103.7 Dallas from ditching the “Amp Radio” Top 40 identity for the “Alt” branding and format.
WQMP ranked twelfth in the Orlando market with a 3.4 share in the October 2017 Nielsen Audio ratings. That placed it well behind iHeartMedia’s “XL 106.7” WXXL and its 7.9. The move to Alternative will place WQMP closer to iHeartMedia Rock 101.1 WJRR. As we reported in Monday’s Daily Domains, iHeart registered Alt1011Orlando.com last week for WJRR-HD3 which has carried their Alternative programming since September 2016. Additionally, iHeartMedia Hot Talk “Real Radio 104.1” WTKS-FM played Alternative music on weekends.
Entercom Communications Corp. (NYSE: ETM) today announced the launch of ALT 101.9 FM, Orlando’s New Alternative. The station will provide music fans in Orlando with a true alternative through an expertly curated playlist with local, informed discovery including modern and mainstream alternative music and some classic alternative hits. The launch of ALT 101.9 FM comes shortly after Entercom’s transformational merger with CBS Radio and expands on the company’s position as the #1 creator of live, original local audio content in the United States.
“In a city with a rapidly evolving demographic, we are thrilled to fill this void in radio in Orlando,” said Pat Paxton, Entercom’s President of Programming. “ALT 101.9 FM caters to the tech-savvy, engaged and active Orlando audience and will provide an exciting and unique experience for listeners who are currently underserved with today’s radio choices in Orlando.”
ALT 101.9 stands alone as the only locally curated alternative rock station in Orlando and serves passionate music fans in the market who are online and always on the go. The station is celebrating its launch by putting the music first and playing 10,000 songs commercial-free, which started at 3:00 PM EST today. Listeners in the Orlando area can tune in to 101.9 FM, stream at http://www.alt1019radio.com and connect with the station online via social media as @alt1019radio on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
On November 17, Entercom announced that it completed its merger with CBS Radio Inc. to create a leading American media and entertainment company and one of the top two radio broadcasters in the country. Entercom is now the #1 creator of live, original, local audio content in the United States and the nation’s unrivaled leader in news and sports radio. With a nationwide footprint of 235 stations, Entercom will engage over 100 million people weekly with a premier collection of highly-rated, award-winning radio stations, digital platforms and live events.
Eric Jon Magnuson 
theoutsider 
Mark W. 
Charles Everett 
tsherck 
ksradiogeek 
Bizzle 
josephw 
Buzzzz 
donobrian 
I like the decision to use a different color for each of the new logos: lime green here, yellow/gold for NYC, and blue for DFW.
They did the right thing as they knew CBS made a big mistake with that station. CBS never should have dumped the Urban format a few years ago. The station was never much of a factor as a Pop/CHR.
They didn’t do the right thing. The right thing would’ve been to revert 101.9 FM to an Urban format of some kind.
Alternative has a lukewarm history at best in Orlando. O-Rock 105.9 didn’t last, and WJRR’s ratings sagged when they gave the format a shot as “101One.”
The format has earned terrible ratings for many years in Tampa and is not performing very well right now in South Florida.
I think the classic hip-hop format recently adopted in Chicago would’ve been a better choice.
“Alternative” has become mainstream music. Entercom understands that, which is why it took flailing stations in New York, Dallas, and now Orlando to the Alt format. The only ones who can’t figure that out are fanboys on message boards.
And have you seen where Rap Oldies has crashed and burned in another PPM market?
Yep WRWM 93.9 Indianapolis and Boom 106.3 Columbus, OH
This wonderful “mainstream” format you describe has earned miserable ratings for many years in Tampa, and is earning miserable ratings right now on an Entercom-owned station in Miami.
The vast majority of the artists in the alternative format have zero staying power.
Classic hip-hop stations can be easily tweaked into something broader, if needed, as evidenced by Hot 96.9 in Boston. There are several classic hip-hop stations – or Urban stations with heavy reliance on classic hip-hop – that earn decent ratings. Examples: 105.1 The Bounce in Detroit, Hot 103.7 in Seattle, the aforementioned Hot 96.9 and Q102 in San Francisco.
For the folks who are proclaiming Entercom’s expertise in Alternative, how do you explain the dumpster fire in San Diego? FM 94/9’s ratings have been a disaster for a LONG time, even before Padres baseball was added (which was a truly stupid programming move).
Mark, are you looking at just 6+?
97X’s ratings have been poor because of the rimshot signal. But like ETM, Cox likes alternative, and can be used in a sales combo with the Bone.
SD has long been an alternative-favoring market. 6+ is in the 1’s, but when you look at target demos of males 18-34 and 18-49 especially, they do fairly well. And in addition, the format does make $$$, especially in SD.
In 2016, according to estimates, KBZT billed only about one-half of what Rock 105.3 billed.
It also trailed 100.7 “KFM-BFM” by about $2 million.
It appears to be one of the lowest billing FM stations in the market on a U.S.-licensed signal.
As far as Miami is concerned, 104.3 The Shark captured only an estimated 3.3% of total radio revenue in that market.
Ya know, Cumulus “likes country.” Does that mean some of you consider the Nash brand a success?
The green logo looks almost like the same color of the nyc logo maybe it’s my eyes. I must be going blind! Lol!
Judging by the Facebook comments, the listeners appear way more bent out of shape about this flip in Orlando than in any of the other Entercom markets. I guess we’ll see how this one survives going forward…
Considering this is the only market where Entercom kept the existing Facebook page of course there’s going to be more complaints on it.
The first people who are going to notice the change are listeners of the former format. How they react to a change means absolutely nothing as long as new listeners are brought in.
I can normally find faults with the way most radio station execute their formats but this is not the case with the entercom alt format in NYC. I don’t know if NYC will support such a station but I think that what I have heard on 923 for the past week and a half is truly the best shot that the format could ever hope to get. The music is far superior to what was done at k-rock and even those few weeks where WRXP had it together. I’m a chr listener first, rhythmic second, and classic/adult hits third. Yet, 923 is my go to station now because it sounds fresh, has a great variety of sounds, and also does a great balance of gold with the currents. I really hope that this format takes off, if not viable for the situation of NYC’s ethnic composition, but surely for other markets.