iHeartMedia flipped CHR “99.3 Kiss-FM” WHKF Harrisburg PA to Alternative “Alt 99.3” at 10am today.

Positioned as “Central PA’s Alternative Rock”, the station is taking direct aim at Cumulus Media’s “105.7 The X” WQXA-FM York. Since the demise of 92.1 WTPA earlier this year, WQXA-FM moved from Modern Rock to a more gold based Mainstream Rock position as the only game in town.

WHKF continues to run sweepers redirecting its former CHR audience to sister CHR “FM 97” 96.9 WLAN-FM Lancaster.

iHeartMedia Harrisburg announced today the debut of the new ALT 99.3, Central PA’s Alternative Rock, effective immediately. Alt 99.3 will broadcast the latest and greatest in Alternative Rock including songs from artists including Blink 182, twenty one pilots, The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Imagine Dragons. The station will also feature 99 minutes of commercial-free Alternative Rock music three times every weekday.

“We’re thrilled to bring this exciting station to the listeners of Central PA,” remarked Jeff Hurley, SVP/Programming for iHeartMedia’s Allentown-Harrisburg Region. “There’s been a void in the market for Alternative Rock and the new ALT 99.3 fills that void, and provides three 99-minute commercial-free blocks of music every weekday!”

Full Weekday Programming Lineup:
Jeff Hurley 6 – 10am
Wendy Rollins 10am – 3pm
Klinger 3pm – 7pm
Samantha Kelly 7pm – 12am

Original Report 4/2: iHeartMedia CHR “99.3 Kiss-FM” WHKF Harrisburg PA has begun redirecting listeners to sister CHR “FM 97” 96.9 WLAN-FM Lancaster in preparation of debuting a new format.

The move comes following Cumulus Media’s shift last month of competing CHR “Hot 93.5” WWKL to 106.7’s larger regional signal. Whereas 93.5 and 99.3 only cover the Harrisburg market, 106.7 covers Lancaster, Reading, and York as well. As does 96.9 WLAN-FM, which had only been selling to those three and not Harrisburg to protect its sister station. With Cumulus now selling regionally, iHeart has decided to do the same with “FM 97“.

WHKF registered a 3.0 share in the Fall 2017 Nielsen Audio ratings to WWKL’s 3.6 on its former 93.5 signal.

We reported on the likely new format for WHKF in last Friday’s Daily Domains report.