Cumulus Media has flipped CHR “Energy 93.9” WYRG Lawrence/Indianapolis IN to Rock “93.9 X” WNDX.
Positioned as “Indy’s Rock Station”, the new format launched at 12pm on Friday with Metallica “Enter Sandman”, Linkin Park “Faint”, and Bad Wolves “Zombie”. The station is running commercial-free for the holiday weekend.
Becoming redundant after Cumulus acquired CHR 99.5 WZPL from Entercom, the flip away from CHR to Rock places the station between iHeartMedia’s combo of Classic Rock “Q95” 94.7 WFBQ and Alternative “Alt 103.3” WOLT.
The Bert Show will move to Hot AC “107.9 The Mix” WNTR.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that Energy 93.9/WYRG-FM flips to 93-9X, Indy’s Rock Station! The Indianapolis Rock audience can expect to hear songs from Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Metallica, Nirvana, Guns n’ Roses and more on 93-9X. The station will run commercial-free through Memorial Day weekend. The Bert Show moves from WYRG to mornings on sister station 107.9 The Mix/WNTR-FM.
Chuck Fredrick, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Indianapolis, said: “93-9X Indianapolis’s Rock Station is looking forward to serving the Rock enthusiast and the communities they live, work and celebrate in.”
Troy Hanson, Corporate Program Director, CUMULUS MEDIA, said: “We are excited to expand the successful 93X brand to Indianapolis with the new 93-9X. Shout out to (KXXR/MSP Program Director) Derek Madden, our brainchild on this project, as we fill a hole in the marketplace with a much-needed Rock station. The partnership opportunities this brand adds to our Indy cluster portfolio and Rock platform are limitless.”
Mark W. 
saladressing
Despite the similarity in branding, this station’s playlist is very different from that of 93X in the Twin Cities.
The Indianapolis station mixes in decent does of classic rock and sissy alt music. (A double shot of Imagine Dragons? Really??? If anyone wanted to hear that garbage, they’d be listening to Alt 103.3) I wish 93.9 sounded more like 93X in the Twin Cities or Cincinnati’s 96Rock from a playlist standpoint.
Still, this station is better than any other rock-based station previously available on the dial in Indy.
Been listening to the station online this weekend and haven’t heard the same imaging piece more than once which is really cool. Nice that they filled the void for a Rock station in Indy; also nice that this format is still a viable option for programmers in 2019.
I also like how they are using the “X” name that was abandoned by 103.3. If I recall correctly, 103.3 was at one time having more or less a hard alternative format.
They seem to have backed off the classic rock they were spinning a lot in the first few hours (“Sweet Emotion” into “Living on a Prayer”) and seem to be settling in to more or less a meat and potatoes Rock position.
While they probably won’t be #1 in the ratings like Classic Hip Hop was upon its debut on that signal a few years ago, I predict that they will make a huge jump in the 6+ June ratings (presently at a 1.2 share). In Minneapolis, 93X has been the #1 rated rock-based or alternative station in recent months and was rated #2 overall in the market in January.
Great points; I too have noticed the reduction in classic rock airplay over the past couple days.
The other thing I’ve noticed – just how broad the playlist is! While a number of tracks certainly have gotten played multiple times already, each & every day numerious new songs seem to be added. The vast majority (other than the wimpy alt songs or “butt rock” by the likes of Bon Jovi) are excellent choices.
93X in the Twin Cities for the past year has often finished top 3 in Adults 25-54. The station is seeing some of the best ratings in its history and is one of the highest rated Active Rock stations (in a top 50 market) in the country. WMMR, WRIF, KQRC, KISW and KUPD all earn phenomenally strong ratings on a regular basis, too.
X103 for most if not all of its life was an Alternative panel reporter, but it was more or less an Active Rock station that steered away from anything pre-grunge. The station played Mandatory Metallica nightly and the backbone of its playlist was nu metal.
iHeart hates programming stations for men, it seems. They have an incredibly small number of FM Sports stations and nearly all active rock & mainstream rock stations in the company were inherited from predecessors (AMFM, Jacor, etc.). It’s no surprise they found an excuse to pivot X103 from edgy rock to sissy alt. The company did the same thing in Dayton.
I hope 93.9X beats the living snot out of Alt 103.3 in the ratings!!!
Excellent points all around. I recall the old X103 now that you mention it. At the time when it comes to mainstream radio formats I was more of an ‘alternative’ purist because in those days that meant being into bands like Pennywise, OK Go, Bosstones, Garbage, etc. as opposed to the neo folk artists that unfortunately dominate the format today on command from whatever forces that wanted to as you accurately state sissify the format.
I think this new station will do well because while there are millennials who enjoy the soft sounds that now classify somehow as “alternative,” there are also those in that age group who like rock music as evidenced by solid ratings for various active rock stations nationwide.