Townsquare Media has launched Adult R&B “102.5/104.9 The Block” in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek MI.
The new brand replaces Classic Hits “K102.5” on 102.5 W273AR Paw Paw/103.3 WKFR-HD2 Kalamazoo and Alternative “104.9 The Edge” WBXX Marshall/Battle Creek. The new brand debuted at 10am today under Townsquare Media Kalamazoo Director of Content Dana Marshall and Brand Manager Da’Jzon Hughes.
Hughes has served as Production Director for Townsquare Kalamazoo since November 2021. He will also host afternoons for the new brand. The station will also carry Compass Media Networks’ DeDe In The Morning from 5-10am and Superadio’s The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green at night.
W273AR ranked tenth in the Kalamazoo market with a 2.4 share in the Fall 2022 Nielsen Audio ratings. The new format places it in direct competition with Midwest Communications’ “The Touch” 1660 WTOU Kalamazoo/95.5 W238AL Portage, which was eighth with a 3.4 share.
Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and the entire Southwest Michigan area, there’s a new radio station for fans of Whitney Houston, Marvin Gaye, Mary J. Blige and Beyoncé – WBXX 102.5/104.9 The Block, Southwest Michigan’s #1 for R&B.
Launching today, January 16, 2023, at 10 a.m., on the celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Block aims to service a portion of the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek radio listening audience that has been missing a presence in the airwaves that caters to them.
“I am beyond proud to be part of Kalamazoo’s new R&B radio station,” Townsquare Media director of content Dana Marshall said. “Over the years, people have expressed to me countless times at events like the Do-Dah Parade and Ribfest, that there is not a radio station for them. I’m so happy to say, now there is with 102-5 and 104-9 The Block.”
“I’m excited to be working on a project as big as this one,” The Block’s brand manager Da’Jzon Hughes said. “The Block will serve as a station for the urban community and I couldn’t be prouder to serve my community with something it’s been searching for!”
Hughes will DJ the afternoon drive on WBXX from 3-7 p.m. every weekday. He’s a native of Kalamazoo and is also the production director for Townsquare Media’s cluster of Southwest Michigan radio stations including 103.3 WKFR, 107.7 WRKR and 95.3 WBCK.
Joining Hughes on the air will be DeDe In The Morning weekdays 5-10 a.m. and Saturdays 6-10 a.m. as well as The Quiet Storm with Lenny Green weeknights from 7 p.m. until midnight. More exciting additions to the lineup will join The Block in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!
There are multiple ways to catch all of your favorite radio personalities and R&B hits. The Block airs in Kalamazoo on the 102.5 signal and in Battle Creek on the 104.9 signal. Of course, in the digital age, the station is also available online. For the full 102.5/104.9 The Block experience, download the all-new station app where you can live stream the station, listen to your favorite shows on-demand and stay up to date with the latest happenings in Southwest Michigan.
