Amidst expectations the station will become CHR “Power 96.1“, Clear Channel Alternative/Active Rock “Project 9-6-1” WKLS Atlanta signed off a little after 7:00pm this evening.Update 8/30: Rick Vaughn, Program Director of Clear Channel’s “103.5 Kiss-FM” WKSC Chicago will be transferring to Atlanta to program both “Power 96.1” and “Wild 105.7/96.7“. Following the launch of Power, Wild has taken a decisively more Urban/Rhythmic turn musically.
Despite the earlier registration of Project1053.com, don’t expect to see the format reappear elsewhere in the Clear Channel cluster as most of the Project staff has been let go.
Update 8:15pm: After the hourlong stunt of CHR Gold and the first line looped of Fugees’ “Ready Or Not”, “Power 96.1” debuted at 8:05pm. Branded as “Atlanta’s New Hit Music Station”, the station is launching with 9600 songs commercial free. Elvis Duran will move from sister “Wild 105.7/96.7” in mornings. Ryan Seacrest will host middays. Listen to the sign-off of Project and the launch of Power at FormatChange.com.
The first hour of Power 96.1 featured:
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Nicki Minaj – Starships
Neon Trees – Everybody Talks
Rhianna – Where Have You Been
Ellie Goulding – Lights
The Wanted – Glad You Came
Usher – Scream
Cobra Starship – You Make Me Feel
Katy Perry – Wide Awake
David Guetta – Titanium
One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful
Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
Maroon 5 – One More Night
Calvin Harris – Feel So Close
Flo Rida – Whistle
Original Report 7:20pm:Following a farewell statement from Program Director/Afternoon host Chris Williams, the station paid tribute to the station’s 38 year heritage as a Rock station by signing off with Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”.
The following farewell statement was posted on the station’s Facebook page:
96.1 has been Atlanta’s rock destination since 1974. The Project Family is so proud to have carved out our own chapter in the rich legacy of WKLS. The radio dial will sound much different after today. We can never thank you enough for all your support and passion for Project 9-6-1 over the past 6 years and for 96rock the years before us. We consider ourselves among the luckiest each and every day we were allowed to enter this studio and create a radio station that made us proud. Thank you for inviting The Project into your cars, jobs and homes. Thank you for Living Loud and Playing Hard, please don’t stop. Most of all, thank you for being Part of the Project!
Following a brief period of silence, the station has been airing CHR gold tracks with no imaging. The first few songs were:
Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back
Nelly – Hot In Herre
Destiny’s Child – Jumpin Jumpin
Kriss Kross – Jump
Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started
Miley Cyrus – Party In The USA
Is CHR “Power 96.1” the next format or a decoy?
pythia 
David Siver 
shawn clark 
Frustrated!!!
What about “Wild?” Are they still on the air? Wouldn’t they be competing with themselves? Are they simulcasting?
What goes around, comes around – remember Power 99?
Apples and oranges. When Power 99 flipped to 99X, it filled a void in Atlanta radio. When Project 9-6-1 flipped to Power 96.1, it created a void in Atlanta radio.
Farewell, friends. You will be missed. ATL radio has been fizzling out over the past few years. Gone are the days of Z93, 96 Rock, and 99X. Project 9-6-1 was the last bastion of the “hard chargers” who like their rock the same way they like their women, fast. I guess I’ll have to turn the radio off and sit in silence.
Project 9-6-1 has been the greatest station to listen to. now I have no reason to listen to the radio anymore. ive been apart of the project since the beginning and love every minute of it. Thank u Project from some great memories. They truely have messed up by taking u off the air.
Will Project or at least some form of Alternative or Rock come to the 105.3 Frequency? Now there are 4 Hit music stations in Atlanta. But only little weak 99x that no one can pick up unless there smack dab in the center of downtown!?! I for one am tired of 105.3 being spanish its a big frequency and Alternative would be great back on there!
That’s still not an acceptable solution for me, personally. The transmitter for 105.3 FM is a 100,000-watt flame-thrower for sure, but the problem is, it’s located in Coweta County, so even if Clear Channel flipped the frequency back to an “active rock” format a la 105.3 The Buzz, rock music fans in Athens and Gainesville would still be left out in the cold in spite of the strength of its transmitter.
I live on the east side of Athens, and even 96.1 FM begins to die about 10 miles to the east of me. I’m literally as far east as its signal can go reliably, and that’s with a 99,000-watt transmitter located on the Fulton County/DeKalb County line. There’s no way a transmitter in Coweta County would make it this far, even with 1,000 extra watts of power.
Anyway, Kidd Chris and Chris Williams (the old program director) have both said that Project 9-6-1 is gone and will not be resurrected on another frequency, so this discussion is moot anyway.