A year ago we logged 53 format changes taking place between Christmas and January 2. This year the action began the Thursday before Christmas with the launch of EDM “Evolution 101.7” in Boston. With the debut of CBS Sports Radio on January 2, we wouldn’t be surprised if we log more changes this year than last.
1/8: Greater Media’s “NewsTalk 96.9” WTKK Boston completes its revamp as Rhythmic Hot AC “Hot 96.9 following a week of stunting.
1/7: Rhythmic CHR “Wild 105.5” KPMW Maui, HI revamps as Mainstream CHR “Mix 105.5”
1/7: Davidson Media Sports 910 WOLI Spartanburg, SC shifts to Classic Hits “Earth 105.7”
1/7: Clear Channel Classic Country “AM 920 The Wolf” WOKY Milwaukee shifts to Sports “The Big 920”
1/7: Cumulus Standards “Swing 1270” WHLD Buffalo joined CBS Sports Radio as “1270 The Fan”
1/7: “Real Talk 1160” WQRT Cincinnati goes dark in preparation of launching a new format on 2/1.
1/7: 970 KNUU Las Vegas returns from silence with Catholic programming under new Immaculate Heart Radio ownership and debuts its new KNIH call letters.
1/7: 92.7 KZIQ Ridgecrest, CA relaunched after Christmas as AC “Q-Lite 92.7“. The station is now operated by Adelman Broadcasting who have a purchase of the station pending.
1/7: 105.1 WNGA Clermont/Athens, GA came out of Christmas music programming as Soft AC/Oldies “EZ 105.1“.
1/7: Birmingham rimshot “Classic Country 1360” WIXI Jasper, AL shifted to Spanish Adult Hits.
1/3: Curtis Media flipped Regional Mexican “La Ley 96.9” WYMY Goldsboro/Raleigh, NC to Urban AC “New 96.9” WBZJ. The previous format remains on 101.1 WZTK Burlington which also assumes the WYMY calls.
1/3: Blueberry Broadcasting merged the Classic Hits formats of 104.3 WABK Gardiner, ME and 104.7 WBAK Belfast into a trimulcast with newly acquired 107.7 WBKA Bar Harbor.
1/3: Rocking M Radio AC “Star 107.9” KZRS Great Bend, KS shifted to Classic Hits “Old School 107.9”
1/3: Concurrently sister Variety Hits “96.7 Jack-FM” Great Bend, KS flipped to Country “Kansas Country 96.7”
1/2: “La Kalle 100.3” KQMR Globe, AZ adds additional Phoenix coverage as it begins simulcasting on 105.3 KHOV Wickenburg
1/2: 1330 KWFM Tucson has flipped to Soft AC/Oldies “Star 1330“. They were Liberal Talk earlier in 2012 before going silent and then All-Christmas.
1/2: 106.1 WLVO Live Oak, FL returns to the air with Christian AC programming from Q105 Tampa’s Mason Dixon’s FaithfulRoad.com
1/2: 1590 WGBW Denmark/Green Bay, WI shifts from the True Oldies Channel to “ESPN Green Bay”
1/2: Standards “Star 1400” WSEG/104.3 W282AF Savannah becomes “ESPN Radio 104.3”
1/2: The launch of CBS Sports Radio brings upon the following changes:
Conservative Talk “America’s Talk 1660” WBCN Charlotte to “CBS Sports Radio 1660”
Rhythmic Oldies “Mojo 100.3” WMOJ Cincinnati to “100.3 The Fan” WCFN
Conservative Talk “Talk 1270” WXYT Detroit to “CBS Sports Radio 1270”
Conservative Talk “Talk 650” KIKK Houston to “CBS Sports Radio 650”
Conservative Talk 1430 WXNT Indianapolis to “CBS Sports 1430”
Comedy “Funny 102.5” K273BZ Kansas City to “102.5 The Fan”
Children’s “KYDZ Radio 1140” KYDZ Las Vegas to “CBS Sports Radio 1140” KXST
News/Talk WTDY AM/FM Madison to “The Zone 1670 & 106.7”
610 WIP Philadelphia from simulcast of 94.1 WIP-FM to “CBS Sports Radio 610”
Talk “960 The Zone” WEAV Plattsburgh, NY to Sports with same name
Liberal Talk “AM 1090” KPTK Seattle to “1090 The Fan” KFNQ
1010 WHFS Tampa from simulcast of 98.7 WHFS-FM to “CBS Sports Radio 1010”
Dozens of station changed their network affiliation between sports networks with no change in format as well.
1/1: Service Broadcasting’s “Soul 730” KKDA Dallas has been sold and shifted to Korean programming.
1/1: Three Eagles’ 105.9 KLTB Fort Dodge, IA relaunched as “Hippie Radio 105.9” after a long stretch of stunting
1/1: Three Eagles also flipped Classic Rock “104.3 The Fox” KKSD Milbank/Watertown, SD to Classic Hits “Hippie Radio 104.3”
1/1: Clear Channel Hot AC “Alice 96.7” KALZ Fresno and Sports 1400 KRZR Visalia made their long awaited move to Conservative Talk “Power Talk 96.7“.
1/1: Impact Radio’s 730 KINF Boise dropped its simulcast of sister Talk 99.1 KINF-FM to debut Sports “ESPN Boise”
1/1: Townsquare Media AC 92.9 WEZQ Bangor flipped to Sports “92.9 The Ticket”
1/1: Clear Channel Liberal Talk 1310 WDTW Detroit went dark following its donation to the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council
12/29: Cox Media signed-on 106.1 W291CI Jacksonville as Soft AC/Oldies “106.1 The Dove“.
12/28: 102.7 KWVF Santa Rosa, CA signed-on as Classic Hits “102.7 The Wolf”
12/28: Variety Hits “102.3 Sam-FM” WRHL-FM Rochelle, IL gave way to Country “102.3 The Coyote”
12/28: 96.3 KXXN Wichita Falls, TX launched Rhythmic CHR “Wild 96.3”
12/28: Max Media shifted formats on two signals near Cape Girardeau, MO as Classic Hits “92.9 The River” KLSC moved to 93.9 displacing CHR “93.9 Kiss-FM” WGKS, while 92.9 began simulcasting two AM sisters as “ESPN SE Missouri”
12/26: University of Texas’ 98.9 KUTX Austin began its AAA format “in preview mode” as it prepares for its official launch on 1/2.
12/26: 98.7 CKPM-FM Port Moody, BC became the Vancouver market’s third AAA with its official debut.
12/26: What was previously CHR “Wired 96.3” CFWD Saskatoon ended its Christmas stunt to debut Classic Hits “96.3 Cruz-FM“.
12/26: The former FM simulcast of KOGO San Diego ended its Christmas music run to debut Rhythmic Oldies “95.7 Kiss-FM”
12/26: Cumulus returned “Wink 103.3” WARM-FM York, PA to its previous AC “Warm 103.3” identity
12/26: AC “K98.3” WRIK-FM Paducah, KY relaunched as Adult CHR “Jelli 98.3” WJLI
12/26: 94.9 K235BT Fort Collins, CO used its “Christmas 94.9” filler format to shift from simulcasting News/Talk 600 KCOL to debuting “Fox Sports Radio 94.9”
12/26: Stephen King’s 103.1 WZON-FM used a Christmas music stunt to shift from Liberal Talk “Pulse 103.1” to AAA “103.1 The Loft” WZLO.
12/26: The former Variety Hits “104.3 Chuck-FM” WCHK-FM Green Bay ended its long Christmas stunt to debut 80s/90s Hits “KZ 104.3” WKZG.
12/26: W293AH Huntsville debuted its new identity of CHR “106.5 Kiss-FM”
12/25: Rocking M Radio Variety Hits “95.5 Jack-FM” KVOB Salina, KS gave way to “Rock 95.5”
12/24: Main Line Broadcasting’s “FM Talk 105.1” WLRS Louisville ended its Christmas music stunt a day early to debut Soft Oldies “Easy Rock 105.1”
12/21: Clear Channel AC “Today’s 106.5” KOSY Salt Lake City gave way to Classic Rock “Rock 106.5”
12/20: Clear Channel Variety Hits “101.7 The Harbor” WHBA Boston made the unexpected flip to EDM “Evolution 101.7”
