The start of the new calendar year is one of the busiest times of the year for format changes. Between December 21, 2012 and January 8, 2013 we logged 58 format changes and this year is already shaping up to be busy.
Changes That Have Taken Place
1/6: Variety Hits “98.7 The Peak” KPKX Phoenix flips to Sports simulcasting “Arizona Sports 620” KTAR
1/6: “Rock 92.3” WRKN New Orleans flips to Country “Nash-FM 92.3”
1/6: 95.7 WXDJ Miami relaunches as Spanish Hot AC “I95” following move of previous format to 106.7.
1/6: Liberal Talk 1600 WWRL New York flips to Regional Mexican “La Invasora”
1/6: 1290 WPCF/93.9 W227CE Panama City flip to Dance “93.9 Play-FM“.
1/3: Soft AC/Oldies “1320/1450 The Dove” WDDV Venice/WSDV Sarasota rebrand as “Sunny 1450/1320”
1/2: Sports “104.9 The Horn” KTXX-FM Austin flips to a hybrid of Sports & Classic Hits
1/2: Clear Channel launches Rhythmic Oldies “Hot 100.9” K265CA Albuquerque
1/2: Variety Hits “97.7 Guess-FM” 1430 WOWW/97.7 W249BN Memphis moves to 830 WUMY/99.3 W257CY
1/2: 1150 KTLK Los Angeles relaunches as Conservative Talk “1150 The Patriot” KEIB
1/1: After swapping the frequencies of CHR “105.7 Now” WMKS and Active Rock “100.3 The Buzz” WVBZ Greensboro, Clear Channel rebranded 100.3 as “Kiss-FM” and shifted “105.7 The Buzz” to Alternative.
1/1: News/Talk 570 KSNM Las Cruces flips to Classic Country
1/1: Christian AC 89.5 WKSG Ocala, FL flips to Adult Standards/Jazz “The Boulevard”
1/1: Evanov Soft AC 100.7 CFJL Winnipeg rebranded as “101 The Jewel”
1/1: News/Talk 1420 WRCG Columbus, GA flipped to Classic Rock “The Ride“, while new Urban “Hip Hop 99.7” moved to 106.5.
1/1: WQQR Paducah, KY to flipped to AC “94.7 The Mix“.
1/1: Clear Channel Talk 960 KNEW San Francisco has shifted to Conservative Talk as “960 The Patriot“.
1/1: News/Talk 920 WGHQ Kingston, NY shifted to NPR/Talk following donation to Robin Hood Radio
1/1: Talk 1230 WOIC Columbia, SC flipped to Sports “ESPN Columbia“.
1/1: Hot AC’s “Hot 97.5” KMVA and “My 103.9” KEXX Phoenix merged as “Trending Radio – Hot 97.5/103.9“.
1/1: 100.3 KLRZ Larose/New Orleans flips from Cajun Swamp Pop to Sports “ESPN 100.3”
1/1: Urban “104.9 The Beat” KWBT Waco moved to 94.5 replacing Talk KBCT; 104.9 relaunched as Rhythmic CHR “Hot 104.9” KBHT.
1/1: Adult Alternative “87.7 Cleveland’s Sound” WLFM-LP Cleveland was leased and flipped to Spanish CHR “La Mega 87.7”
1/1 – News/Talk 1270 WRJM/96.1 W241BU Charleston, IL to sign-off
12/31: Clear Channel Classic Rock “93.7 The Arrow” KKRW Houston flips to Urban “93.7 The Beat”
12/30: CBS AC “101.9 Lite-FM” WLIF Baltimore rebrands as “Today’s 101.9”
12/27: Hot AC “100.3 The Point” WKBE and Country “Froggy 107.1” WFFG-FM Glens Falls, NY swap frequencies
12/27: AC “Lite 95.7” CKEA Edmonton flipped to Variety Hits “95.7 Cruz-FM”
12/26: News/Talk 1220 WLPO/103.9 W280EG LaSalle, IL shifts to “Classic Hits 103.9”
12/26: Clear Channel relaunches “95.7 Kiss-FM” KSSX San Diego as Rhythmic Hot AC
12/26: “Rush Radio 94.7” WPHR Vero Beach, FL has flipped to “Hot Country 94.7” as its new owners take over
12/26: 1340 KYNS/93.7 K229AK San Luis Obispo will launches Soft AC branded as “B93.7”
12/26: Rock “K-Rock 100.5” CHFT Fort MacMurray, AB shifts to Variety Hits “100.5 Cruz-FM” under new ownership.
12/26: Stunting 103.9 WRCN Long Island, NY made its move to News/Talk “LI News Radio“.
12/26: – AC “B101” WBEB Philadelphia rebrands as “101.1 More-FM”
12/26: Clear Channel Classic Hits “Classic 93.1” KHLX Sacramento has begun simulcasting News/Talk 1530 KFBK/92.5 KFBK-FM. 92.5 will launch a new format in January.
12/26: Hot AC “Lite 95.9” CHFM Calgary has relaunched as “Kiss 95.9”
12/26: Clear Channel relocated Alternative “New Rock 105.1” KCCQ Des Moines as “Alt 106.3” and Hot AC “Capital 106.3” KPLT as “Now 105.1“.
12/26: Saga Classic Hits “Eagle 94.3” WEGI-FM Clarksville, TN/1370 WEGI Fort Campbell, KY shifts to Adult Hits “Rewind 94.3” WRND/WRND-FM
12/26: Clear Channel’s “Oldies 105.1” WJDX-FM Jackson, MS shifts to Classic Hits “105.1 The River”
12/26: 1570 WMAK Lobelville, TN flips to Bluegrass
12/26: Dance CHR “Party 99.5” WBXY Gainesville moved to 100.9 WXJZ displacing Smooth Jazz “100.9 Smooth-FM”
12/25: PMB Broadcasting launched Urban “Hip Hop 99.7” W206CC Columbus, GA
Stunting
12/26: 103.9 WNDR/95.3 W237AY Syracuse dropped its Christmas “Holly-FM” identity for All-Beatles “WBTL”
Pending Changes
Date TBD – Standards “Legends 100.3” WLML West Palm Beach to sign-on
Date TBD – Southern Gospel 88.9 WMYJ-FM Bloomington, IN moves to 101.1
There are also a number of closing sales in Ithaca and multiple stations in Savannah that could lead to changes around the holidays.
What about 100.9 in ABQ?
Also keep a look out for KRIZ KYIZ KZIZ, the urban “Z Twins” in Seattle. They may or may not go dark December 31.
One more, although I’m not 100% sure of it’s a stunt (since the station’s owner, Alex Langer, had hinted that it would eventually broadcast Portuguese-language programming): WMSX-1410, formerly licensed to Brockton, Massachusetts, has changed it’s call letters (to WZBR), it’s transmitter location (to the Boston city line near Dedham), and it’s format to automated jazz.
It appears to be broadcasting with it’s new CP, so it runs 610 watts day (http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WZBR&service=AM&status=C&hours=D) and 25 watts night (http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WZBR&sservice=AM&ststus=C&hours=N). Where I live, in Norwood, Massachusetts, I get good reception of the station both day and night.
I first noticed the change in format on Thursday (January 2nd) of this week, but it may have been in place for a little while.
However, around 12 Noon EST today (January 4th), WZBR was broadcasting only carrier, with no programming. This may be a byproduct of the extremely cold weather in the area, but again, I’m not 100% certain.
I haven’t heard AM960 WHYL (Carlisle PA) sending any signal in 2014. I know they’ve been 100% automation after losing their lease. Have they gone dormant pending a sale?