With the end of the holiday season, Cumulus’ newly minted “Warm 98.9” W255CJ/99.7 WWWQ-HD Atlanta has flipped to AC.
The Warm playlist is featuring a broader mix than Cox Media’s incumbent “B98.5” WSB-FM, while emphasizing softer artists such as Bee Gees, Cher, Michael Bolton and Norah Jones. W255CJ is utilizing Westwood One’s AC network.
Original Report 11/24: Cumulus Media has dropped the “Nash Icon” brand from the first station to launch it.
98.9 W255CJ/99.7 WWWQ-HD2 Atlanta has begun stunting with Christmas music as “Warm 98.9“. As the “Warm” moniker does have some heritage in the market as sister WWWQ was Soft AC “Warm 99” in the 1980s, a return to a similar format to attack Cox Media’s neighboring “B98.5” WSB-FM could be in the cards.
W255CJ has averaged one new format per year since its move from 99.1 in 2011. It has been Alternative “99X“, Active Rock “98.9 The Bone“, Christian AC/Country “98.9 The Walk“, Oldies “True Oldies 98.9“, and “Nash Icon“. The translator registered a mere 0.1 share in the November 2015 Nielsen Audio PPM ratings.
Nathan Obral 
Steve Varholy 
Jack Bayes 
ksradiogeek 
Ray 
Jeff Lehmann 
Well, so much for Mike McVay’s “HELL YES we’re committed to NASH FM” vote of confidence tweet a few weeks ago.
Worked at a Mike McVay consulted AC station two decades ago. Our morning guy, who was already a legend in the market in mornings, described him as a “sh*t salesman with a mouth full of samples.” That was very amusing to a rookie DJ who considered all consultants the equivalent of Darth Vader.
Just so we’re clear: you’re saying that blowing up a translator with a 0.1 that isn’t the core Nash format is saying that Cumulus isn’t committed to Nash?
Maybe they are, maybe (probably) they aren’t. But nobody with even 1% of a clue is going to say this move is indicative of anything.
98.9 – in spite of the 784 format changes that translator has had since 2011 – is still in a Top 10 market. And this is the second Cumulus-run NASH ICON to be blown up since the Dickey brothers were ousted.
So this actually IS indicative of something.
NI in Atlanta just wasn’t needed. I’d have to think Good Time Oldies would still help pull down good numbers, even on a translator with terrible reach West of the Perimeter. And I know Lance mentioned in one of his pieces that Mary intends on giving local control back to some markets. But would Warm actually work? Soft AC is a death trap. Locally in Wichita, we lost ours after 2 years (partially due to a rimshot signal from the South) because it just couldn’t compete.
A 0.1 share in the market is pathetic if you ask me
Strong rumors starting in Atlanta that NASH ICON is going to be blown up completely!
You mean the whole national format?
At least one Nash Icon, the other one on 98.9, WORC-FM near Worcester, MA is getting the highest ratings possibly ever for the frequency.
Yes NASH ICON, the national format is going bye bye!