Is CBS planning to move Rhythmic CHR “Wild 98.7” WLLD Holmes Beach, FL to a more powerful signal?
The domain wild941.com was registered earlier this month to CBS Radio and is currently on a staging server. The 100kw 94.1 licensed to Lakeland is currently the home of Smooth Jazz WSJT, which has one of the strongest signals in West Central Florida. The 50kw WLLD has coverage weaknesses in parts of the Tampa area. Moving Wild to 94.1 will put the Rhythmic CHR on equal footing and adjacent to Clear Channel’s 93.3 WFLZ. Dom Theodore, CBS Radio’s VP of CHR Programming, is a former PD of WFLZ.
We’re not sure if WSJT would move to 98.7, or a new format will emerge there. We are monitoring a few domains for possible use there, but it is possible they are for another market. We’ll report on those soon.
CBS Radio owns three other stations on 94.1, but it is virtually impossible that Country KMPS Seattle or Hot AC KMXB Las Vegas would flip. The “Wild” moniker is unavailable in Philadelphia following a legal claim that forced Beasley to change “Wild 96.5” to “Wired” after a few weeks in 2003.