Update 1/1: WZRR made the flip to CHR as “99.5 The Vibe” at midnight local time with the usual array of 10,000 songs commercial free. Listen to the debut of 99.5 The Vibe at FormatChange.com.
The first hour of 99.5 The Vibe featured:
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
Katy Perry – The One Who Got Away
T-Pain – Five O’Clock In The Morning
Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
David Guetta – Without You
Ke$ha – We R Who We R
Gavin Degraw – Not Over You
Kelly Clarkson – Mr. Know It All
Taio Cruz – Dynamite
Flo Rida – Good Feeling
Hot Chelle Rae – I Like It Like That
Pink – Raise Your Glass
Bruno Mars – It Will Rain
Lady Gaga – Marry the Night
Gym Class Heroes – Stereo Hearts
Britney Spears – I Wanna Go
One Republic – Good Life
Original Report 12/31: A format change is imminent at Cumulus “Rock 99” WZRR Birmingham.
On-air sweepers are promoting a change coming tonight at midnight to 99.5.
The station’s website is down with an Under Construction banner. Earlier this week Cumulus registered 995TheVibe.com and TheVibe995.com. While the domains are not yet active, Facebook and Twitter accounts for the new station are.
The accounts bill the station as “Birmingham’s non-stop hit music station” and featuring “Todays hottest music from your favorite artists including Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Katy Perry and more!!!”. The move will pit the station in direct competition with Clear Channel’s “103.7 The Q” WQEN.
The shift will leave Birmingham with just one Rock station, Clear Channel’s “103.1 The Vulcan” W276DQ fed by WQEN-HD2.
Brett 
Lewis 
mark 
fred 
While a CHR war makes sense for Birmingham, even with it being a non-PPM market, it surprises me that Cumulus jettisoned the 23+ year old classic rock format from the 99.5 FM frequency to make it happen.
What about The Eagle at 106.9? Why do all the news stories on this fail to mention that channel? Far better than 103.1.
Because playing the same 50 songs ad-nauseam each day does not a radio station make.
I’m really starting to think the people in charge of radio in or around the Birmingham area don’t have any common sense. First Live 100.5, then Rock 99…ridiculous.
JUST SUCKS!!!!!! Cumulus is an “Out Of Town” media firm that has always been “out of touch” with Birminghams still diverse radio market. They have done nothing but butcher any good radio in Birmingham. This latest “Steam Roll” discision is’nt going to go as well as they think!!!
WZRR had lost much of its audience. None of the Rock stations in the market have done well. Cumulus made the business decision that they can make more money going after the young female demographic than older men, which they can still target via 94.5 WJOX.
You may not like the decision personally, but you can’t say it was a poor business decision.
Only time will tell whether it is a poor business decision or not. Demographically, the classic rock format appealed to the over 40 year old crowd who are higher earners, especially with all the physicians and researchers who work at UAB. I would walk from lab to lab and hear someone playing 99.5. This new top 40 format appeals to people who have to ask their parents for money. We’ll see how that works out.
I can say it was a poor business decision.
WJOX is SportsTalk, not rock. If you don’t like local sports radio (as I prefer pro sports to college), you’re out of luck there. 106.9 The Eagle is a poor excuse of a classic rock station (same songs repeated ad-nauseam with too much glam rock thrown in there), and 103.1 The Vulcan is more metal than rock.
Let’s drop Hendrix for Katy Perry. Great idea.
Its not quite that simple. Its all about demographics. Both WZRR and WJOX were targeting Men 25-54. With the underperforming WZRR gone, Cumulus still has 94.5 to target those listeners along with WAPI. Now they also have a mechanism to target Women 18-44 with.
WAPI isn’t going to target the audience that listened to Rock 99. Completely different demographic even though it’s the same age range. Don’t get me started on the decision to flip that station from Live 100.5 either. Another “brilliant” business move.
At least 106.9 The Eagle is still around, but it’s not as good as Rock 99 was…