iHeartMedia launched Classic Hip-Hop “Hot 102.5” K273BH Fridley/97.1 KTCZ-HD3 Minneapolis at 3:00pm today after an hour of stunting with songs featuring Hot in the title.
Debuting with Notorious BIG/Puff Daddy “Mo Money Mo Problems” and DMX “Party Up”, the station is launching with 5,000 songs commercial free. Lucas Phelan, afternoon host at sister CHR 101.3 KDWB will add additional duties as Program Director of “Hot 102.5“.
The translator had been running a loop redirecting EMF’s “Air 1” audience over to its new home at 92.9 W225AP St. Paul for the past month. The choice of a Classic Hip-Hop format means Minneapolis will remain one of the few major markets without a Commercial Rhythmic CHR or Urban station.
iHeartMedia/Minneapolis debutins “Hot 102-5,” the new home of Classic Hip Hop and R&B for listeners. Hot 102-5 will kick off with 5000 songs in a row, commercial-free, featuring artists such as Jay-Z, 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. Co-owned KDWB afternoon host Lucas Phelan expands his responsibilities and will become Hot 102-5’s Program Director.
“Hot 102-5 will be Minneapolis’ new home for classic hip hop and R&B — this is a completely unserved audience and we can’t wait to introduce the new station to millions of listeners” said iHeartMedia/Minneapolis Senior VP/Programming for Gregg Swedberg.
“We’re all about the music on Hot 102.5, and we’re going to start by playing a ton of it,” said Phelan. “I’m excited to introduce this new format to Minneapolis listeners, it’s what they have been asking for.”
Original Report 5/6: iHeartMedia will soon launch a new format on 102.5 K273BH Fridley/Minneapolis, MN.
iHeart has registered Hot1025.com and @Hot1025MN social media accounts for the translator owned by Educational Media Foundation. K273BH rebroadcasts 97.1 KTCZ-HD3 with 250 watts at 236 meters from the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis (Coverage Map).
iHeart and EMF have an agreement in the Twin Cities where iHeart operates a few EMF owned translators including “Alt 93.3” W227BF Shoreview and EMF utilizing iHeart HD subchannels to feed their “K-Love” and “Air 1” programming in the market.
With the lack of a Commercial Rhythmic or Urban station in the Twin Cities, we’d put our money on an Urban format to flank iHeart’s market leading CHR 101.3 KDWB.
only1moore 
theoutsider 
Dan 
Mark W.
Given the coverage and area that they plan to serve, this would make sense.
An Urban or even an Hip Hop intensive Rhythmic would fill a big format hole in the Twin Cities.
To correct the story, this translator is now relaying 97.1 HD3, which is broadcasting a loop directing people to another Air-1 Translator, and the artist-title for the HD3 also says “Hot 102.5”.
The HD2 is still broadcasting Air-1, which is being relayed on 92.9 (the frequency that the HD3 is redirecting people to).
If indeed Urban is the choice, this will be an excellent move!!!
I suspect The Breakfast Club will air in A.M. drive on this new station.
A Classic Hip-Hop? In the Twin Cities? I don’t think this will win over listeners who are like looking for a alternative to KDWB or KMOJ.