New York
101.1 WCBS-FM Becomes Jack-FM
Previous Format: Oldies “101.1 CBS-FM” New Format: Variety Hits “101.1 Jack-FM” Date & Time Of Change: June 3, 2005 at 5:00pm More Info: Wikipedia Related Change: 101.1 WCBS-FM Returns It was the day many never thought would happen. And when it happened, two of the top three radio markets would simultaneously wonder what had happened. At around 3:50pm WCBS-FM midday jock Bill Brown hinted at something about to go down in his final break. At 4:00 the station played a half-hour of songs with nothing but jingles in between. However, each song hinted ominously at what was to come. Songs like “Hit The Road Jack” and “Movin’ Out” led into Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind”. At 4:30, a 5 minute stunt loop led into the introdu...
CD 101.9 WQCD Becomes New York Chill
Previous Format: Smooth Jazz New Format: Chill Date & Time Of Change: November 22, 2004 at 12:00pm More Info: Wikipedia
92.7 WLIR Signs-Off
Previous Format: Alternative “92.7 LIR” WLIR New Format: Spanish Tropical “Latino Mix 92.7/105.9” WZAA Date & Time Of Change: January 9, 2004 at 12:00pm More Info: Wikipedia
Blink 102.7 Relaunches As Mix 102.7
Previous Format: AC “Blink 102.7” New Format: Rhythmic AC “Mix 102.7” Date & Time Of Change: December 26, 2003 at 10:27am More Info: Wikipedia
102.7 WNEW becomes “102.7 Blink”
It was a long time coming. What was once one of the most revered rock stations in the country, 102.7 WNEW lost its way in the mid-1990’s. Constant musical shifts: AAA, Alternative, Classic Rock, Mainstream Rock, back to Classic Rock took their toll on the audience. Finally an answer was found as the station hired so called “shock jocks” Opie and Anthony for afternoons. Ratings rose in their daypart and eventually WNEW flipped to all talk, but could never fill in all the dayparts to the same level of success due to Howard Stern being heard on sister station 92.3 WXRK. Opie and Anthony were eventually syndicated, but it all came crashing down in August of 2002 when the duo were fired for a highly publicized promotion that went awfully wrong. The station’s ratings, whi...
1050 WEVD Gives Way To ESPN
Previous Format: News/Talk WEVD New Format: Sports “1050 ESPN Radio” (Station would become WEPN in April 2003) Date & Time Of Change: September 1, 2001 at 12:00am More Info: Wikipedia
105.1 WBIX flips from AC to Rhythmic Oldies
Sensing the failure of Big 105, it soon became obvious it would be the 2nd format on the frequency to fail to last 12 months. AMFM had been developing the Jammin Oldies format across the country, and it was just a matter of time before the format found its way into New York. In early December, Big 105 adjusted to a new Modern AC sound to throw some speculators off guard. However, the new imaging did little to prevent the inevitable from happening and on December 10, 1998 “New York’s Jammin Oldies” took to the air. Following the results of a pre-planned name the station contest, 105.1 became WTJM “Jammin 105”.
105.1 WNSR becomes “Big 105”
In August of 1997, ten months into the life of WDBZ, Bonneville was planning on pulling the plug and returning the WNSR calls and “Soft Rock 105” format to battle head to head with WLTW. However, the change was put on hold as Bonneville finalized a deal to sell the station to Chancellor, the owner of WLTW. The WDBZ calls were replaced by WNSR, but the Modern AC format stayed until October when the station gradually adjusted back to Hot AC under the “FM 105.1” name. Once Chancellor took over, market speculation led to anything from Soft AC, to Country, to Urban. All they got was “Big 105” a Hot AC that for some reason sounded very close to WLTW. Big 105 failed to make a splash in the market after trying various forms of Hot AC and for the second time in t...
105.1 WMXV ends Showtunes stunt, launches Modern AC “The Buzz”
Previous Format: Hot AC “Mix 105” WMXV New Format: Modern AC “105.1 The Buzz” WDBZ Date & Time Of Change: November 14, 1996 at 6:00am More Info: Wikipedia In 1996, Mix 105 began to feel the squeeze of WLTW and WPLJ. Market speculation had the station flipping to Mainstream CHR to compete against WKTU, however Z100 beat them to the punch by returning to its heritage sound. By November, the station had announced the hiring of new morning team Kelly & Kline from WTIC-FM in Hartford. On November 14th, when the morning team debuted, it did so by kicking off a brand new station. 105.1 The Buzz debuted as an 80’s leaning Modern AC, attempting to fill a niche in between K-Rock and WPLJ along with gaining listeners disenfranchised by Z100 and WNEW dropping ou...
