80s Hits
105.3 The Max Moves In
Previous Format: Country “Y105.5” WYAI Carrollton, GA New Format: 80s Hits “105.3 The Max” WMAX Bowdon, GA (Move In To Atlanta Market) Date & Time Of Change: February 18, 2002 More Info: Wikipedia
103.1 WXXY becomes Viva 103.1
The Chicago division of Big City Radio offered some of the more interesting programming on the Windy City’s radio dial. However, three times, a format they debuted on one of their sets of suburban frequencies (103.1 or 92.7/92.5) ended up being copied and presented in a different form on a full signal in the market. WXXY and WYXX brought the “Jammin’ Oldies” format to Chicago, but AMFM (now Clear Channel) decided to debut its own “Jammin Oldies” on the powerful 103.5 FM. This led to the debut of “The 80’s Channel, 103.1 WXXY” on the 103.1 duo, in August 1999. Many considered The 80’s Channel to be the best-implemented version of the all-1980’s format, not only because of its willingness to play diffferent styles of 80’...
96.5 WWDB flips from News/Talk to All 80’s “The Point”
One day before Election Day, a huge day for a Talk station, WWDB-FM America’s first Talk station on FM abandoned the format. Sinking ratings caused by the loss of the syndicated Dr. Laura and Rush Limbaugh to upstart 1210 WPHT as well as the many reimaging and refocusing WWDB went through in its final years helped lead to its demise. Around 9:00am the station began stunting with an automated voice counting down to 1. When the station debuted at 5:00, they did so by airing all of the station’s sweepers prior to the first song “Don’t You Forget About Me” from Simple Minds.
106.9 KKHT becomes 80’s “The Point” KHPT
Previous Format: Christian “106.9 The Word” KHHT New Format: 80s Hits “106.9 The Point” KHPT (Stunted for week as KZJZ) Date & Time Of Change: September 28, 2000 More Info: Wikipedia fter weeks of redirecting listeners to 1070 AM, Alan Lee signed 106.9 The Word off the air at 12 midnight with a couple verses from the Bible. Serving as Houston’s commercial FM religious talk outlet, the station usually finished at the bottom of the ratings despite it’s decent signal. Cox acquired the station through a trade with Salem who acquired Atlanta properties in exchange for the 106.9 station. After a week of stunting as “MP3 Radio” and “Radio Free Houston” under the KZJZ call letters, an electronic voice countdown reached 1 and the new ...
102.9 WMXQ becomes All-80’s “102-9 the Point”
What better way to represent a new year/decade/century/millennium than to live in the past? During the second half of the year 2000, that was the attitude adopted by a growing number of radio companies as the “All-80’s” format (focusing on Rock and Alternative selections of that decade) began appearing rapidly across the country. Cox Broadcasting had already debuted this format under the name “106-9 the Point” in Houston. With WMXQ struggling as Hot AC “Mix 103”, Cox decided to bring All-80’s to Jacksonville…following an automated countdown, on November 1, 2000, at 5:00 pm, “102-9 the Point, The Best of the 80’s and More” was born.
103.1 WXXY/WYXX becomes “The 80’s Channel”
Summary contributed by Jeffrey T. Mason. I think I am qualified to give a summary of the 80’s Channel/Chicago sign-on, seeing that I was one of the folks who orchestrated it! Contrary to popular belief, Big City Radio – not Chancellor Media – was the first company to debut a “Jammin’ Oldies” type format. It was not called “Jammin’ Oldies,” but “103.1FM, Chicago’s Heart & Soul.” They purchased WVVX/Highland Park and WJDK/Morris, both at 103.1 to create the simulcast. Call letters were changed to WXXY and WYXX. Due to a poor signal, and some bad judgment in their outdoor campaign (billboards placed in areas that could NOT receive the station), “Chicago’s Heart & Soul” didn’t see much suc...
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