Urban
97.1 WFOX flips from Oldies to Urban Hot AC
Summary by Lou Pickney. Cox Broadcasting launched a “Save Our Oldies” campaign in Spring 2002 as a promotional venture to raise brand awareness about its oldies programming on 97.1 WFOX. Atlanta Oldies listeners feared that the company might be contemplating a shift from Oldies, though at the time they were assured that this was merely a promotional tactic and nothing more. However, that promise was short lived. On February 1, 2003, WFOX began stunting with a rather clever approach. Cox simulcasted stations from outside the market on WFOX, including Hawaiian AC KINE/Honolulu, ’80s KHPT/Houston, CHR-Pop WBLI/Nassau-Suffolk and CHR-Rhythmic WHZT/Greenville, SC. The station even simulcasted the Lex & Terry show from WFYV/Jacksonville, FL for one day of morning drive. Th...
Hot 97.1 KTHT Becomes Country Legends
Previous Format: Urban “Hot 97.1” New Format: Classic Country “Country Legends 97.1” Date & Time Of Change: January 2, 2003 at 12:00pm More Info: Wikipedia
Power 97.5 KRWP Launches
Previous Format: Country “KD 97.5” KAYD (Serving Beaumont market, format moved to 101.7 when 97.5 moved to Houston) New Format: Urban “Power 97.5” KRWP Date & Time Of Change: January 3, 2002 at 12:00pm More Info: Wikipedia Aircheck Contributed by John Fernandez
Rhythmic Oldies “Z93.7” WZMX becomes Urban “Hot 93.7”
The 93.7 frequency in Hartford has bounced around many formats. In the mid to late 90s, it was Classic Rock 93.7. In 1999, when everyone was changing to rhythmic oldies, 93.7 kept it’s WZMX calls and became “Dancin’ Oldies 93.7.” The format, like in most markets played out for a few years, never achieving much in the way of ratings after its initial splash. Finally, Infinity decided to make the switch and take the underperforming 93.7 in a new direction. What was created, again under the WZMX calls, was the All-New Hot 93.7, Blazing Hip Hop. The station immediately soared to the top of the ratings in both Hartford and neighboring Springfield, MA, where it continues to sit today. Most recently Clear Channel has decided to mount a challenge, flipping Alternative WMRQ ...
KKTL Becomes Hot 97.1
Historically, Rhythmic CHRs hadn’t performed very well in the Houston market (see 98.5 KHYS) but Cox had confidence with the sign on of “Hot 97-1”. After breaking it’s simulcast with sister “Oldies 107.5”, an electronic voice countdown began. The countdown didn’t reach 1 until the following day and “Hot 97-1, Houston’s Hottest Hit Music” was born. The KKTL-FM calls were later replaced with KTHT. The first song on “Hot 97-1” was “Party Up” by DMX
92.3 The Beat Becomes Mega 92.3
Previous Format: Urban “92.3 The Beat” KKBT New Format: Rhythmic Oldies “Mega 92.3” KCMG Date & Time Of Change: June 30, 2000 at 6:00pm More Info: Wikipedia In the fall of 1999, the two largest radio station operators in the country, Clear Channel Communications and AMFM Inc., shocked the world by announcing they would merge. However, in order to get under the government-mandated market ownership limits, some stations were required to be spun-off. One of the full powered FMs in Los Angeles had to go. KKBT was the station chosen; it was sold off to Radio One. However, Clear Channel wanted to keep the best possible signals and gave Radio One the less desirable 100.3. Leading up to the frequency swap, rumors swirled about whether either station’s format woul...
Mega 100.3 Becomes 100.3 The Beat
Previous Format: Rhythmic Oldies “Mega 100.3” KCMG New Format: Urban “100.3 The Beat” KKBT Date & Time Of Change: June 30, 2000 at 6:00pm More Info: Wikipedia In the fall of 1999, the two largest radio station operators in the country, Clear Channel Communications and AMFM Inc., shocked the world by announcing they would merge. However, in order to get under the government-mandated market ownership limits, some stations were required to be spun-off. One of the full powered FMs in Los Angeles had to go. KKBT was the station chosen; it was sold off to Radio One. However, Clear Channel wanted to keep the best possible signals and gave Radio One the less desirable 100.3. Leading up to the frequency swap, rumors swirled about whether either station’s format wo...
Urban “V103” becomes CHR “102.7 XYV”
What B104 was to the CHR format in Baltimore, V103 was to the Urban format. A longtime station in the format, WXYV began to feel its age in the mid 1990’s as it was bombarded by a pair of Radio-One sisters. Rhythmic CHR “92Q” and Urban AC “Majic 95.9” cut into WXYV’s audience from both ends. Infinity, seeing the CHR format regaining popularity elsewhere, and a huge hole for the format in Baltimore brought the demise of V103 and the birth of “102.7 XYV”. However, the station would be marred with inconsistancy for the next couple of years. The station would constantly change its lean from dance to hip-hop to alternative while searching for a gain in audience. In 1998, the station changed its name to B102.7 in order to prevent a competitor from ...
103.9 WDRE flips from Modern Rock to Urban
In late 1996, Jarad Broadcasting sold off WDRE to Radio-One, who specializes in Urban based formats. With knowledge of a change coming, the station decided to go out with a bang. Sweepers promoted the days remaining until the death of ‘DRE, while an anything goes attitude prevailed at the station. On Valentines Day, 1997 WDRE presented Bitterfest, a concert to mark the demise of the station. As the clock prepared to strike midnight, 103.9 played Pearl Jam’s “Alive” while the concert’s crowd chanted “DRE, DRE, DRE”. At midnight the station began a weekend stunt of Old School R&B, until the sign-on of the “New 103.9” Urban format the following Monday.
