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RadioInsight

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WPKQ In Stunt Mode

Posted: 22 Oct 2021 11:50 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214388/wpkq-in-stunt-mode/


Townsquare Media dropped its Country format on 103.7 The Peak WPKQ North
Conway NH/Portland ME at noon today and is currently in stunt mode.

The station is looping Bad Religions cover of White Christmas and sound
clips teasing we have taken over this signal and were not giving it back telling listeners to tune in on Monday.

WPKQ, which transmits from the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire,
covers a wide swath of New England stretching from Central Vermont to
Portland ME. The station previously duplicated much of the programming originating at 97.5 WOKQ Dover NH with ad sales targeted towards Maine.


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The Favorite Station You Cant Stream (And Three You Can)

Posted: 22 Oct 2021 11:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/blogs/214065/the-favorite-station-you-cant-stream-and-three-you-can/


KOAI (The Wow Factor) Phoenix, which celebrated its second birthday on
Sept. 30, became a quick favorite of Ross on Radio readers, especially when
its station stream was made available outside Arizona. Over the first year, PD/consultant John Sebastian tightened the station’s broad mix, eliminating the early 2000s Country aspect and focusing more on ‘70s pop/rock and ‘60s oldies. In year two, KOAI became a serious ratings player, peaking at 3.7
in August. (It was at 2.6 in September.)

Sebastian, a constant figure in the radio trades over the years, has built
a similar high profile on Facebook, especially among radio veterans. In
July, he took to the platform to announce that The Wow Factor had been
forced to geofence its stream again. It was distressing news for the station’s following, but also for advocates of streaming overall — a station worth hearing outside its market and with a good user experience
(short stopsets and no ad substitution) was a victim of its own success.

There are a lot of stations playing the ‘60s and ‘70s oldies that weren’t hard to find on the radio in 2001 but are less a part of big-city FM now,
even at the megahit level. No two stations sound like each other.
Certainly, Sebastian’s production style and the presence of more ‘70s Classic Rock makes KOAI different. But if you need something to stream
outside Arizona in the meantime, there are choices for that music,
including another surprise recent ratings winner.

We took a First Listen to the Wow Factor at its launch, then returned to it several times in the last year. For those unable to hear the station,
here’s a Fresh Listen. But if it’s something to listen to, not reading material, that you’re looking for, we’ve also got three more takes on the ‘60s/’70s blend. (Its not meant to be a definitive list; see the comments below.)

The Wow Factor’s imaging has always been part of its appeal. I wrote early
on that the unique blend reflected Sebastian’s radio journey. He’s flipped that now; one sweeper declares, “This is your personal music history.” Another comes out and calls The Wow Factor “the perfect boomer station.” When we listened, KOAI was giving away tickets for the upcoming Doobie
Brothers reunion tour as well as a concert getaway to see the Cirque du
Soleil Beatles Love show in Las Vegas.

When I wrote about the station last year, I mentioned a segue between “Baba O’Riley” and “Baby I’m-a Want You.” This year, the transition was from that
Bread song into the Who’s “I Can See for Miles.” It’s worth noting that I
got a chance to see how that audio looked in the Audacity editing program.
The volume between the two songs and the sweeper that separated them
remained even throughout — you wouldn’t have known that there were three different elements. I don’t write about processing expertly, but even that cursory look showed its intended role in making a broad mix sonically compatible.

Here’s The Wow Factor at 7 a.m., October 6:

Gerry Rafferty, “Right Down the Line”
5th Dimension, “One Less Bell to Answer”
Doobie Brothers, “Listen to the Music”
Bread, “Baby I’m-a Want You”
Who, “I Can See for Miles”
Carly Simon, “Nobody Does It Better”
Ringo Starr, “Photograph”
Classics IV, “Spooky”
James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
Free, “All Right Now”
Tommy James & the Shondells, “Crystal Blue Persuasion”
Steely Dan, “Hey Nineteen”
Cat Stevens, “Peace Train”
Huey Lewis & the News, “Heart and Soul”
Eagles, “Desperado”
Grass Roots, “Let’s Live for Today”
Dire Straits, “Money for Nothing”


The good news about mid-‘60s-to-late-‘70s/early-‘80s hits is that there are
plenty of choices on radio’s endless dial. Whenever I write about any
station in that space, there are always plenty of other reader suggestions.
In June, I wrote about “Oldies XL,” my new grouping for those stations that cheerfully went beyond the safelist as it now exists at Classic Hits radio. 

Unlike the small-market Rhode Island station I wrote about, “Wow Factor” has pretty much settled on the hits —songs that tested well with audiences
at some point, even if newer-leaning Classic Hits stations have moved
beyond them. Of the three stations here, two are relatively hit-driven. One
has some “oh wow” component. Two are hosted and have a “classic radio” feel. They’re all stations that a former “Wow Factor” streamer might enjoy.

WECK (Big WECK) Buffalo, N.Y.

WECK has been a “local radio strikes back” success story, currently getting a 3.3 share 12-plus with a mix of an AM home base and FM translators.
Market veteran Roger Christian does middays; former WMSX PD Joe Chile just returned to the station for afternoons. Especially after its recent
rebranding as “Big WECK,” the station is a particularly good choice if what you miss is the Oldies format as it successfully existed in the early ‘00s.

Here’s WECK around 4:15 p.m., October 12:

Four Seasons, “Who Loves You”
Van Morrison, “Brown Eyed Girl”
Monkees, “Daydream Believer”
Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City”
Sam Cooke, “Only Sixteen”
Isley Brothers, “This Old Heart of Mine”
Strawberry Alarm Clock, “Incense and Peppermints”
Jay & the Americans, “Come a Little Bit Closer”
Miracles, “The Tracks of My Tears”
Rascals, “How Can I Be Sure”
Beatles, “Eight Days a Week”
Ad Libs, “The Boy From New York City”
Blood, Sweat & Tears, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”


WDJO Cincinnati

“Cincinnati’s Oldies Network” has elements of both that market’s WSAI (Real
Oldies 1530), whose powerhouse signal made it one of the most-heard
pre-Beatles Oldies formats in the early ‘00s, and earlier versions of
Classic Hits WGRR, especially now that Dangerous Dan Allen is hosting
Saturday night’s “Dial a Hit.” (I asked Allen to play this local hit that I’ve written about, and he did.)

Like WECK, WDJO is oldies-radio-as-you-remember-it, but with a little more
of a ‘70s component and, when I heard it on October 12, more “oh wow” songs. Here’s the station around 5:15 p.m.:

Millie Small, “My Boy Lollipop”
Miracles, “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”
B.W. Stevenson, “My Maria”
Simon & Garfunkel, “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”
Raspberries, “Go All the Way”
War, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”
Beatles, “Day Tripper”
Chase, “Get It On”
Buckinghams, “Susan”
Chairmen of the Board, “Give Me Just a Little More Time”
Gerry Rafferty, “Right Down the Line”
Association, “Windy”
Mouth & MacNeal, “How Do You Do?”
Chris Montez, “Let’s Dance”


KONO-AM San Antonio

Cox’s KONO-FM is worth a listen, too. It has been successful with a Classic Hits mix that is both more rhythmic and more pop than many of its
counterparts. It’s only hosted in mornings, making it less of a throwback than the other two (but also possibly the best choice if what you like
about Wow Factor is being music-intensive). Here’s the AM around 8 p.m. on Oct. 12:

Temptations, “I Wish It Would Rain”
Alive ‘N Kickin’, “Tighter, Tighter”
American Breed, “Bend Me, Shape Me”
Jim Croce, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
George Harrison, “My Sweet Lord”
Moments, “Love on a Two-Way Street”
Byrds, “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
Brownsville Station, “Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room”
Jimmy Ruffin, “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”
Three Dog Night, “Celebrate”
Paul McCartney & Wings, “Band on the Run”
Tommy James & the Shondells, “Mony Mony”
Eagles, “Take It Easy”
B.J. Thomas, “Hooked on a Feeling”
Skylark, “Wildflower”
Four Tops, “Standing in the Shadows of Love”
Rod Stewart, “Maggie May”



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Audacy Launches 94.7 The Block New York

Posted: 22 Oct 2021 09:58 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214368/format-change-imminent-at-new-yorks-country-94-7/


Audacy flipped Country New Yorks Country 94.7 WNSH Newark NJ/New York to Classic Hip Hop 94.7 The Block at 1pm today.

Signing off with Florida Georgia Lines Cruise, the station teased its new format with New Kids On The Blocks The Right Stuff and Jennifer Lopezs
Jenny From The Block before launching just after 1:00 with Ed Lover
introducing the new brand as New Yorks #1 For Throwbacks into Jay Zs Empire State of Mind followed by Mariah Careys Fantasy and Notorious BIG Hypnotize.

The new brand will launch with 25,000 songs commercial free. New WXBK call letters are pending.

The flip took place after an extended farewell morning show until 12pm with
the Country stations staff as well as call-ins from many Country artists
and fellow Audacy New York staffers such as Scott Shannon and Boomer
Esiason. Morning host Kelly Ford, who was the first local jock when the
station flipped to Country in 2013 signed off the locally programmed
portion of the station with the first song the station played, Randy
Housers How Country Feels, before an hour jockless music leading into the
flip.

Country programming will now be heard on 94.7 HD2 as Audacy also moved CBS Sports Radio from 94.7 HD3 to 101.9 WFAN-HD2.

The Country format launched in January 2013 when Cumulus debuted 94.7
Nash-FM on the former Christian WFME. Then-Entercom rebranded it as New
Yorks Country 94.7 when they acquired it in March 2019. The launch of WNSH brought Country radio back to New York on a full-powered signal for the
first time since 103.5 WYNY flipped in February 1996.

WNSH had a 1.9 share in the September 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings.

Listen to the sign-off of Country 94.7 and the launch of 94.7 The Block at FormatChange.com.

Audacy today announced the immediate launch of 94.7 The Block, New York’s
new No. 1 for throwbacks. The station will feature a wide collection of
classic hip-hop hits and throwbacks, including favorites from Jay-Z,
Fugees, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Beyoncé, LL Cool J, The Notorious B.I.G., Mary
J. Blige and more.

“94.7 The Block will provide a compelling soundtrack for New York’s biggest music fans, offering songs and artists that are synonymous with New York’s iconic hip-hop culture and that still strongly resonate with listeners
today across all generations,” said Chris Oliviero, Senior Vice President
and Market Manager, Audacy New York. “This was an opportunity to add a quintessential New York sound to our audio portfolio that has been missing
in the area, while at the same time continuing to engage with our New York country audience thru HD and digital platforms.”

94.7 The Block will launch with 25,000 throwback songs in a row, commercial-free. More programming details and local on-air talent will be announced in the coming months.


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Jen Richer Named APD For iHeartMedia Washington DC

Posted: 22 Oct 2021 07:14 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214372/jen-richer-named-apd-for-iheartmedia-washington-dc/


iHeartMedia has appointed Jen Richer as Assistant Program Director for
their Washington DC cluster.

Richer will assist the PDs at all seven stations in the cluster reporting
to SVP/Programming Jeff Kapugi.

She returns to the cluster after previously serving as News Director at
iHearts 104.7 Wonk-FM W284CQ/WWDC-HD2 Washington. Most recently she was Executive Producer for The Vince Coglianese Show on Cumulus Medias
Conservative Talk 105.9 WMAL-FM. She previously spent seven years at CBS
Radio Hot AC 94.7 Fresh-FM WIAD as co-host of the Tommy Show and was Web Coordinator at WMAL.

iHeartMedia Washington D.C. announced today that Jen Richer has been named Assistant Program Director, effective November 1. iHeartMedia Washington,
D.C. has a strong cross-platform presence and includes a number of iconic brands and franchises — both broadcast and digital — encompassing more than seven stations comprised of music, talk and news formats.

iHeartMedia has the leading consumer reach and influence across multiple platforms and delivers more live programming than any other media company.
As Assistant Program Director, Richer will be responsible for assisting the region Program Directors with their day-to-day programming responsibilities
and digital operations for all seven radio stations. She will report to
Jeff Kapugi, Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia
Washington, D.C.

Richer returns to the Washington, D.C. Region from WMAL-FM, where she most recently served as the Executive Producer for “The Vince Coglianese Show.” Throughout her career she has held several programming roles including
stints as Executive Producer for iHeartMedia Washington D.C.’s 104.7 WONK- FM’s “Reaction Zone,” News Director for iHeartMedia Washington D.C., Co-host and Executive Producer of “The Tommy Show” on WIAD-FM; and Host and Executive Producer of “The Fresh Perspective Show” on WIAD-FM. She began her career at WMAL-FM in 2006 and is a graduate of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jen Richer back to the iHeartMedia Washington, D.C. team in this newly created position,” said Kapugi. “Jen’s passion and
dedication to radio and all things Washington, D.C. are an incredible asset
– we can’t wait to see her back in action.”

“I am so excited to rejoin the team at iHeartMedia Washington, D.C. for
this incredible new opportunity to work with such a talented team of programmers and talent,” said Richer. “There couldnt be a more important time for radio to connect with our listeners as we start transitioning into
the new normal, and I am looking forward to helping deliver an awesome experience for the Washington D.C community through these landmark
stations.”



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Station Sales Week Of 10/22: Family Stations & Relevant Radio Swap In
Baltimore And Orlando

Posted: 22 Oct 2021 04:30 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/214358/station-sales-week-of-10-22-family-stations-relevant-radio-swap-in-baltimore-and-orlando/


Family Stations and Relevant Radio are swapping excess signals in Baltimore
and Orlando.

Family Stations will send 750 WBMD Baltimore MD to Relevant Radio for 1190
WAMT Pine Castle-Sky Lake/Orlando FL. The deal marks an entry into each
market for the acquirer, while Family Stations retains 860 WFSI/106.9
W295BX Baltimore and Relevant Radio holds 1080 WHOO Winter Park/104.7
W284DM Kissimmee in Orlando. Relevant Radio had been operating under the Immaculate Heart Media name until earlier this year.

Nodaway Broadcasting Company sells Pickup Country 1580 KNIM/95.9 K240DY and 97.1 The Ville KVVL Maryville MO to Fletcher Fords Regional Media for
$50,000. As part of the deal Regional Media will pay a $36,000 per year
lease for fifteen years for the stations studios and tower site and a
fifteen year lease at $2277.78 per month for the associated equipment.

Hayco Broadcasting sells Country Lake 100.3 1350 WCSM/100.3 W262DC and Full Service Hot AC 96.7 WCSM-FM Celina OH to Brent and Danielle Selhorsts
Buzzards Media for $1.3 million. Brent Selhorst has served as Program
Director and morning host at the stations since 2013.

MBM Radio sells Classic Hits 1490 KLNT Laredo TX to Carlos Lopez for
$25,000. An LMA of the station took effect with the sale agreement with the station flipping to Spanish Christian Radio Vida.
Translator Sales

Hispanic Family Christian Network acquires 107.9 K300DS Corsicana TX from E-String Wireless for $32,000. The buyer will utilize the translator to rebroadcast Radio Ones 97.9 KBFB-HD3 Dallas.

2820 Communications purchases 89.1 W206CE Dekalb IL from Educational Media Foundation for $30,000. The buyer will rebroadcast their Catholic Spirit
Radio 88.3 WPJC Pontiac IL.

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