Clear Channel shifts three radio stations' formats

Posted to: Business News
Login or register to post comments

By Rashod Ollison
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 12, 2010

NORFOLK

Clear Channel Radio Norfolk has changed the beat at three of its local radio stations, managers announced Monday.

Clear Channel changed 105.3 Kiss FM - call letters WKUS - from urban adult contemporary to more of a greatest hits for the baby-boomer set. The new station is Magic 105.3.

Urban adult contemporary programming will shift to two other stations, 92.1 FM and 107.7 FM. The first, Cool 92.1, had featured oldies and light rock; the other, smooth jazz.

"It's not a new format like you were creating some kind of monster in the laboratory format," said Travis Dylan, operations manager at Clear Channel Radio Norfolk. "This is a format that is out there in other markets and they've had success with it. We feel that Hampton Roads deserves a station like this."

Dylan said the company made the decision after reviewing the results of surveys it had taken in the past year and to respond to ratings challenges. "Whenever that happens, you have to look hard at your options," Dylan said. "And we felt this was an option that would work here based on the needs of this area."

The new format was designed with family in mind, Dylan said. The mix at Magic 105.3 will lean toward the greatest hits of the baby-boomer generation, including Motown and Top 40 acts popular during the 1970s such as Donna Summer and KC and the Sunshine Band.

Clear Channel Radio Norfolk comprises FM radio stations WKUS, WOWI (103 Jamz ), WJCD (107.7) and WCDG (92.1).

103 Jamz will remain the home for urban pop from the likes of Alicia Keys, Trey Songz and Jay-Z.

Rashod Ollison, (757) 446-2732, rashod.ollison@pilotonline.com

COMMENTS ADVISORY: Users are solely responsible for opinions they post here; comments do not reflect the views of The Virginian-Pilot or its websites. Users must follow agreed-upon rules: Be civil, be clean, be on topic; don't attack private individuals, other users or classes of people. Read the full rules here.
- Comments are automatically checked for inappropriate language, but readers might find some comments offensive or inaccurate. If you believe a comment violates our rules, click the report violation link below it.

107.7 Smooth Jazz

Submitted by Lisasr on Sat, 11/20/2010 at 12:39 pm.

I can't believe they took smooth jazz away. Most every person I know and work with listened to it. BRING 107.7 Jazz BACK.

I have a number of friends

Submitted by Ethan on Wed, 10/13/2010 at 10:57 am.

I have a number of friends that tell me they listen to streaming internet feeds (rhapsody, pandora, etc) on their cell phones connected to their car stereos on their commute to work. It's gotta be tough in the broadcast biz. So much money tied up in licenses and it's easy to skip the broadcast part now.

This has encouraged a friend and myself to setup our own local music radio station online, and skip the whole FM transmission part. Our goal is only to run stuff from local artists. Been working on it a bit. Have the systems minus touchscreens, and automation software. Know the encoding and streaming side, have solutions for handling a good number of cd quality listeners (bandwidth.) Sign of the times is digital distribution.

Also, 107.7 descends from 105.3, WJCD right?

Where is the jazz!!!!

Submitted by leon1212 on Wed, 10/13/2010 at 7:16 am.

Its amazing to me that Clear Channel keeps getting this wrong. I hav travelled many places large and small and the quality of the jazz stations in ther area is unparalled. WHy cant a coastal city - supposedly up and coming - keep a quality jazz station - How can you even promote a Hampton jazz festival and not have a jazz station?? Obviously noone poled hampton roads residence on what we wanted -

Why two stations playing the same music?

Submitted by lt60 on Wed, 10/13/2010 at 2:17 am.

I just had to add my voice to the masses here. Where is the Jazz and Blues?

Clear Channel's New Format

Submitted by T3Smooth on Tue, 10/12/2010 at 11:01 pm.

This morning, while changing stations (from 95.7 "The Steve Harvey Morning Show"), I was quite surprised and confused to hear The Tom Joyner Morning Show instead of The Brian Culbertson Morning Show on 107.7. Although I'm proud to call both my fraternity brothers; however, why must both smooth jazz and its listeners always suffer? From reviewing the comments of other smooth jazz enthusiasts, you've made a big mistake. Other cities are able to maintain smooth jazz stations (some of these cities are much smaller than the entire Hampton Roads region0. Why can't Hampton Roads maintain a decent smooth jazz station? Smooth jazz stations in Hampton Roads has been beaten unmercifully for years. I thoroughly enjoy listening to smooth jazz artists like Brian Culbertson, Euge Groove, Dave Koz, Eric Darius, Jeff Lorber, Richard Elliott, Norman Brown, George Benson, Chuck Loeb, Rick Braun, Mindy Abair, Wayman Tisdale, - shall I continue? Bring back Smooth Jazz period. Don't tamper with a smooth thing.

Thanks.

Bring back cool jazz

Submitted by jeromes56004 on Tue, 10/12/2010 at 10:13 pm.

This music keeps me and my patients relaxed all day. Now I have to go to satellite radio. Who are you polling? Not me.

No more jazz?

Submitted by ABWoman on Tue, 10/12/2010 at 9:04 pm.

Imagine my surprise yesterday when I was riding along listening to "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder on 105.3, then five minutes later I was listening to "So Happy Together". A bigger surprise came when I found Kiss-FM on TWO stations and the jazz station on NONE. Kiss-FM is one of my favorites, but I don't understand why it needs to be on two stations, especially without a jazz station.

I thought the lesson had been learned a few years back when the jazz station was dropped and brought back. Guess not.