Formats (& Frequencies) You’ll Flip Over
• Cumulus Classic Hits KQOB (Fun 96.9)/Oklahoma City starts 2018 sporting a shiny new identity, rebranded as Adult Hits Alice 96-9. In case you were wondering, the newly reformulated station launched at 12:01am on Jan. 1 with Simple Minds‘ “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”
Jay Davis, VP/Market Manager of Cumulus Media OKC said, “We created Alice for the listeners who wanted something compelling and different from the traditional radio fare. Alice 96.9 FM lives by the mantra, ‘We Play Anything,’ and surrounds the great music it plays with a playful, clever and authentic persona. While Alice 96-9 FM does not have traditional ‘announcers,’ listeners will find plenty of personality on the station.”
Alice PD Jeff Couch added, “Alice 96-9 FM makes radio fun by breaking the conventional radio format rules. Alice offers a fresh, surprising and unpredictable variety of the absolute best music, featuring a mix of pop and rock hits from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and beyond.”
• Meanwhile, in Amarillo, TX, Cumulus is preparing to swap frequencies of two of its Country stations — on Monday, January 15, the cluster’s increasingly popular Texas Red Dirt Country station KPUR (The Armadillo) will move from its 5,000-watt perch at 107.1 to the far more powerful 100,000-watt signal at 95.7, the current home of Classic Country KARX (95.7 NASH Icon), which will become 107.1 NASH Icon. No changes in personnel or programming will occur on either station as a result of the flip.
VP/Market Manager Shannon Urton commented, “The Texas Red Dirt audience is made up of the most loyal listeners I’ve ever seen, and I’m excited for what this move means for them and for the Texas Red Dirt Artists!”
OM/PD Craig Vaughn said, “Texas Red Dirt music has grown in popularity to the extent that 5,000 watts of power just wasn’t enough anymore. Moving to 95.7 gives KPUR 100,000 watts of power so we can satisfy the demand we’ve had from the smaller towns surrounding Amarillo. It’s a true testament to Cumulus Media CEO Mary Berner‘s vision of letting the local markets make local decisions about what is best for them.”