Formats, Frequencies & Whatnot
• Midwest Communications has LMA’d Jon Pirkle-owned Alternative WNFZ (94Z)/Knoxville and yesterday at 5pm flipped the station to Adult Hits as 94.3 Jack FM.
“We’re excited to introduce a totally different radio station to East Tennessee,” said a clearly excited Randy Chambers, Jack FM’s Brand Manager. “The radio market and advertiser needs continue to evolve, and we’re evolving with those needs. Jack FM is a music-driven, innovative and energetic format that is designed for an adult audience and built around the promises of variety, low repetition, fewer commercials and less clutter.”
94.3 Jack FM is currently operating under an LMA, awaiting FCC approval, upon which time Duke Wright‘s Midwest Communications will take ownership, adding it to the existing Knoxville cluster that includes AC WJXB (B97.5), Classic Rock WIMZ and Classic Country WDKW (95.7 Duke FM).
• At the stroke of noon ET on Thursday, after 48 hours of Alan Jackson‘s “Gone Country” on a loop, Seven Mountains Media (7MM) launched Central PA’s newest radio station — Classic Country WLEJ (98.7 Bigfoot Country Legends)/State College, PA. It replaces Triple A WFEQ (98.7 The Freq), which has moved online.
Bigfoot Country Legends was developed by 7MM’s Chief Programming Officer JC Burton and is under the command of PD Mike Shoenfelt, who also programs Classic Hits sister WOWY 97.1. WLEJ is Seven Mountains Media’s first Classic Country station and becomes a part of the Bigfoot Country Network, streaming at bigfootcountrylegends.com.
Jim Loftus, Chief Operating Officer of Seven Mountains Media, told RAMP, “Our listeners told us over and over that they wished there was a station that played their favorite Country songs that just weren’t heard on the radio… and that’s our mission at 98.7 Bigfoot Country Legends. Check us out!” Seven Mountains Media owns and operates 32 broadcast signals throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
• Entercom Urban 96.3 The Block (WFBC-HD2)/Greenville-Spartanburg, SC continues its outward expansion with the addition of a third signal — an FM translator at 107.7, extending the reach of the station into Anderson County. Entercom originally launched 96.3 The Block in 2015 on 96.3 in Greenville County and in 2016 expanded its footprint to 104.5 in Spartanburg County.
“96.3 The Block has become the top choice for hip-hop and R&B fans in Greenville and Spartanburg over the past four years,” said Steve Sinicropi, SVP/Market Manager, Entercom Greenville-Spartanburg. “We’re excited to answer the call-for-service in Anderson County by adding 107.7 FM. The Block is consistently growing and adding Anderson County will allow us to serve more listeners and customers who have previously had very limited choices.”
