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News Archive: April/May 2006
May 1, 2006
The NFL Draft is over... now I can give this site the attention it deserves.
The Reno, NV page has the full, correct story about 97.3 KZTQ. My apologies for the erroneous information about the station that was on here before, but what I read previously on it was factually incorrect.
KSDL in Sedalia, MO switched from Hot AC as "Mix 92.3" to Variety Hits as 92.3 Bob FM on April 19, 2006.
WSGA (Freedom 104.7) switched to a better signal to give it better coverage of the Savannah, GA market, 92.3, as Freedom 92.3. The WSGA calls moved to 92.3; 104.7 received new calls WTHG. The station simulcast on 92.3 and 104.7 for two weeks; today the simulcast ended, with 104.7 flipping to classic hits as 104.7 The Eagle.
May 5, 2006
A station I overlooked that flipped on 1/1/2006 was 95.1 Mike FM (KMXL) in Joplin, MO. The station, in an unusual twist, kept part of its past identity alive with the positioning statement "The New Mix 95.1 Mike FM", which is unusual for this format, but nonetheless what is being done in Joplin (the Mix name also fits the call letters, which have remained intact).
Variety Hits is on in Terre Haute, IN, as WWSY flipped on Tuesday (5/2/2006) from Hot AC as Y96 to Variety Hits as 95.9 The Valley.
Oldies 101.5 (WMJZ-FM) in Gaylord, MI reportedly flipped to Variety Hits today as 101.5 The Eagle. I haven't been able to gain confirmation of this beyond 100000watts.com, and I tend to prefer to see something for myself on that (i.e. a newspaper article, a playlist on yes.net, etc.) to make sure it's not one of those classic hits stations with extended playlists that uses Variety Hits imaging.
May 8, 2006
Clear Channel is offering something in the Variety Hits field in its "Format Lab" (being developed for HD Radio channels.) It is called "Al's Music Mart" (Channel 710, though I'm not sure what that distinction is supposed to mean), which creates the setting of being inside of a record store as a set-up in-between songs. The music itself fits the format, though to-date I don't know of any HD sub-carriers that are utilizing the service. I assure you that Clear Channel is no friend of mine, but the point of this site is to provide objective (or as objective as possible) information about the genre, regardless of what company may be involved.
I made the decision when I started to not include internet-only streams, but because this is being touted for HD Radio, I wanted to at least mention it. This page has the details on Al's Music Mart (it's the last entry.) Ironically, there's a Modern ACish channel that's called "The Variety Channel" detailed right above it, but that has nothing to do with this format.
May 27, 2006
It's been a pretty quiet month for the format. On Friday, Clear Channel's 106.3 The Bus (KDRB) in Des Moines became a double-decker, beginning a simulcast on 100.3 KMXD, which had been known as "My 100.3" with a Hot AC format.
The simulcast is temporary, to allow listeners to become familiar with the new, stronger frequency 100.3 for The Bus (100kw with a 76 mile broadcast radius, providing city-grade coverage to towns like Ames, Iowa Falls and Marshaltown.) There's no word yet on what will go on 106.3, though 100000watts.com reports that the KDRB call letters will be moving to 100.3, so whatever new call letters appear there might provide some hint on what is heading there.
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