Atlanta Radio - 94.9 The Bull and 96.7 Lite FM

[atlnewsfan03]

I don't know if any of you noticed it or not. Clear Channel has dumped "Lite FM" from 94.9 FM, in favor of a new country music station... 94.9 The Bull. 94.9's new calls are WUBL.



Clear Channel is expected to move "Lite FM" to 96.7 FM. I'm not sure what the new calls will be. I don't know about any of you. I really liked "Lite FM" on the 94.9 FM dial... I'm a bit disappointed by this. Now, it appears that we might soon be hearing 96.7 Lite FM very soon.

Another radio station change made earlier this year... Cox overhauling 97.1 FM, from the previous 97.1 Jamz, to the current 97.1 The River... and changing that stations calls from WFOX to WSVR (if I'm not mistaken).

To me, the only radio stations (on the FM dials) that have seemed to survive the longest in Atlanta (with the same call letters, and same dial setting) are...

WKHX 101.5 FM - Kicks 101.5
WKLS 96.1 FM - Project 96.1 (formerly 96 Rock)
WNNX 99.7 FM - 99 X
WSB 98.5 FM - B 98.5 FM
WSTR 94.1 FM - Star 94
WVEE 103.3 FM - V 103
WYAY 106.7 FM - Eagle 106.7 (formerly Y 106.7)
WZGC 92.9 FM - 92.9 Dave FM (formerly Z 93)

[gartv]

So Clear Channel continues to spread their "Bull" (pun intended)

The reason I happily subscribe to XM Satalite Radio is because of Clear Channel dumping Smooth Jazz 102.5 in Macon, turning it into country "102.5 The Bull" two years ago.

What baffles me is how they think that they would succeed against the more established Country stations THAT ALL HAVE STRONGER SIGNALS! 94.9 has a very weak or non-existant signal in Middle Georgia but we CAN recieve the other Atlanta Country stations this far south. In Macon, the signal for Clear Channel's 102.5 is limited to a 20-30 mile radius so as to not interfere with other stations broadcasting on 102.5 around the state (there are several!)

94.9 used to be WPCH "Peach 94.9", an established station in ATL and Clear Channel re-formatted it to match other "Lite" stations around the country, hence the name change.

Then Clear Channel "warehoused" the "peach" and WPCH calls, briefly using them on an AM station in Augusta and currently using the "peach" moniker and WPCH calls on 96.5 in Macon. 96.5 in Macon is currently playing all christmas music with a new format to debut on Tuesday, December 26th.

Clear channel recently killed 96.5 "The Buzz" in Macon, which was one of the more popular stations in the market. Hundreds complained when "The Buzz" alternative rock format was dumped on Halloween for Christmas music.

They also had "the buzz" in ATL on many frequencies including 96.7.

If it is inappropiate for me to say this on this board, please edit my post and I promise to be nicer in the future but.....

Clear Channel is the cancer of broadcast radio. They have ruined the radio and music industry and screwed the listeners as well as so many dedicated and talented people we used to call Disc Jockeys.

Im sure "the bull' in ATL will be another voice-tracked, pathetic insult with a limited music library. I am sorry to see "Lite-Fm" go, but B-98.5 (which I can get down here..100 miles away) is a good station. Cox Radio beats Clear Channel, Radio One and Cumulus hands down!

[atlnewsfan03]

There was 1 paricular show I really liked... and still do. "Delilah at Night". 94.9, when it was both "Lite FM" and "Peach" had carried the show for several years. It's a shame that Clear Channel decided to convert it from the well established Soft AC format known as "Lite FM" to its new country music format... "The Bull".

I wouldn't mind hearing her show on B 98.5 FM... just an idea. However, I don't know if B 98.5 FM would be interested in carrying her show or not... or if the new 96.7 Lite FM will be carrying it. To me, it would seem like Clear Channel has some sort of relationship with Premiere Radio Networks, which syndicates Delilah's show. You'll notice that a majority of Clear Channel owned radio stations carry her show.

I wonder if Cox Radio even beats Emmis, Lincoln Financial (formerly Jefferson-Pilot), CBS (formerly Infinity), and ABC? I'm aware ABC owns Kicks 101.5 and Eagle 106.7 in Atlanta... CBS owns 92.9 Dave FM, V 103, and Glory 1340 in Atlanta... Lincoln Financial owns Star 94 and 790 The Zone, also here in Atlanta... and Emmis owns radio stations, like Hot 97 in New York.

[gartv]

More "Bull", there is a 105.7 "The Bull" that I picked up recently while driving along I-16 east of Macon. Research finds this is WIBL in Augusta owned by Clear Channel. They have several "Bull" country stations around the country. Macon's is WEBL 102.5 "The Bull" (which was the former Smooth Jazz station that I enjoyed)

On December 26th, "Peach 96.5" WPCH in Macon has assumed a "new" Soft AC format. This was the former WYNF "96-5 The Buzz" that was dropped on Halloween for Christmas music under the recycled name "Peach" which Clear Channel has moved from Atlanta to Augusta and now in Macon.

The Soft AC format in Macon has now tripled! As former Christian 99.9 WCOP spent a month playing Christmas music and is now "Sunny 99.9" WQSY. For a few months in 2006, WQSY had a Christian talk format and briefly a hispanic music format.

99.9 is owned locally by Staton Broadcasting who used to have the "Sunny" AC format on 103.9 based in Hawkinsville and serving the Macon area and points south. This station is now "103.9 The Patriot", an FM talk format whos shows include Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, Bill Oreilly and Sean Hannity (also heard on Macon's 940 WMAC)

Clear Channel's 96.5 and Staton's 99.9 join the long established WPEZ (z-93.7) in the Soft AC format and WPGA "Mix 100.9". Z.93.7 has the strongest signal overall. WPEZ was previously at 107.9 until that signal was transferred to the Atlanta market. Cumulus moved this top five station to 93.7 in late 2000 to keep most of its audience. It is one of maybe three Macon stations that can actually be heard in most industrial and office buildings surrounded by electronics and machinery.

For years, "Delilah" was aired on Z-108/Z-93.7 and was replaced by John Tesh a couple years ago.

The new "Sunny 99.9" brought "Delilah" back to the area and will have mostly satalite delivered programing from either Jones Radio Networks or ABC as the previous "Sunny 103.9" had and other Staton Broadcasting stations currently use. The only "local" programing on Staton's radio stations is high school football and local news updates.

the new 96.5 sounds like a traditional Clear Channel "voice tracked" station with a playlist of top 40 songs ranging from the late 1960's to the present. Of course for a Soft AC station, their promos tell you that they are the "station that you can listen to at work and keeps you going all day". You can see their playlist at their website www.peach965.com

(notice their logo is identical to the old Peach 94.9)

Only difference is that Z.93.7 also calls themselves the "at work radio station" too. They are also the last of the truly local (live) stations in the Macon market during the daytime.

I give the new "peach" in Macon a couple years as nothing on 96.5 has lasted more than 2 1/2 years anyway. Since I moved to this area in 1994, the 96.5 frequency has had Rock, Country, sports talk, smooth jazz, back to sports talk, back to country, back to smooth jazz, then alternative rock-its most popular format and now Adult Contempary in a field of FIVE other stations with the same format. Neither the previous owner nor Clear Channel has managed to keep anything long term on 96.5.

[atlnewsfan03]

Guess what. B 98.5 FM (WSB) is now carrying "Delilah at Night". I found this out just tonight (January 5).

[gartv]

atlnewsfan03 said:

Guess what. B 98.5 FM (WSB) is now carrying "Delilah at Night". I found this out just tonight (January 5).

I thought I heard Delilah on 98.5 last week while driving around. We can get that signal (clearly in the car) where I live 100 miles south of Macon. She is also heard on WQSA "Sunny 99.9" with a signal that can be heard between Macon and Cordele (but not very clearly in Macon itself).

99.9 (under new local ownership) recently changed formats to AC after a Spanish music format for most of 2006. Before that it was a Christian talk/music station formerly owned by Toccoa Falls College.

With the "new" format on 99.9 came the return of Delilah to (at least part of) the Macon market after WPEZ z-93.7 replaced her with John Tesh a couple years ago.