1999 in radio
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The year 1999 in radio involved some significant events.
Events
- January 4 – KOZN/Kansas City dropped its modern AC format and began stunting with ocean waves. The following morning, KOZN flips to adult contemporary as "Star 102", and adopted the new call letters "KSRC."
- January 5 – About an hour after KOZN debuted its new format, modern rocker KNRX/Kansas City dropped its 5-year-old format and begins stunting with a loop of Prince's "1999." The following afternoon, the station flips to urban oldies as "K107."
- March 26: Billionaire Paul Allen gives Portland, Oregon its first Rhythmic Contemporary station as KXL-FM becomes KXJM ("Jammin' 95.5").
- April 5 – KHOT/Phoenix flips from Rhythmic Oldies to Regional Mexican
- April 19 - WZJM/Cleveland drops its 14-year-old rhythmic-leaning Top 40/CHR format as "Jammin' 92.3" for rhythmic oldies (as "92.3 The Beat").
- May 4 - Clear Channel Communications' official merger with Jacor is consummated.[1]
- May 13 - WXXM/Philadelphia flips from Modern AC "Max" to Rhythmic Oldies as WEJM, "Jammin' Gold"
- May 14 - WENZ/Cleveland flips from modern rock to mainstream urban as "Kiss 107.9." Due to copyright violation claims from Clear Channel Communications, WENZ rebranded as "Z 107.9" that September 1.
- May 20 - WZLE/Cleveland flips from Christian contemporary to Top 40/CHR as "104.9 KISS FM."
- May 21 - KVOD/Denver flips from classical to rhythmic oldies as "Jammin' 92.5."
- May 24 - WJJJ/Pittsburgh flips from smooth jazz to rhythmic oldies as "104.7 The Beat."
- August 6 – WWXY and WWYX (now WVIV-FM)/Chicago flip to an 80's hits format, branded as "The 80s Channel."
- October 2 – 810 WHB/Kansas City flips to Sports Talk
- October 4 - Clear Channel announces a nearly $16 billion merger with AMFM, creating America's largest radio group. The deal would close the following year after selling off surplus in multiple markets. This would be the largest broadcast deal in American history, a record that would stand until Clear Channel itself was bought out by private equity in 2007.
- November 4 – WYXR (now WRFF)/Philadelphia flips from Hot AC to "Rock Adult Contemporary", branded as "Alice 104.5"
- December 1 – WZBA flips from Country music to Rock AC as "100.7 The Bay"
- December 17- KYCW-FM/Seattle flips from Country to All-80s Hits
Debuts
- October 23: The BJ Shea Morning Experience makes its debut on KQBZ in Seattle, Washington.
- Former Hawaii Morning Host Kari Steele Begins Her Run At KOST 103.5 Having The Los Angeles Area Listen To Her For The First Time.
Closings
- April 17 – The Mutual Broadcasting System name was retired by owner Westwood One, with remaining affiliates switching to CNN Radio in a deal with Turner Broadcasting. On that same day, "NBC Radio"-branded newscasts (by this point, "Mutual" and "NBC" newscasts were produced and anchored by CBS Radio personnel) were also limited only to 5 a.m. – 10 a.m. on weekday mornings, with CNN Radio newscasts airing at all other times.
Deaths
- Regis Cordic, 72, American radio personality and actor.
- Shirley Dinsdale, 72, ventriloquist and television and radio personality of the 1940s and early 1950s.
- January 30: Ed Herlihy, 89, American radio and television announcer for NBC.[2]
- Ted Mallie, 74, American radio and television announcer
- January 11, Frank Parker, 95, an American singer and television personality.[2]
References
- ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1999/RR-1999-05-07.pdf
- ^ a b Cox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-3848-8.