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101.9 KENZ Goes Alternative, 94.9 KHTB To Go Classic Hip Hop

G

Gregg.

I'm not sure about this move, being made by Cumulus Radio. Alt 94.9 KHTB is now being simulcast on 101.9 KENZ, which had been running an Adult Hits format. The plan, according to Radio Insight, is for 101.9 to become the Cumulus Alternative station in Salt Lake City (101.9 is licensed to Ogden). And 94.9 (licensed to Provo) will eventually carry the Classic Hip Hop format that Cumulus has had some success with in Indianapolis.

First, why switch the dial position for Alternative? 94.9 has been a Rock station for years. Are there more Alternative listeners in the northern section of the Salt Lake City market? And why put a format aimed primarily at African-Americans in very white Salt Lake City, a market with no FM Urban stations and only two rimshot Spanish-language stations? Is there a big demand for 50 Cent and L.L. Cool J in Salt Lake City? Cumulus' WRWM has had some success with the format in Indianapolis, premiering at #1 but now dropping to #12. But Salt Lake City and Indianapolis are different markets.
 
The same happened with Cumulus and Classic Hip Hop in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Both WRWM/Indy, and KLIF/Dallas were CHR as "i93/94" before flipping to classic hip hop. The one in Dallas rebranded as "Hot 93.3" (ironically around the same time Radio One launched "Boom 94.5" on KSOC, another classic hip hop format). Today, KSOC still maintains "Boom" while "Hot" went back to its CHR format. I find that a lame way to go. Listening to Alt 94.9 (before the move to 101.9), I'd much rather see Cumulus blow 93.3 to become Alt, but that's a talk for the DFW boards.

In all honesty, both Indianapolis and Dallas' Cumulus-owned classic hip hop formats did not fare well. I don't see much with 94.9 either.
 
The Indy classic hip-hop station debuted at #1 12+ and in its target demo. While it has started to level off, it still has the highest ratings in both that the 93.9 signal has ever had. That's far from not faring well.

It is true, however, that the Dallas station delivered a sub-par performance, and a handful of Radio One's classic hip-hop stations are not showing legs after breakout starts.
 
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