More radio moves in Miami: This time Cox Media Group (CMG) Miami is taking aim at CCME’s heritage “Y100” WHYI-FM. CMG says the new Top 40 station, which replaces heritage AC “The Coast,” is custom built for South Florida.
“When we developed Hits 97-3, we asked women in South Florida what they want in a radio station,” said CMG Miami VP and Market Manager Rob Babin. “This feedback inspired our team to design a radio station that plays today’s best hit music and provides an engaged listener experience with live and local personalities.”
HITS 97-3 also lets listeners pick the hits through the interactive HITS 97-3 app.
The 100,000-watt station @ 1,007-ft HAAT will serve Miami-Dade and Broward counties as well as parts of Palm Beaches and the Upper Florida Keys. The lineup includes familiar South Florida personalities who understand what it means to truly live in South Florida:
o The Kevin, Virginia & Jason Morning Show (Mornings)
o Toni Gonzalez (Middays)
o Mike Kruz (Afternoons)
o Ashley O (Nights)
o Nikki Ramirez (Weekends)
o Vic Mendez (Weekends)
o Dru Vega (Weekends)
“HITS 97-3 was conceived by South Floridians and will reflect the lifestyle, attitude, and atmosphere of life in South Florida,” said Program Director Tom Calococci. “Listeners told us they wanted more opportunities to pick the hits. With our new app, they can vote on their favorite songs and even record messages through the ‘open mic’ feature that will be played on the air.”
South Florida’s new HITS 97-3 is available online at www.HITS973.com, as well as through the TuneIn Radio App and iHeartRadio.
RBR-TVBR observation: A lot of changes recently in that market. CCME made the flip from Adult Hits “Variety 103.5” 10/11 to WMIB-FM “The Beat—Miami’s Bangin’ Hip-Hop,” putting the Clear Channel station in direct competition with CMG’s heritage urban WEDR-FM “99 Jamz.” Earlier this month, after a month of simulcasting the El Zol Tropical format on both 106.7 and 95.7, as part of a frequency swap, SBS launched a new Spanish Hot AC format on 95.7—WRMA-FM “I-95”. The station is dubbed “El Ritmo Romantico de Miami”. El Zol stays on 106.7 as WXDJ-FM. The move was s aimed at Univision’s Spanish Contemporary Amor 107.5 WAMR-FM and CCME’s Spanish Pop Mega 94.9 WMGE.
