SYRACUSE -- Less than two hours after Foxfur Communications launched a new country format on "Wolf 105.1" (WVOA), Clear Channel, the owner of heritage country station B104.7 (WBBS) has fired back its own salvo -- flipping urban-formatted Power 106.9 over to "Young Country 106.9."
The move effectively triples the number of country stations in the Syracuse market within a matter of two hours -- all located in the triple-digit portion of the FM dial.
CNYRadio.com tried to reach Clear Channel Operations Manager Rich Lauber just after 5:00pm to ask for his comment on the WVOA flip -- at the time, we had no indication he was planning his own format flip.
WPHR was formerly an urban station branded as Power 106.9 with "Today's R&B n' Old Skool." The station's website has been replaced by a very generic splash page stating "Young Country 106.9 is Currently Under Construction."
Howdy ! Wow, its gone full circle! Back in the 1980's this was known as WPCX, Picks-106, and they played country for quite some time, and did very well especially around the Finger Lakes. It was WRLX easy listening before that, and started as WMBO-FM. Gee, maybe they should have just left it alone in the first place.
Sounds like Rich and the CC people are havin' some fun too ! Maybe there'll be Rick Wright & "Old School Country", and Kenny Dees as the "Urban Cowboy". What a concept ! Nothing better than fun in radio.
Reminds me of when TK99 was country...and two other stations flipped.
Doesn't ClearChannel already have a country station in this market - and the #1 station in the market at that?
Northeast Radio Watch is reporting 106.9 is back to the urban format as of 8:00 AM 8/31, apparently we don't need so many country stations after all.