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 rockerKNRX/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."
June 4 -
KGUM/
Agana signs on with an
active rock format, branded as "The Rock 105.1."
June 30 - WPLL/Miami flips from
Modern AC to rhythmic oldies as "Mega 103.5."
July - Capstar and Chancellor officially complete their merger, with the newly combined company being renamed AMFM, Inc.
July 2 - WLCE/Buffalo flips from Modern AC to rhythmic oldies as WBUF, "B92.9."
August - KLAL/Little Rock evolves from
Modern AC top Top 40/CHR
August 6 - WWXY and WWYX (now
WPNA-FM)/Chicago flip to an 80's hits format, branded as "The 80s Channel."
August 28 -
WAKS/Tampa flips formats from Top 40/CHR to hot AC as "Mix 100.7";[6] the station assumes the WMTX calls, while the WAKS calls are transferred to the former WZLE/Lorain.[5]
October 4 - Clear Channel announces a nearly $23.5 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"
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
January 11 –
Frank Parker, 95, American singer and television personality[7]
January 30 –
Ed Herlihy, 89, American radio and television announcer for
NBC[7]
April 16 –
Regis Cordic, 72, American radio personality and actor
May 9 –
Shirley Dinsdale, 72, American
ventriloquist and television and radio personality of the 1940s and early 1950s
December 15 –
George Elrick, 95 Scottish bandleader and DJ
Ted Mallie, 74, American radio and television announcer
^
abCox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc.
ISBN978-0-7864-3848-8.
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 rockerKNRX/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."
June 4 -
KGUM/
Agana signs on with an
active rock format, branded as "The Rock 105.1."
June 30 - WPLL/Miami flips from
Modern AC to rhythmic oldies as "Mega 103.5."
July - Capstar and Chancellor officially complete their merger, with the newly combined company being renamed AMFM, Inc.
July 2 - WLCE/Buffalo flips from Modern AC to rhythmic oldies as WBUF, "B92.9."
August - KLAL/Little Rock evolves from
Modern AC top Top 40/CHR
August 6 - WWXY and WWYX (now
WPNA-FM)/Chicago flip to an 80's hits format, branded as "The 80s Channel."
August 28 -
WAKS/Tampa flips formats from Top 40/CHR to hot AC as "Mix 100.7";[6] the station assumes the WMTX calls, while the WAKS calls are transferred to the former WZLE/Lorain.[5]
October 4 - Clear Channel announces a nearly $23.5 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"
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
January 11 –
Frank Parker, 95, American singer and television personality[7]
January 30 –
Ed Herlihy, 89, American radio and television announcer for
NBC[7]
April 16 –
Regis Cordic, 72, American radio personality and actor
May 9 –
Shirley Dinsdale, 72, American
ventriloquist and television and radio personality of the 1940s and early 1950s
December 15 –
George Elrick, 95 Scottish bandleader and DJ
Ted Mallie, 74, American radio and television announcer
^
abCox, Jim (2008). This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc.
ISBN978-0-7864-3848-8.