The move brings the ESPN Radio network back to the Tampa market after it was dropped by iHeartMedia’s 620 WDAE/95.3 W237CW in December where it had been heard in nights and weekends.

This stunt follows a couple days of stunting as “Elon FM“. The now-former Classic Country brand launched in September 2023 following the purchase of the station from veteran Country radio programmer Todd Nixon. Nixon programmed KBEQ Kansas City from 2017 until the end of 2024 with previous stints at WYZB Fort Walton Beach, KRMD-FM Shreveport, WCKT Fort Myers, WCTQ Sarasota, WTQR Greensboro, and WNCB Raleigh. He also had been tracking mornings on KTNK.

As of this writing the station’s website and streaming are down ahead of whatever is next to take off for the station.

The simulcast is now branding as “Cool FM” positioning as “Michigan’s Oldies” with a playlist centered in the 1970s. WQXC-FM rimshots the Kalamazoo market, with WFAT covering nearby Battle Creek.

“1230 The Game” KLAV Las Vegas which already carried VSiN programming in all dayparts, will now be branded as “VSiN Las Vegas 1230 The Game“.

Lotus Las Vegas General Manager Natalie Marsh said, “We are thrilled to announce the rebranding of 1230 The Game as , solidifying our long-standing partnership with VSiN. As one of the first stations to bring VSiN content to terrestrial radio, we’ve always shared a commitment to delivering the best in sports betting insights to our listeners. This next step underscores our dedication to providing cutting-edge content and highlights the growth and impact of VSiN in the world of sports broadcasting.”

Lotus Las Vegas Sports Network Program Director Q Myers added, “Like everyone else involved in this partnership, I’m very excited to see the rebranding of 1230 The Game become officially VSiN Las Vegas 1230 The Game. We have had a lengthy partnership with VSiN and all this does is continue to grow it and take it to the next level. Excited about what’s to come next with the dedication from us and VSiN, forming VSIN Las Vegas 1230 The Game.”

VSiN President/Chief Business Officer Brian Musburger commented, “Lotus has been an amazing partner in helping VSiN build a passionate local following, hungry for credible sports betting information. It’s that passion, and the excitement of being at the center of the sports and entertainment capital of the world, that we try to capture for our audience in the rest of the country. We’re excited to kick off this relationship in time to bring non-stop coverage of the Big Game to our local listeners.”

The change took place at 7pm following a half-hour of farewell songs featuring Green Day “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, Styx “Come Sail Away”, Rush “Spirit of Radio”, Led Zeppelin “Thank You”, and Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio”. KFBG PD/afternoon host Garett Michaels is returning full-time to XETRA-FM to host mornings replacing the departing Marty Whitney, while former morning host Corey Dylan moves to middays at CHR “Z90” XHITZ.

LMSD agreed to sell KFBG to Lotus in December for $3.5 million. The deal is still awaiting FCC approval.

A meesage on KFBG’s website says, “Last month, we sold 100.7 FM to Lotus Communications. We, Local Media San Diego, are currently in the final phase of turning over programming to the new owner. Our sincerest thank you for your support of 100.7 BIG-FM over the past five years. We hope you will continue to support local broadcasting by listening to our sister radio stations 91X (91.1), Z90 (90.3) and Magic 92.5, still locally owned and operated with the goal of serving the San Diego community. During this final phase we will be temporarily broadcasting 91X on 100.7 FM. Thank you again for your support of local radio”

Repositioning as “Classic R&B and Today’s Southern Soul”, the station claims it will spotlight a dynamic blend of music that resonates deeply with Atlanta’s vibrant community.

Radio One Atlanta Operations Manager Derek Harper commented, “We are happy to serve our listeners with the music they love. Southern Soul is becoming a leading music genre, and we are excited to bring it to our audience throughout the day.”

Program Director Tony Richards added, “Southern Soul is where it’s at! We will deliver it in a fun, powerful way while continuing to serve our Classic R&B listeners.”

The move follows Core Radio Group’s launch of Adult R&B/Southern Soul “87.7 The Vibe” WTBS-LD earlier this month.

Classix registered a 1.5 share in the Holiday 2024 Nielsen Audio ratings.

AC “Sky 96.3” WRBN Clayton holds a CP to move to 95.7 in Toccoa GA, while Classic Country “Real Country 100.3” W262CE Clayton fed by 101.7 WGOG-HD3 Walhalla SC has one to move to 96.1 in Clemson SC. The company will take both stations silent to utilize the one year window to build out the new facilities.

Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting President/CEO Art Sutton said that the stations had the largest listening audience in Rabun County, but advertising revenue has declined substantially. He shared, “We had a big drop during the housing crisis in 2008 but were able to adjust overhead to remain profitable. The Covid Pandemic, however, resulted in another major hit and, frankly, we never really recovered. While the local business community has reshaped itself into a more upscale tourism and second home destination, businesses which cater to local residents have consolidated or become chain stores which do no local advertising. Until a few months ago, we were breaking even but the writing was on the wall, so we filed with the FCC to relocate to larger communities where there is a larger pool of local advertising revenue.

The stations have two full-time employees affected by the closure. General Manager Gene Gihl has decided to retire, while News/Sports Director Chad Dorsett is moving to 630 WNEG/93.1 W226BY Toccoa. Sutton commented, “We are grateful to both and our listeners and advertisers for their support the past 24 years we’ve operated in Rabun County.” The company intends to sell its studio building in Clayton.

Georgia Carolina Radiocasting has owned WRBN since 2001. Caroll Lee launched 870 WGHC as Clayton’s first radio station in 1961 before his family sold it to Dr. Richard Turner in 1982. The FM would sign-on in 1991 on 104.1, take the WRBN call letters in 1996 and move to 96.3 in 2015. Turner sold the stations to Georgia-Carolina in 2001 with the AM relocated to Charlotte NC and sold in 2008, while a replacement 1400 WGHC was built in 2009 and surrendered in 2013.

Sutton notes that Clayton will continue to be served locally by Christian 91.7 WZTG, while Charisma Radio Corp Soft AC 104.5 WHLC Highlands NC has a CP to relocate a translator to 94.9 in Clayton and LPFM CP TS-HCX Inc.’s 97.5 WFJV-LP Clayton will both utilize the current tower site of WRBN and W262CE.

Positioning as “Chico’s Hits and Throwbacks” and programmed by Robert Paul, the station is focusing on music from the 1990s to now with a Pop/Alternative lean. The Mountain will run jockless and commercial-free at launch with USRN’s The TJ Show to be added for mornings and Liveline with Mason at night.

The new brand replaces Oldies “Sunny 105.7“.

The deal, which despite Golden describes as being completed, has not been filed with the FCC. Nor has a deal reported in November which claimed that Adrian Eddleman’s Liberty Radio finalized the purchase of all of Grace’s stations in Tennessee including “Super Talk 93.1“ WTJS Alamo and “Fox Sports 105.3” WTJK Humboldt in the Jackson market. Liberty owns stations in Camden TN and Corinth MS.

All of WBFG’s programming will now be heard on WNWS-FM including former WNWS morning host Dan Reaves. Reaves’ exit from WNWS-FM in 2020 to join Grace led to a settlement that saw Grace pay $1.825 million to purchase WNWS-FM. Reaves would then exit to lease and subsequently purchase WBFG in 2022 for $500,000, which would bring Story into the picture as Golden Media Group agreed to acquire it in November for $100,000 and the forgiveness of the $462,500 lien on the station. Story and partners also purchase WDXI/W278CL as LMS Group in September 2024 for $400,000, which is when it and WBFG began operating under the “Talk-N” brand.

The full “Talk-N West Tennessee” weekday lineup features fourteen hours of local programming daily starting with Mike Doles and Gina Langley from 6-8am. Jamey ‘Sea Bass’ Parker hosts “Everybody Talks with Sea Bass” from 8-11am and Chuck Walker’s “Walker Talks” runs from 11am-2pm. Jimmy Duke hosts “The Mid-Day Mix” from 2-3pm and Reaves follows in afternoons from 3-6pm. Sea Bass returns to host the Sports focused “The Cheap Seats” from 6-8pm.

Story, a former professional wrestler and promoter, said in a story on WNWS.com, “Golden Media Group will be a complete media group. Advertising, digital marketing, digital TV (television), our own television newscasts, website building, up to date traffic reports … it’s not just turning the dial to find a radio station … we’re going to be more of an entertainment business, but we’re also really going to be involved in politics and sports.”

Branding as simply “105-1 WJZM“, the station is targeting the nearby Clarksville TN market utilizing the call letters of the former 1400 WJZM, which utilized the calls as Clarksville’s first radio station in 1941 until 2018. Owners Bryan and Jodi Fowler will host mornings with a lineup of syndicated programming including Premiere Networks’ “On with Mario Lopez” and Delilah in middays and nights respectively and United Stations’ Jackson Blue in afternoons.

The Fowlers reacquired the former WLFN in late 2023 after previously being a part of its former ownership group until 2021. The former brand is being continued as a webcaster but shifting its focus to Classic Country from 1970 to 1995. The company has also launched a streaming a Oldies tribute to the original WJZM featuring music from the 1950s through 80s as “14 WJZM” imaged like the AM was in the 1960s and 70s.

The station had been operated via LMA by Edwards Media since at least 2018. The current R&B format launched in October 2023 following the move of its former Hip Hop brand “The Beat” to M&M Broadcasters’ 107.3 K297CC Waco/KRMX-HD4 Bellmead.

A new LMA with the buyer will take effect on Saturday, February 1 with KWBT flipping to Regional Mexican as “La Grande 94.5“. The new brand will be programmed by consultant Daniel Melendez who tells us, “The Waco market continues to grow and with only one Regional Mexican station in the local market we figured it was time to give Waco a second full power signal and not on a translator like it had been done in the past. We will start with non-stop music and include the night show “Desvelados” that currently airs in 15 cities in the US that I currently host.”

Melendez also says the station will launch his Spanish Rhythmic “Rumba” brand on one of the station’s HD subchannels.

Run in-tandem with Nantucket Radio LLC AAA “97.7 Ack-FM” WAZK and Nantucket Public Radio’s “89.5 Quahog Country” WNCK Nantucket, the station is featuring music from artists including Karol G, Marc Anthony, Shakira, Daddy and Yankee.

Nantucket Public Radio and Nantucket Multi-Cultural Media President Laura Burnett said, “We’re excited to launch El Pingüino 88.1 FM for the Nantucket community. With nearly half of our public school students being multilingual, Nantucket Multi-Cultural Media will provide multilingual news and information via radio, digital, and social media platforms. We’re grateful to the Community Foundation for Nantucket for their help in making this possible.”

The station is being supported by sponsors and donors through a El Pingüino Support Fund sponsored by the Community Foundation for Nantucket. Executive Director Sunny Daily said, “On behalf of the Community Foundation for Nantucket, we are thrilled to see this initiative come to life, expanding access for listeners across the island. We would like to thank Laura Burnett and Jeff Shapiro for leading this project and entrusting us with their vision. Through the El Pingüino Support Fund, the Community Foundation for Nantucket is proud to accept tax-deductible donations as Nantucket Multi-Cultural Media works toward achieving their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.”