As the Who’s “Baba O’Riley” faded out at 9 a.m. Friday, so did the 32-year legacy of the name 96rock.
In its place: Project 9-6-1, a blend of older hard rock (Black Sabbath, Aerosmith), grunge (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) and current hits (Staind, Slipknot).
Sister station 105.3/The Buzz, which played alternative rock, was also killed off after 18 months despite the fact it had overtaken rival 99X in the ratings. (For now, it’s simulcasting Project 9-6-1.)
Project 9-6-1 execs didn’t return calls seeking comment Friday.
By merging elements of the Buzz and 96rock, the new format is potentially a good move for station owner Clear Channel, said Alex Demers, a Philadelphia-area radio consultant who has worked with 99X and Z93 (now Dave FM).
“96rock was carrying all that Lynyrd Skynyrd baggage with that name,” Demers said. “This is more mainstream.”
Once 96rock fired its morning show team the Regular Guys last month over a restroom stunt, Demers said, “the equity in the brand name 96rock was gone.”
96rock’s ratings have been wobbly the past year, especially since Cox Radio launched 97.1/The River, a classic hits station that quickly jumped into the top 5 among 25- to 54-year-olds. This past summer, 96rock ranked 11th in that demographic while the River was at No. 4.
(The River is part of Cox Enterprises, which also owns The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)
John Dickey, an executive vice president for Atlanta-based Cumulus Media, said he hopes this move will benefit his station, the struggling alternative rock station 99X. “I’m surprised they dropped the name 96rock,” Dickey said. “It’s like blowing up the Varsity and renaming it Project Fast Food.”
Clear Channel is mum on where the Atlanta Braves (which had been on 96rock) will be heard on the FM dial next year and on the future of 105.3, which has gone through four format changes in four years.
96rock built its history on testosterone-driven rock, playing Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin when those acts were new in 1974. The station in the ‘80s went through a heavy-metal phase, added some grunge in the ‘90s, then went softer the past couple of years with more Elton John and Fleetwood Mac. Those latter acts are gone, ceded to the River.
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