We could pat ourselves on the back, but it’s not like it took a team of world-class scientists to figure this one out.
OMW hears that at noon today, as expected and rumored, Clear Channel Columbus will flip stunting WMRN-FM/106.7 Dublin “Television 106.7” to a modern/adult rock format as “Radio 106.7”.
The station’s new website, listed as “Under Construction”, bears the logo shown here.
We hear from multiple sources – basically, everyone in Columbus short of Jim Tressel – that “Radio 106.7” will be as expected, a lightly-presented music-intensive station featuring modern, classic alternative and adult alternative rock aimed at 25-44 year old listeners.
Our sources have given us a list of core artists for the new station, including older familiar groups like U2, the Dave Matthews Band, Nickleback, Pearl Jam, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the like.
But we also hear that “Radio 106.7” will tout a deep playlist, and promises to play at least some new and established local rock artists out of Central Ohio.
OMW hears that “Radio 106.7” will not add air personalities until after the first of the year, and even then, will keep their on-air talk to a minimum. The station will also tout a low commercial load, and no liners.
The model for this format is presumably Clear Channel sister station WMVX/94.1 in Cincinnati, which adopted their adult-leaning rock format as “Radio 94.1” a while back. But it also reminds us of a station up in our colleague Scott Fybush’s territory – Buffalo NY market rimshot WLKK/107.7 “The Lake”.
It’ll be interesting if the station tries to be “too cool for the room”, or is more accessible than the Buffalo market’s “Lake”, which plays watery sound effects and called its air personalities “Lake Guides”.
Those “Guides” were taken off the water, er, “The Lake”, last month in an Entercom staff purge, and WLKK is now mainly automated. (An OMW hat tip to the aforementioned Mr. Fybush for his item in NorthEast Radio Watch.)
So, we’ll see how “Radio 106.7” handles the on-air talent part of the equation.
Tbe next remaining shoe to drop – we don’t know what call letters the new station will adopt.
The WMRN-FM calls will surely be bounced back to the station’s former home city of Marion, and land on the current WDIF/94.3 – which flipped from AC “Mix 94.3” to the old WMRN-FM “Buckeye Country” format after 106.9 left town there.
Of course, as you’d expect in even the oddest stunt, OMW has gotten a few comments from those who enjoy the “TV theme song” stunt format. While it’s an interesting oddity, there’s not a lot of depth to it, and even the most enthusiastic listener would tire of it after more than a few days…
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