The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2014. Events listed include radio program debuts, finales, cancellations, and station launches, closures and format changes, as well as information about controversies.
Notable events
January Date Event1Two rimshot Phoenix adult top 40s, KEXX (at 103.9) and KMVA (at 97.5), merged into one simulcast covering the metropolitan area as "Hot 97.5/103.9 Trending Radio". The move brings KMVA's owner Trumper Radio into KEXX's owner Riviera Broadcast Group's Phoenix properties as part of the arrangement."KEXX, KMVA Merge To Launch 'Trending Radio'" from All Access (December 27, 2013)ESPN Radio gains a new affiliate in Columbia, South Carolina, after a long absence, as talk WOIC joins the sports network, whose first day featured the live broadcast of the South Carolina Gamecocks taking on the Wisconsin Badgers in the Capital One Bowl."WOIC Joins ESPN Radio Jan. 1st" from All Access (December 27, 2013)Waco, Texas, sister stations KWBT and KBCT make frequency, signal and format adjustments, with KWBT moving its R&B/hip-hop format from 104.9 to 94.5 and KBCT dropping its talk format and switching from 94.5 to 104.9, where it relaunched as rhythmic top 40 KBHT "Hot 104.9"Waco's Beat Moves; Hot 104.9 Debuts from Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)ESPN Radio also returns to New Orleans after being dropped in September 2013 by WWWL, as Cajun/swamp music outlet KLRZ becomes the new affiliate.ESPN ON THE MOVE IN NEW ORLEANS from Radio Insight (December 19, 2013)CFJL-FM/Winnipeg shifts from adult standards to AC and rebrands as "Jewel 101," putting it in line with Evanov Communications' AC formatted "Jewel" branding.Winnipeg Gains a Jewel from Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)In the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point area, active rock WVBZ (100.3 The Buzz) and top 40/CHR WMKS (105.7 Now) swapped signals, with WMKS relaunching as "100.3 KISS-FM" and WVBZ moving to 105.7 and shifting to alternative, bringing that format back to the area after 13 years.Greensboro's Buzz, Now, Trading Places from Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)WLFM-LP/Cleveland drops adult album alternative for Spanish top 40 under new a leasing deal with TSJ Media; Murray Hill Broadcasting will remain WLFM's primary owners.87.7 The Sound Cleveland Flips To La Mega from Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)WQQR/Paducah, Kentucky, brings the AC format back to the market after a two-year absence as "94.7 The Mix."94.7 WQQR Reveals a New Mix From Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)WGHQ/Kingston, New York, drops news/talk and becomes a non-commercial affiliate of NPR under new owners Robin Hood Radio.Robin Hood Comes To WGHQ's Rescue from Radio Insight (January 1, 2014)Clear Channel's liberal talk outlets KTLK/Los Angeles and KNEW/San Francisco both shift to conservative talk and adopts "The Patriot" branding. KTLK also changes call letters to KEIB and transfers the former calls to sister station KTCN/Minneapolis-St. PaulPatriots Launch In Los Angeles & San Francisco from Radio Insight (January 1, 2013)In a surprise move, WABC/New York City poaches Curtis Sliwa from WNYM/Hackensack and reunites him with his former WABC morning show co-host Ron Kuby. The revived Curtis and Kuby will air in the time slot formerly held by The Rush Limbaugh Show, which had left WABC for WOR the week prior.Hinckley, David (January 2, 2014). Big reshuffle at WABC brings Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby back — plus a show for NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan. New York Daily News. Retrieved January 6, 2014.3Cumulus Media expands its Chicago properties, taking over operations of Merlin Media's WIQI (rhythmic AC) and WLUP-FM (classic rock) through a local marketing agreement as well as inheriting Merlin's LMA for WKQX-LP (alternative rock); the deal essentially ends Merlin's 3-year run as a broadcasting entity (WIQI and WLUP, along with New York's WRXP, were the company's first station purchases in 2011)."Alternative Returns To 101.1 Chicago," from RadioInsight, originally reported March 1, 2014 and updated August 1, 2014 and October 1, 2014After three years with modern rock, WRKN/New Orleans began stunting with a wheel of formats. On January 6, it became the latest outlet to adopt the "Nash FM" country format.Cumulus Stunting In New Orleans from Radio Insight (January 3, 2013)6WXDJ/Miami shifts from simulcasting Tropical/Salsa sister WRMA to Spanish hot AC as "I95."I95.7 MIAMI DEBUTS from Radio Insight (January 6, 2014)Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and SFX Entertainment announced plans to expand SFX's Electronic Dance Music-owned properties, including its recently acquired Beatport online music portal, to Clear Channel's radio outlets and iHeartRadio platforms.Clear Channel and SFX Strike Electronic Dance Music Marketing Deal from The Wall Street Journal (January 6, 2014)Another Phoenix outlet makes a major change as adult hits KPKX flipped to a simulcast of sports talk sister KTAR. The move brings the outlets full circle as KPKX was the original KTAR-FM, whose calls reside at its news/talk sister at 92.3. KPKX changed its call letters to KMVP-FM on January 9.Phoenix's Peak Flip To Sports from Radio Insight (January 6, 2014)Mapleton Communications expands its broadcasting portfolio to Louisiana with the acquisition of Opus Media Partners' properties in Alexandria and Monroe, thus ending Opus' foray as a broadcaster.Mapleton Acquires Opus' Louisiana Stations from Radio Insight (January 6, 2014)Panama City Beach, Florida, picks up a dance outlet, as WPCF & W227CE drops Caribbean music to become "Play 93.9."Dance Plays In Panama City from Radio Insight (January 6, 2014)7Tyler Media Group adds a pair of Spanish-language outlets in Tulsa, regional Mexican KRVT and Spanish religious KZLI, to its broadcasting portfolio. KRVT will be rebranded as "La Z 1270" and change call letters to KLUZ and KZLI will switch to an English-language hybrid religious/community talk formatSpanish-language radio stations bought by OKC-based company from Tulsa World (January 7, 2014)8Curtis Media Group announced that it has purchased oldies WKIX-FM/Raleigh from McClatchey Broadcasting, which plans to move WKIX-FM to 102.3 and flip it to country under a TMA with a new company that will be run by Donna Curtis McClatchey, the daughter of Curtis Media owner Don Curtis. Curtis in turn will move top 40/CHR WWPL to 102.9, giving that signal better coverage in Raleigh area. 102.3 would later become country-formatted WKJO, while WKIX-FM kept its classic-hits format on 102.9 and WWPL instead moved to 96.9, replacing that station's simulcast of WYMY "La Ley 101.1."Curtis Media Shuffling Raleigh Portfolio from Radio Insight (January 8, 2014)10Clear Channel makes a pair of format changes in two markets: In Phoenix, KYOT-FM drops rhythmic AC for variety hits as "95.5 The Mountain," filling the void left open by KMVP-FM after they flipped to sports four days earlier. They become the fourth Phoenix station in ten days to make a format flip or change."Mountain Rises In Phoenix" from Radio Insight (January 10, 2014)