The following is a list of events affecting radio broadcasting in 2016. 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 Event1Classic Hits WMXJ Miami relaunches with a 80s-based format as "102.7 The Beach."KBIU Lake Charles, Louisiana drops AC for Rhythmic Top 40 as "Hot 103.3." The flip brings the format back to the market after it was dropped by Nash Icon sibling KQLK in September 2014.After dropping the "Nash Icon" format for Christmas music as "Warm 98.9", then stunted again with AC on December 26, followed by a series of hints of yet another flip via Twitter, W255CJ in Atlanta flipped back to Alternative and revived the "99X" branding.4The Denver radio market will see the number of sports stations increase to five, with the addition of former Oldies KRWZ (the flagship station of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Rapids; the flip to take place April 5), and former Talk KDSP & K300CP (the flagship station for the Denver Broncos). KDSP will also take the Fox Sports Radio affiliation from KKFN and KEPN, the latter becoming a full-time affiliate of ESPN Radio on the same day.KFMB-FM San Diego, which dropped the Adult Top 40 format and Jack FM branding after 10 years and began stunting with a wheel of formats on December 26, 2015, debuted a Mainstream Rock format, branded as "KFM-BFM 100.7."WFWI Fort Wayne, Indiana relaunched with hybrid Classic Adult Hits as "Big 92.3."5For the first time since sister station KTWN-FM flipped to Top 40 in 2010, the Minneapolis-St. Paul radio market picks up a Rhythmic Top 40 outlet, as KNOF drops its longtime Christian Contemporary format to become "Go 95.3," with an emphasis on cutting-edge artists and local content.6The KFWB License Trust announces the sale of Sports Talk KFWB/Los Angeles to Mercury Capital Partners, who'll flip the station to brokered multicultural programming. The move will leave the LA Galaxy without an English-language radio station, forcing the team to resort to Internet-only game broadcasts; the Los Angeles Clippers' broadcasts will move to KEIB.7Rhythmic-leaning Top 40/CHR KTFM/San Antonio is relaunched with a new branding, adopting Alpha Media's "Energy" moniker.14Pittsburgh Public Media acquires Rhythmic Oldies WZUM, which will flip to Jazz as a simulcast of WYZR, which is expected to sign on later this year.19iHeart Media shuffles its cluster lineup in the Puget Sound region. KYNW/Centralia flips from Adult Top 40 to Alternative as "Alt 102.9," which in turn results in KBKS-FM/Tacoma shifting from Top 40/CHR to Adult Top 40, with the former format moving to 93.3 and relaunched as "Power 93.3" (new calls to be KPWK), which results in KUBE-FM/Seattle and its Rhythmic Top 40 format to relocate to 104.9, replacing KKBW/Eatonville-Tacoma's Active Rock format.27WHTI Richmond flips from AC to Classic Hits as "Star 100.9," giving the Virginia capital city its second Classic Hits outlet as it takes on WBBT-FM
February Date Event1WYVL Youngsville, Pennsylvania and WTWT/Bradford, Pennsylvania both flip from classic Christian rock to contemporary Christian music.5CHIQ-FM Winnipeg rebrands from "Fab 94.3" to "94.3 The Drive" as it shifts from oldies/classic hits to classic hits with an emphasis on '70s and '80s music.11The Mark Levin Show signs a "lifetime contract" with Westwood One that will see the show continue to be carried on the network through at least 2025.12Top 40/CHR WKSZ Green Bay adds a simulcast for Appleton and the Fox Cities, where sister station WKZY//Chilton replaces the Adult Hits simulcast of WKZG. In addition, WKSZ brings back the morning team of Doug & Mary to replace the duo of Precious & Nikki, the former going to nights, the latter to sales for owner Woodward Communications.13Former KNAC on-air personality Stew Herrera launches the Saturday-night program Horns Up on KLOS in Los Angeles. Similar to KNAC, Horns Up plays a variety of hard rock, heavy metal and classic rock music.17 & 18Univision Radio swaps callsigns and formats on 2 of its stations in Dallas/Fort Worth. 99.1 now receives the KFZO callsign while 107.9 gets the KDXX call letters on February 17. The stations are now swapped to Regional Mexican as "La Jefa 99.1" and Latin pop as a simulcast of KESS-FM "Latino Mix" respectively the following day.24After nearly 11 months as an Adult Top 40, WLDB Milwaukee shifts back to AC and revives the "B93.3" moniker.25Adult Alternative CKUL-FM Halifax flips to Adult Top 40 as "Mix 96.5," putting the station in direct competition with rival station CIOO-FM.26CFXJ-FM Toronto goes jockless in anticipation to make an expected shift from classic hip-hop after just a little over a year. On February 29, the station flipped to Rhythmic AC as "93.5 The Move."29WIVG Memphis drops Classic Hip-Hop for Alternative as "i96."After a 22-month run with Adult Alternative, CHPK-FM Calgary flips to Country as "Wild 95.3," giving the market its second Country outlet as it takes on market leader CKRY-FM.
March DateEvent1WSTK New Bern, North Carolina drops its Urban Gospel format to simulcast Dance Top 40 WEGG"Eastern NC's Surge Expanding To New Bern" from Radio insight (February 15, 2016)Cumulus Media pulls the plug on KSJO San Jose/San Francisco's Nash FM Country format and moves it to the HD2 subchannel of Classic Rock sister KSAN. KSJO replaced the format with Bollywood music using the moniker "Bolly 92.3.""Nash FM No Longer On KSJO/San Francisco" from All Access (March 1, 2016)4Reno picks up its second Classic Hip-Hop outlet, as KLCA-HD3 & K223AL drops Active Rock to become "Power 92.5.""More Power And Classic Hip-Hop In Reno" from Radio Insight (March 7, 2016)7Sheridan Broadcasting announced that they are filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, as the Pittsburgh-based syndicator fights off a legal battle with Access 1 Communications (through its subsidiary NBN Broadcasting) over ownership of American Urban Radio Networks, which Sheridan owns a 51% stake in and is trying to buy out the remaining 49% that is being contested by Access 1."Pittsburgh-based Sheridan Broadcasting files for bankruptcy" from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (March 7, 2016) On May 17, Access.1 acquired AURN as part of a settlement deal with Sheridan, who'll continue to own the news and sports operations with AURN handling core programming and affiliate sales.Access.1 Now Owns AURN from All Access (May 18, 2016)Just one year after relaunching with Adult Top 40 and changing owners, KNXR/Rochester, Minnesota flips to Classic Rock Hits as "Minnesota 97.5," and joins a crowded field that includes Oldies KVGO and Classic Rock KRCH."KNXR Becomes Minnesota 97.5" from Radio Insight (March 7, 2016)9Univision Radio begins rebranding its Regional Mexican stations. KSCA/Los Angeles, KOND/Fresno and KISF/Las Vegas are monikered as "ZonaMX," KGBT-FM McAllen, Texas adopts the "LaJefa" moniker, and "Que Buena" will become the identifier for WQBU-FM: New York City, KROM: San Antonio, KLNO: Dallas-Ft. Worth, KSOL/KSQL-FM: San Jose/San Francisco, KLQB: Austin, WOJO: Chicago, KHOT-FM: Phoenix and KLNV: San Diego."KSCA and KISF Rebrand As ZonaMX" from Radio Insight (March 9, 2016)10Premiere Networks announces the syndication of its first non-iHeartMedia produced program with the national distribution of the KQMV/Seattle morning show Brooke & Jubal, which already has four stations airing the program."Brooke & Jubal's Quick Rise Continues With Premiere Syndication Deal" from Radio Insight (March 10, 2016)11After eight years of Oldies, WQKS-FM Montgomery flips to AC as "Kiss 96.1.""WQKS/Montgomery Flips To AC As Kiss 96.1" from All Access (March 11, 206)After a five-year run with Modern AC, KLCK-FM Seattle drops the format and begins stunting and uses the Rickrolling ploy to keep everyone guessing. At Noon on March 16, The Hubbard Broadcasting station flipped to Mainstream Rock as KVRQ, "Rock 98.9," and joined a crowded field of Rock outlets that includes rival KISW, Alternatives KNDD and KFOO, and Classic Rock KZOK."Hubbard Clicks Off 98.9 Seattle" from Radioinsight (March 11, 2016)15CBS Radio returns the WNEW-FM calls to New York City and to its original home at 102.7 after a nine-year absence (CBS moved the calls to West Palm Beach and recently to Annapolis during that time)."WNEW-FM Call Letters Return To 102.7 New York" from Radio Insight (March 15, 2016)CBS Corporation confirmed reports that it is planning to spin off its CBS Radio division within the next year. The move would put 117 stations in 26 markets up for sale, making it attractive to buyers."CBS Looks To Divest Radio Holdings" from Radioinsight (March 15, 2016)16KIKI/ Honolulu drops Conservative Talk to become a Fox Sports Radio affiliate, and will serve as the Hawaii affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tennessee Titans (the latter due to Honolulu-born Marcus Mariota being the team's quarterback)."KIKI-AM Honolulu Flips To Sports" from All Access (March 18, 2016)18After spending the last two years with Adult Top 40, WMIA-FM/ Miami returns to Rhythmic Hot AC, billed as "93.9MIA.""WMIA Flips Back To Rhythmic AC" from Radio Insight (March 20, 2016)21Two rival classic hits stations in Central New York, WZUN/Phoenix, New York and WSEN-FM/Baldwinsville, New York, merge. The resulting station will occupy WZUN's license and frequency (102.1), use WSEN-FM's call sign and carry the music library and airstaff of both stations. WSEN-FM's former frequency of 92.1 was spun off to the religious Family Life Network,Herbert, Geoff. Syracuse's WSEN, Sunny 102 combining into one 'super' radio station. The Post-Standard. Retrieved March 21, 2016. who in turn traded the station to Craig Fox in exchange for WOLF-FM (105.1)/De Ruyter and WWLF-FM (96.7)/Oswego. WOLF's country music format and calls will then move to 92.1, with Family Life's programming moving onto 105.1 and 96.7, marking the first inroads into Central New York for the religious broadcaster.Syracuse's Wolf on the move as Family Life swaps again from Radio Insight (March 29, 2016)24After three years with Top 40/CHR, WZJZ/Fort Myers, Florida shifts to Adult Top 40 with emphasis on 90s and Y2K recurrents."Y100 Fort Myers Shifts To Hot AC" from Radio Insight (March 24, 2016)30Emmis Communications' WQHT/New York City becomes the first radio station in the United States to license its annual concert series to another country, as Japan's Avex Live Creative will hold the inaugural "Hot 97 Summer Jam Tokyo" event on July 29 at Zepp Tokyo."WQHT To Expand Summer Jam To Tokyo" from Radio Insight (March 30, 2016)31In Salt Lake City, KUDD's Top 40 format migrates to KAUU, giving them better signal coverage. Rhythmic Top 40 sister KUUU is expected to move down from 92.5 to 92.3 once its greenlighted by the FCC."2015 Post-Christmas Format Change Watchlist" from Radio Insight (December 26, 2015)
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