TheQuad Cities' KSTT call letters are retired as 1170 AM is given the new call sign KJOC, reflecting that station's all-sports format. The station has been simulcastingWXLP's FM signal for the past four years, although its sports programming has been steadily increasing during this time.
4 January –WOWF/Detroit officially complete their flip from Top 40/CHR totalk as "Wow FM."
6 January – After 5 days ofstunting with all-Garth Brooks music, rhythmic CHR-formattedWMXP/Pittsburgh flips to country as "K-Bear", WKQB.
10 January –Denver gets its second local country outlet whenKDHT completes its move-in to the market and flips to "Big Dog 92.5."
15 January – KONC/Phoenix flips from classical to modern rock. A few weeks later, on 1 February, cross-town rival KFMA flips to beautiful music.
25 January – After stunting with all-Elvis music for 3 days, Top 40/CHR-formattedKFXD-FM/Boise flips to adult contemporary.
26 January –Toronto got its first country-formatted FM station whenCISS-FM signs on the air.
February – KZKZ/Ft. Smith flips from album rock to gospel, while KTEZ/Lubbock flips from beautiful music to country.
2 February – Pittsburgh picks up its third country outlet, asWORD-FM's former 104.7 frequency flips from religious programming and became "Rebel 104.7", WXRB.
5 February
WODZ/Memphis flips from oldies to country as "Froggy 94", WOGY.
Top 40/CHR-formattedKXXR/Kansas City changes call letters and rebrands as KISF, "Kiss 107.3."
7 February –KLZR/Lawrence, Kansas flips from satellite-fed Hot AC to modern rock
15 February – WXQL/Jacksonville flips to Urban AC
19 February –KBEQ/Kansas City drops its top-40 format of 20 years as "Q-104" to go country as "Young Country 104." It will initially be simulcast on KBZR 1030, which has been airingZ-Rock. The "Q-104" handle will return a few years later, but the format will remain country.
23 February –KZGZ (9.75 FM) inAgana, Guam signs on the air for the first time. The first format isrhythmic top 40 music as "Power 98".
Cleveland-based Malrite Communications announces it will merge with Shamrock Broadcasting. The merger will be completed in August.
8 March – KKNB/Lincoln signs on with a modern rock format.
10 March -
12 March – After 10 years in the Top 40/CHR format (with a few moniker and format modifications), WEGX/Philadelphia becomessmooth jazz-formattedWJJZ. Three days later, strugglingACWKSZ fills the format void by flipping to "Z100." However, due to the presence of nearbyWHTZ in New York (which is also located on 100.3 FM), the "Z100" moniker will be modified to "Y100".
2 April
After 20 years as an influentialTop 40 station,WRBQ-FM/Tampa flips tocountry, while keeping its heritage "Q105" moniker.
Two stations inSyracuse flip to country within two days of each other:Beautiful Music-formattedWRHP flips today, while classic rock-formattedWKFM flips the next day.
19 April – WAQZ/Cincinnati flips from album rock to modern rock.
30 April –Virgin Radio, originally called Virgin 1215, is launched nationally in the United Kingdom on 1215 kHz at 12.15pm byRichard Branson. It subsequently becomes the most listened-to online radio station in the world.
28 May – At 4 PM,WOWF/Detroit drop their 5-month-old talk format and flip to country, becoming one of the first "Young Country" stations.
3 June – Atlantic Ventures, Stoner Broadcasting and Multi Market Communications all merge to form American Radio Systems, consisting of 16 stations in 7 markets.
9 September – Cox and CBS make a swap involving the Dallas and Tampa radio markets. Cox receives AOR WYNF 94.9 "95 YNF" in Tampa from CBS to pair with its WWRM "Warm 107.3", while CBS receives KLRX "Lite 97.9" in Dallas from Cox to pair with its KTXQ "Q-102." KLRX flips to classic rock as KRRW "Arrow 97.9" on 15 October (becoming the second station to use that branding), while Cox moves the "Warm" format from 107.3 to 94.9 and launches 1970s hits WCOF "107.3 The Coast."
10 September – CBS installs the very first 70s-basedclassic hits-formatted "Arrow" station onKCBS-FM/Los Angeles, who drop their 4-year oldoldies format.
Memphis gets its sixth urban-formatted station when WOGY-AM drops the simulcast withits FM sister station and flips to urban oldies as "The Juice", WJCE.
Carl Hirsch launches his new radio group venture, OmniAmerica Communications.
11 October
Westwood One announces it will acquire Unistar Radio Networks for $101.3 million; in addition, Westwood One will sell a 25% equity stake toInfinity Broadcasting for $15 million.
KPOI/Honolulu flips from album rock to modern rock.
25 October –Smooth jazz-formattedKHIH/Denver flips to religious programming; the format void will be filled by AC-formattedKHOW-FM a few days later.
November
WWKS/Pittsburgh flips from classic rock to hard rock.
Booth American Company and Broadcast Alchemy announce plans of a merger, with the newly combined company getting 11 stations in 7 markets and $160 million. In addition, Metroplex Communications will merge with Clear Channel, a deal worth $53 million.
10 November – KQBR/Sacramento drops country forsmooth jazz
12 November – After 23 years in the country format,KLAC/Los Angeles flips to Unistar'sadult standards "AM Only" format.
19 November – The "Arrow" format is expanded to two adult contemporary-formatted stations in two markets; in Washington, D.C.,WLTT adopts the format, while in Houston,KLTR flips to the format four days later.
3 – Final broadcast of Unistar's "Solid Gold Country," a five-day-a-week country gold program, after 10 years, the last 8-1/2 of which were as a daily one-hour program. The final show's topic spotlights songs from award-winning albums.
^Cox, Jim (2008).This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History. McFarland & Company, Inc.ISBN978-0-7864-3848-8.
